'Cape No. 7' spreads its wings

4:47 AM PST 11/24/2008 by Jonathan Landreth, AP

Taiwan hit sells into Malaysia, expects China release

BANGKOK - "Cape No. 7," the film breaking Taiwan boxoffice records and hoping for a slot in the Oscars finals for Best Foreign Film has clinched a handful of regional distribution deals and releases, sales executives said Monday.

The film about youth and music by first-time director Te-sheng Wei is awaiting a release date from the China Film Group, whose purchase makes it the first commercial film from Taiwan set to screen in China since the two split in 1949. A release date in China would be confirmed "soon," Rita Chuang in Taipei said.