Chinese film director Diao Yinan has trekked to Europe for a second time this year. After his first visit in February, he made a triumphant return home with a Golden Bear, the grand prize from the Berlin Film Festival. This week he's taken his film "Black Coal, Thin Ice" to Italy where it was screened Monday at the 16th edition of Udine Far East Film Fest.

"Black Coal Thin Ice"

The Udine Far East Film Festival presents a unique opportunity for Asian film makers hoping to tap the potentially lucrative but non-traditional European market.

Golden-Bear-winner Diao Yinan is hoping to land a distribution deal but says this long running film festive has other attractions.

"I heard of the Far East Film Fest a long time ago. A lot of my friends have brought their films to this festival. You can tell by the films being shown here that it's a highly inclusive festival, that includes both artistic and commercial films. There's a wide range of content," he said.

Black coal, Thin Ice was a moderate success in China raking in 100 million RMB, about 16 million dollars, since March 21, not bad for an art film in China.

Diao is hoping his film does well in Italy, giving him more to boast about when he travels the continent.

"Later I'll go to France on a publicity campaign and interviews before the French premiere of this movie. The key to this year is the distribution in overseas markets. As domestic screenings come to and end, overseas distribution becomes more important. Foreign audience can learn about Chinese society and culture from the big screen," he said.

Black coal thin ice is a crime story with a love line. An ex-cop played by Liao Fan, who won Best Actor in Berlin, falls in love with a mysterious woman, while investigating a bizarre murder case.

The film ends with an impressive scene, which give rise to its Chinese name "Bai Ri Yan Huo", which literally means "Daylight Fireworks".

"The phrase is poetic and beautiful, full of aesthetics and meaning. So I first came up with this title which refers to the ending. I worked backwards to develop the story for "Bai Ri Yan Huo," he said.

Diao says he tried to strike a balance between an art and a commercial film. His trip to Berlin earned him praise for artistic achievements now he's hoping Italy will lead to business success.

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