Curse of the Golden Flower to Close AFI Fest

IndieWire is reporting that the World Premiere of Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower will close AFI Fest next month.

For more on the film, which is China's submission for Best Foreign Language Film (Academy Awards edition), check here for the American trailer and lively comments, here for the Chinese trailer, and here for another American trailer. Personally, I'm ignoring the naysayers and looking forward to something magnificent (hope dies hard around my household). The trailer -- at least one of them -- has played in front of both The Protector and Jet Li's Fearless in the US and looks splendid.

Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in the US (New York and Los Angeles) on December 22.

As for AFI Fest, the complete line-up has been released and is available on their site for closer perusal. Among the Asian highlights are the US Premiere of The Banquet, the North American Premiere of Kim Ki-Duk's Time, Johnny To's Election and Triad Election (AKA Election 2), Korean faves Family Ties and The Host, and, from the Mainland, Luxury Car and The Road. Japan is represented by Memories of Tomorrow. The Pang Brothers' Re-Cycle will also play. More highlights to be picked out as time allows.

Official US Web Site (Placeholder only right now, but has two embedded trailers)