PLA test pilots’ movie tops presale box-office charts of May Day holiday

A graduate of Beijing Film Academy, the movie’s director-scriptwriter Liu Xiaoshi has worked at Aviation Industry Corporation of China since 2008, with his major job being shooting science-research films and documentaries of China’s new aircrafts, from the J-10C to J-15 until J-20.

Born to Fly marks the directorial debut feature of Liu, whose inspiration for the film came in 2012 with the launch of China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier and its inaugural carrier-based aircraft takeoff and landing training.

Developing a close friendship with one of the five test pilots on board, Liu was deeply moved by their unwavering dedication to pushing the limits of flight, motivating him to make a film paying tribute to these unsung heroes.

The film has been selected as the closing movie of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival and will be officially released domestically on April 28.