LOS ANGELES, Nov. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On the evening of November 20 (Los Angeles time), the exclusive sponsor ToursForFun (toursforfun.com), in collaboration with China Lion Film Distribution, hosted the grand U.S. premiere of the romantic comedy "This Is Not What I Expected" in Los Angeles. Attendees included Mr. Robert Lundberg, Vice President of China Lion Film; Allen Wang, President/Co-founder of ToursForFun; Kevin Du, CEO of Tours4fun/Co-founder of ToursForFun; Anthony Wong, Mayor of Monterey Park; City Councilman Peter Chan; renowned actor James Hong; actress Lei Xuelian; as well as representatives from government, film and entertainment, Chinese enterprises, and media.
Hollywood newcomer actress Lei Xuelian (left), Vice President of China Lion Film Robert Lundberg (second from left), President/Co-founder of ToursForFun Allen Wang (second from right), and CEO of Tours4fun/Co-founder of ToursForFun Kevin Du (right)
The exclusive sponsor of this premiere event, President/Co-founder of ToursForFun Allen Wang said in a media interview: "We are very pleased to collaborate with China Lion in North America for the U.S. premiere of 'This Is Not What I Expected.' China Lion has consistently brought high-quality contemporary Chinese films to overseas Chinese and even Western audiences through its international distribution of Chinese cinema, which we deeply admire. Film and travel share many similarities — both provide consumers with experiences of different worlds and landscapes. We believe this is the fundamental reason why the domestic tourism and film industries have been collaborating more closely in recent years. For this collaboration between ToursForFun and China Lion in promoting 'This Is Not What I Expected' overseas, ToursForFun has also specially created a 'Coquettish Travel' series of tour packages tailored to the film. We hope that through our efforts, we can bring this wonderful film and travel experience to our friends in North America." Additionally, Kevin Du, CEO of Tours4fun, stated that ToursForFun will continue to pay attention to the Chinese film industry and is open to cross-industry collaborations on suitable projects.
A representative of the event organizer, Vice President of China Lion Film Distribution Robert Lundberg said: "First, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our exclusive sponsor, ToursForFun, for their strong support. It is only because of the collaboration between China Lion and ToursForFun that we were able to host such a grand and memorable premiere tonight. Secondly, choosing to release 'This Is Not What I Expected' during the Thanksgiving season is based on our extensive experience in film distribution. In terms of genre, storyline, and performances, this film is exactly the kind of work our audience enjoys, so we are very confident and look forward to hearing the audience’s thoughts after watching the film."
Mayor of Monterey Park Anthony Wong and City Councilman Peter Chan attended the premiere with their families. Mayor Anthony Wong also mentioned that this is not his first time attending a China Lion film premiere at the Atlantic Times Square in Monterey Park. Over the past four years, China Lion has not only brought a rich selection of high-quality Chinese films to the North American Chinese community but has also boosted the local economy of Monterey Park, enriched cultural and entertainment life, and we look forward to seeing more excellent Chinese films introduced in the future.
In addition, renowned actor James Hong representing the older generation of filmmakers, along with Lei Xuelian, a rising star in Hollywood, were also invited to attend the film premiere to show their support for the global promotion of Chinese cinema. During the red carpet interviews, they expressed their joy at seeing Chinese films competing in the busy North American film market during the Thanksgiving holiday, wished "This Is Not What I Expected" great box office success, and thanked outstanding Chinese enterprises like ToursForFun for their contributions to the film industry.
The film "This Is Not What I Expected" is adapted from the bestselling relationship guide "Why Why Love Like This" by popular gender author Roffman. The story follows Zhang Hui (played by Zhou Xun), a tough, no-nonsense woman in her thirties who has long had a crush on her university classmate and colleague, the silly and adorable homebody Gong Zhiqiang (played by Huang Xiaoming), but her feelings are not reciprocated. While on a business trip to Taiwan, Gong Zhiqiang meets the sweet and gentle Taiwanese girl Bei Bei (played by Stefanie Sun) and instantly falls in love. Devastated that her years of quiet devotion pale in comparison to Bei Bei's tender words, Zhang Hui teams up with Shanghai’s coquettish queen Ruan Mei (played by Xie Yilin) and the strongest coquettish squad south of the Yangtze River, embarking on a challenging journey to master the art of being coquettish in hopes of winning back true love. Notably, to coincide with the North American Thanksgiving holiday, the film’s release in North America is two days earlier than its domestic theatrical release, aiming to add a touch of warmth and romance to the Thanksgiving holiday for the North American Chinese community.