Chinese director Chen Kaige's mega-budget film The Promise has sold its publishing rights in America, England and Australia to Weinstein Company and IDG New Media in Cannes.

Harvey Weinstein, the president of Weinstein Company, attended a screening of a 12-minute synopsis of The Promise at Cannes, along with 120 other distributors.

He confirmed Chen Kaige's status as a master of cinema and regards this film to be a top Academy Award prospect for the Weinstein Company.

The US$35 million film is the most expensive Chinese film ever made and features an international cast drawn from Japan, Korea Hong Kong, and China's mainland.

The Promise is currently on track for release in China this coming December.

(CRI May 17, 2005)