China's best known film director, Zhang Yimou, has been awarded the top prize at a Sports Film Festival in Milan, China Radio International reported on December 1.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympics Games announced the news yesterday. 
  
The six-day "Sport Movies and TV International Festival" featured over 900 entries from 42 countries including Russia, Greece, Australia, Iran and France.

It has been dubbed the Olympics of sport on film and television.
   
Zhang Yimou was honored for his film The Chinese Seal: Dancing Beijing, about the emblem of the next Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in 2008.

Zhang Yimou to Raise China Lantern in Athens

"The world gave me eight minutes and I will give the world a surprise," said renowned producer/director Zhang Yimou on August 26, who is gearing up to put on a stunning eight-minute show at the closing ceremony of the Athens Olympics.

Some 130 Chinese artists will present the segment he created at the Olympic Stadium on August 29.

Zhang said, "The show is mainly dancing and movements that everyone will be able to understand. My aim is to show the world that Chinese culture is also international."

The segment is presented to introduce Beijing as the host of the next Olympics, in 2008.

Jiang Xiaoyu, vice chairman of Beijing Olympics organizing committee, said, "The national anthem will be played for about 49 seconds. Then Athens will hand over the Olympic flag to Beijing officials." The performance will follow the passing of the flag.

This is the second time Zhang Yimou has worked on an Olympics-related program. In 2001, he directed a short film to promote Beijing's Olympic bid.

A medal winner himself at such prestigious venues as the Cannes and Venice international film festivals for films including Raise the Red Lantern and To Live, Zhang has also been chosen to direct the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

(CRI, CCTV.com, China.org.cn, December 2, 2004)