Zhang Yimou's new film Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles is not vying for Oscar this year, but heads for Tokyo.
Tokyo Film Festival committee has sent invitation to Zhang Yimou and tended to take Riding as the opening film.
Riding Alone is the story of an epic voyage undertaken by a father on behalf of his dying son. It features the veteran Japanese actor Ken Takakura and China's Jiang Wen.
The film is set for a release in China at the end of 2005 and in Japan in early 2006 but Zhang says he's not expecting an Oscar nomination.
The overseas publishing rights for Riding have been sold to a Hollywood company at a higher price than Zhang's previous films, following the global success of Hero and House off Flying Daggers.
Last year, Hong Kong director Wong Korowai's sci-fi picture 2046 was played on the opening day of the Tokyo Film Festival.
(CRI August 11, 2005)
