Hong Kong film producers have picked what many consider a mainland movie, The Banquet, as the city's entry for next year's Oscars in the best foreign film category.
Directed by mainlander Feng Xiaogang, the HK$160 million martial arts epic starring Zhang Ziyi and Zhou Xun and Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu Yin-cho is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, set in ancient China.
But local film producers are satisfied the Chinese film can be Hong Kong's official submission because it can meet the Oscar's requirements with its Hong Kong line-up off-screen.
It was choreographed by Yuen Wo-ping, and award-winning Tim Yip Kam-tin is the costume designer.
Perhaps more importantly, Hong Kong's Media Asia Films co-invested in the production with the mainland's Huayi Brothers.
'It is common nowadays to have Hong Kong filmmakers co-producing works with their mainland counterparts. We believe Hong Kong could submit more so-called Chinese films for overseas film festivals,' said Crucindo Hung Cho-sing, chairman of the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong.