Zhang added that this year's Venice is ready to embrace lesser-known Chinese directors other the regularly-celebrated Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and Jia Zhangke.

"I believe it is a sign of the local film market's maturity," he said.

Unlike former artistic Chinese Competition candidates, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a commercial action thriller, set in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The film centers on China's first female emperor Wu Zetian and her chief judge Dee Renjie. Wu had ordered Dee's arrest and imprisonment after Dee criticized her seizure of power following the death of the emperor, but after several unexplained incidents of men spontaneously combusting in public, Wu had to turn to Dee for help solving the mystery.

This is Hong Kong director Tsui's third appearance at Venice, with Time and Tide screening Out of Competition in 2000 and Seven Swords opening the 2005 event. According to the film's producer Wang Zhonglei, they were surprised when hearing the news that the work had been accepted in Competition.

"The film was planned and shot as a commercial blockbuster, which is not exactly the type of film that Venice usually picks for Competition," Wang told the Global Times. He then revealed that Mueller visited twice during the film's shooting and editing and was fascinated by Tsui's directing style in exploring new possibilities for costume action films.

Five Chinese films are lined up to screen Out of Competition, including John Woo's costume action film Reign of Assassins. Mainland independent director Zhang Yuan will show his commercial short animation film Space Guy, which is a 3D film shot for 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. The short is about how a little space chick tries to repair a satellite struck by a space meteoroid.

According to Zhang, Space Guy will be expanded to a full-length film after screening at the film festival. "Having been selected by Venice has strengthened my confidence in this commercial attempt," he said.

Also part of Out of Competition are Hong Kong production The Child's Eye 3D, a ghost horror directed by the Pang Brothers (Oxide Pang and Danny Pang) and Stanley Kwan's musical Showtime, which is set in modern-day Shanghai.

Agencies contributed to the story.