SHANGHAI, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Renowned Chinese film director Wu Yigong died in Shanghai on Saturday at the age of 80, according to the Shanghai municipal federation of literary and art circles.
Wu, born in December 1938 in the southwestern city of Chongqing, played an influential role in the country's film industry development after the reform and opening up. He graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1960. He was former vice president of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and former chairman of the China Film Association.
The popular films Wu directed included "Evening Rain," which won the best feature film at the first Golden Rooster Awards in 1981, and "My Memories of Old Beijing," which saw him named best director at the third Golden Rooster Awards in 1983.
Wu's special narrative style has had a profound impact on filmmaking, and he jointly established the Shanghai International Film Festival with other domestic film artists, according to the Shanghai Film Association.
