(DUAN ZHUOLI)

Chinese actress Xu Fan was named Best Actress at the Fifth Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on March 21, 2011. Xu won the title for her role in the earthquake epic Aftershock, a heart-rending film directed by Feng Xiaogang, which also won the award for best visual effects at the event.

Xu, 44, was born in Hubei Province. She graduated from the Central Academy of Drama with a bachelor's degree in acting in 1991. Xu was first a dramatic actress and began her career in movies and TV series in 1992. Her representative works include The Dream Factory, Be There or Be Square and Cell Phone.