Singer Li Jian (L) and film director Lu Gengxu (R) attend a press conference on his directorial debut "Forever Young" in Beijing on December 25th, 2013. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com]

1st China Int'l Film Festival opens in London

Chinese pop star Lu Gengxu has paid tribute to his youth with his directorial debut "Forever Young."

Starring Pan Yueming and Liu Zi, it tells the story of a middle aged man who finds life boring. All his youthful dreams seem to have amounted to nothing. That is until he decides one day that it's still not too late and he starts to pursue them once again.

Lu Spent four years working on this film, speaking to CRI he explained why it took so long, "I had no other choice. When I first started directing no-one believed in me. I had to persuade them to believe that I can make it. It was a long process. It took time for the art to?ripen. The film supervisor Teng Huatao has high standards."

The film won the Golden Knight Award for Best Original Song at the First China International Film Festival in London.

It will hit Chinese cinema screens on January 10th, 2014.