A Chinese American filmmaker will direct the 2010 Shanzhai (copycat) Spring Festival Gala Party, but will not be paid for his work, the show's producer said yesterday.

Chen Siyu, a 67-year-old director who owns an independent film studio in Los Angeles, will help to make a "professional and exceptional" gala compared with its debut last year, Shi Mengqi, organizer of the event, told METRO yesterday.

"We have looked for an ideal director for a very long time and sent letters to many domestic directors, but they either declined or never replied, until a friend introduced me to Chen Siyu," Shi said.

Shi, who manages a wedding planning company in Beijing, launched the "Shanzhai (copycat) Spring Festival Gala Party" last year as a "grassroots'" alternative to State broadcaster China Central Television's (CCTV) annual Lunar New Year Variety Gala.

The CCTV event is shown on most domestic TV channels on Chinese New Year's Eve and is the focus of celebrations for the majority of Chinese families.

Shi's copycat version was broadcast on major websites and earned millions of clicks. Some TV stations also broadcast the event.

However, Shi said it was "too amateur" last year, and so wanted to hire a professional director this year.

Chen said he first learned of the copycat Spring Festival gala in a Chinese newspaper in Los Angeles. He agreed to take on the position without being paid because he said it is a good idea to offer choice to TV viewers.

As an expatriate Chinese, he said the CCTV gala was once a must-do activity on Chinese New Year for almost 30 years.

"But now, every year the CCTV gala is just the same with the same singers and hosts, which makes it really dull," he said.

According to Chen's plan, the gala show will have a family party or festival vibe.

"Grassroots' activity does not mean it is geeky or rustic," he said.

"It will be just like the duet performance given by rap singer Jay Chou and folk vocalist Song Zuying during this year's CCTV Spring Festival Gala, but mine will be better," he said.