Renowned Chinese filmmaker Feng Xiaogang began shooting his latest project, "Aftershocks", Tuesday in Tangshan, a north China city ravaged by a deadly earthquake in 1976.

"Aftershocks" tells the story of a seven-year-old girl who survived the quake that killed more than 240,000 people.

At a brief ceremony marking the official start of filming, Feng and his crew mourned for the lost lives and presented wreaths at a monument in a downtown square built as a memorial of the quake.

Tuesday marks the 33rd anniversary of the 7.8-magnitude disaster.

"We'd like to thank everyone for giving us the opportunity to shoot this movie," said Feng, who is better known for his comedy movies, including last year's blockbuster "If You Are the One".

Shooting in Tangshan will last until mid December.

The film, jointly produced by the Huayi Brothers, China Film Group and the municipal government of Tangshan, will be in IMAX format and is scheduled for screening on July 28, 2010. Its budget will be around 150 million yuan (22 million U.S. dollars). Feng said he hoped the box office would reach 500 million yuan.

(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2009)