Picking up on Chopsticks fun

Innovative duo's 'post-80s' humor is a treat, for Chinese and the Chinese-challenged

As the first Beijing International Film Festival was winding down late last month, two upstart Beijing moviemakers were also creating a big splash - just not on any big screen. The Chopsticks Brothers have made the Internet their showcase for two short videos that are attracting viewers in numbers that would thrill your average traditional filmmaker.

Xiao Yang and Wang Taili, both from Beijing, first wowed fans last year with their nostalgic "post-80s" comedy called Old Boys. It attracted more than 32 million views on Chinese video-sharing website Youku. This year, The Ultimate Winner, a 30-second video about the urban angst of a Chinese man in mid-life crisis, has already piled up enough "hits" since its release in late April to most likely reach millions of viewers.