Feng Xiaogang

Biography

Feng Xiaogang is a Chinese actor, director and screenwriter born in Beijing in 1958. After graduating from high school, he joined the Chinese military and worked as a set designer in the Beijing Military Region's art troupe until 1984. After his military discharge, he moved into artistic production and joined the Beijing Television Art Center in 1985 as a visual artist. Feng rose to fame through his comedic films starring Ge You, which established the Chinese New Year film market. His films such as "The Dream Factory", "Be There or Be Square" and "Sorry Baby" achieved major commercial success in the 1990s. His style is characterized by black comedy and social satire, as seen in "A Sigh". In 2003, "Cell Phone" became the top-grossing domestic film and launched actress Fan Bingbing's stardom. Feng is considered one of China's most prominent commercial directors who built his audience through popular appeal rather than prestigious film awards.