Outstanding films, actors, screenplays and directors honored at 25th SIFF
The coveted Golden Goblet Awards of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival honored outstanding films at the Shanghai Grand Theater on Saturday.
In the Main Competition category, Japanese film "Yoko" by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri" was a big winner receiving the awards for Best Feature Film, Best Actress and Best Screenplay.
Rinko Kikuchi won the Best Actress award for her impressive depiction of a woman who gave up her life and dreams long ago. The film's scriptwriter Kosuke Muroi received the Best Screenplay award for a heart-warming and inspiring story.
"I feel so honored and excited to receive this award," said Kikuchi. "I grew up watching a lot of Chinese films. I will start to learn Chinese to work with Chinese filmmakers in the future."
Chinese filmmaker Liu Jiayin garnered the Best Director award for "All Ears," a story about a eulogy writer's growth and new discoveries in life.
Chinese actors Hu Ge and Da Peng shared the Best Actor award for their impressive performances respectively in "All Ears" and "Dust to Dust."
Hu said that he feels so happy to win the award with his old friend Da Peng. They got to know each other as early as 2005.
Da Peng said that the award meant a lot to him, and it boosted his confidence in the film career.
Chinese film "Good Autumn, Mommy" received the Outstanding Artistic Achievement award. The film about a woman's self-awakening is the feature directorial debut of young filmmaker Chen Shizhong.
Toni Vidal, the cinematographer of Spanish film "Muyeres," won the Best Photography award. The film also earned the Jury Grand Prix.
The Best Documentary Film award went to "Anxious in Beirut," a co-production of Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and Spain that documents the economy and society of Lebanon.
Hungarian film "Four Souls of Coyote" took the award for the best animation film.
In the short film category, Russian production "The House We Had" won the best live-action short film award while "Chasing Birds," a co-production of Iceland and Canada was honored as the best animated short film.
This year a total of 53 film productions from home and abroad were nominated for the Golden Goblet Awards in the Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation, and Short Film categories.
Da Peng's youth comedy drama "One and Only," starring Huang Bo and Wang Yibo was also premiered at the awards ceremony as the festival's closing film.
The film follows a young man's courageous pursuit of his street dance dream in the face of adversity. It will hit cinemas across China on July 28.
The festival closes on Sunday. It will be followed by the Shanghai TV Festival, another important cultural event of the city.