Famous director Chen Kaige and his wife, actress Chen Hong. [File photo:ent.qq.com]

Famous Chinese director Chen Kaige is heading for the United States on Tuesday to team up with NBA star Yao Ming on a short film for earthquake relief, Tianfu Morning Post reports.

Chen announced on Monday that Yao and Liu Xiang, the Olympic champion hurdler, will star in his short film, which encourages Chinese people to bravely face the disaster and begin rebuilding their homes.

Chen halted post-production work on "Mei Lanfang," a biopic of the late Peking opera master, to shoot the film. Liu Xiang is busy preparing for the upcoming Olympic Games. For Yao Ming, too, joining the cast has not been easy, as he is recovering from a foot injury.

None of the stars will receive a payment for their work on the film, which centers on messages of strength and speed.

(CRI June 10,2008)