Director Feng Xiaogang is planning a film on the Tangshan earthquake in 1976. [xinmin.cn]

Veteran Chinese filmmaker Feng Xiaogang, known for his comedies, is to make a movie about the Tangshan earthquake in 1976.

Feng detailed his plan at the ongoing 12th Shanghai International Film Festival.

"Aftershock", formerly known as "Tangshan Earthquake", will be filmed in the IMAX format, and is due for release next July.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Tangshan in Hebei Province on July 28, 1976. The film revolves around a seven-year-old girl who survived the deadly quake.

Also at the film festival, Brazilian actress Lucelia Santos, who gained worldwide fame for the TV series "Escrava Isaura", was promoting her latest drama film "Destino", a Sino-Brazil production to be released in China later this year. "Many of the movie's scenes were shot in China," Santos said. "Audiences may feel the strong and distinctive culture, history and art of China in this film."

Jin Tiemu, who made "Yuan Ming Yuan" about Beijing's Old Summer Palace, brought his latest production, "Master Xuanzang", to the festival.

The documentary about the Buddhist monk's life is due to be screened across the country in two months.

(CRI June 17, 2009)