Tribute to action

The fifth edition of Jackie Chan's film festival will be held in Datong.

Jackie Chan, the iconic action star behind more than 200 movies, is using his celebrity power to earn recognition for stunt performers in cinema. The long-ignored group faces challenges while shooting, including injuries, and is often not given enough time on the big screen.

And toward this end, the Jackie Chan International Action Film Week will hold its latest edition in the ancient city of Datong, Shanxi province, from July 21 to 27.

The annual event was held in Shanghai for its first three years and moved to Shanxi in 2018.

"I wanted to launch this event more than 20 years ago, but I didn't know how to make it happen back then," Chan said at a news conference in Beijing on June 2.

He describes the festival as "a dream come true".

Over the past few decades, Chan has participated in many festivals, but he says he was disappointed to see that few had special sections shedding light on films' dangerous stunt jobs.

Chan, 65, began his career as a stuntman in the Hong Kong film industry in the early 1970s.

Back then, he earned little playing extra characters or working as stand-ins for lead actors. He also suffered from falls, kicks and punches on set.