Wong Kar-wai's kung fu biopic The Grandmaster will be screened in 3-D, starting from the end of the director's retrospective in Beijing. [Photo/China Daily]

He has earned the ability to take his time through developing a distinctive style and aesthetic appeal that has won honors and fans.

China Film Archive curator Sun Xiang-hui says: "There were long lines when the exhibition's tickets went on sale. I heard some fans came as early as 3 am and stood outside in the cold."

The exhibition's most anticipated film is the 3-D version of The Grandmaster, which will premiere on the event's final day－exactly two years after its 2-D version was screened nationwide－and run in theaters for weeks.

Wong spent 10 years on the movie, including four years filming. He visited nearly 100 martial arts practitioners.

The investment paid off. It won nearly 30 awards at Asia's major film festivals, including the Hong Kong Film Awards and Asian Film Awards.

Wong believes the 3-D version will bring audiences closer to kung fu.

"One of the martial arts masters told me fighting is like kissing－the closer, the better," he says.

Wong, who became the only Chinese to preside over the Cannes International Film Festival's jury in 2006, hopes to expand beyond his attributed identity as a new wave cinema pioneer.

He says he took inspiration from a visit to India, where he accepted the International Film Festival of India's Lifetime Achievement award on Nov 30.

"Bollywood musical movies are full of fun. I hope to film a movie from that genre."