Jailed director fails to attend premiere of own film

My Kingdom, the first directorial work of mainland singer and music producer Gao Xiaosong, hit theaters on Sept 9, but he could not attend the premiere on Sept 5.

The 42-year-old is in jail, after crashing his SUV into a car waiting at a red light in Beijing on May 9. He was three times over the legal alcohol limit and will be freed in November.

The martial arts flick features the duo of Han Geng and Chun Wu, two popular icons among youngsters. They play two Peking Opera actors.

In an open letter released recently Gao says it is a great pity that he could not see the first reactions of audiences as they walked out of the cinemas.

The film was released in the United States on Sept 9.