Hot Pot Artist, an upcoming comedy centered on the iconic dish in Chengdu, is set to be released in theaters nationwide on Jan 3.

The film, directed by and starring Cui Zhijia, follows the story of a filmmaker from northeastern China portrayed by Cui. Faced with a stalled directorial career due to financial struggles, he decides to enter a hot pot cuisine competition in the hope of winning a substantial cash prize.

During the film's Beijing premiere on Saturday, Cui expressed his desire to blend hot pot, a dish he believes can incorporate a variety of ingredients boiled in one pot, with his directorial career — his most familiar domain — in a delightful comedic treat.

The film was shot in Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, known for its abundance of hot pot restaurants, over a period of three-and-a-half months.