Motion Picture Association (MPA) president and managing director Asia Pacific Mike Ellis said, “Xiaolu is a fine example of the upcoming Chinese screenwriters and directors who are taking center stage in the development of the country’s burgeoning film industry,”

“We at MPA are especially proud of Xiaolu and of having a special connection with her. We are happy to be here to celebrate her success,” he added.

Xiaolu won a scriptwriting competition supported by the MPA in 2006. Her directorial film debut Ocean Heaven was chosen as the opening movie for this year’s 13th Shanghai International Film Festival. She wrote as well as directed the films. It stars Jet Li and tells the story of a father who spends his entire life and fortune caring for his autistic son. The story originated from her personal experiences as a volunteer working with autistic children in China.

“I am much honored to receive this award. I would like to thank CineAsia for the recognition and MPA for their support for young, upcoming filmmakers in the region. Such strong encouragement makes filmmaking an even greater joy. I would also like to say that it has been very satisfying to see that the movie has raised public awareness of autism,” said Xiaolu. “Like my volunteer work, I hope that through a little effort we can work together to make a life-lasting difference for the children touched by this condition.”

“It is a great honor for CineAsia to salute Xiaolu as a unique artist whose broad range of talents deserve both acclaim and recognition,” said CineAsia’s managing director Robert Sunshine. “We are pleased to recognize Xiaolu when she is expanding her creative work horizon to include directing and we look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.”      

CineAsia was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from December 7 – 9, 2010.