Taiwanese director Shen Gu Shan’s “Deep Quiet Room” won the highest honor at the Fay Mu Award for Best Film at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival, winning a prize of 1 million ($137,000).
Half of the awards support Shen’s next project, while the other half goes to the Chinese distributor of the film. Ju-dean praised the film’s “solid narrative and sharp expression,” pointing out “how the director has great control over the rhythm and progresses layer by layer until he reaches its deep core.”
Joseph Chang portrayed her husband, who won the Faye Mu Award for Best Actor for his performance in “Deep Quiet Room,” and navigated the trauma of his family. Ju-dean emphasized his “subtle portrayal” of “baring complex transformations of characters at each stage.” The FEI MU Award for emerging filmmakers making films in Chinese is supported by their choices at the Festival’s Hidden Dragon Strand.
Zhang Zhongchen has been awarded Best Director of “Nighttime Sounds” at the FEI MU Awards. The ju judge pointed to his journey from a security guard at the film academy to a “self-taught director” who “composes poetry with the lens.”
Ranice Tay won the Best Actress Award for her role in “Amoeba” directed by Tan Siyou. Ju-search described her as embodying “a new generation caught up in adolescent turbulence where fear coexists with courage.” Tan’s film was a festival favorite, attracting a total of three awards, winning the Best Actress, Youth Jury Award and Cinephilia Critics Award. The youth ju cited, “It is a young person’s perspective, and through that, we can look at their situation and value bold expression.”
Louis Vuitton, a partner at the festival, introduced the performance recipients and the Youth Jury Award recipients to boxes of jewelry and accessories.
In the Roberto Rossellini Award section, Festival Crouching Tigers Strand – Hasan Hadi’s “President’s Cake” won the best film, receiving $20,000. The ju-deputy called the “disastrous portraits” of two Iraqi children in the early 1990s, navigating the “absurdness of political oppression and the paralyzing atrocities of war.”
Akinola Davies Jr. won the Rossellini Best Director Award for “My Fader’s Shadow,” filmed in a 35mm film. The ju judge praised him for his “vibrant portrait of Nigeria, equally personal and political.” Yoon Ga-Eun’s “The World of Love” won the Rossellini Juju Award for investigation into sexual violence in the silent community.
Miao Zhuangzhuang’s “Daughters” won the best First Film at both the Tong Ye Award and the NetPac Award. Young Quang filmmakers praised the Shanghai filmmakers for creating “an intimate film that reveals deep inner conflict and love within the family in a quiet way.”
Qi Yanyan’s documentary, “The Toddling Youths,” won the Fei Mu Jury Award. The ju deliberate said, “Through a panorama of environment and interaction, “infants” capture the journeys and decisions of young people, revealing true, vibrant characters.”
In the short film category, Chu Hui Inn’s After the Cat won a Fay Mew Award for his best short film. Meanwhile, Lee Longzianhui’s “Quick pose, Quick Breath” of dramas produced the best student short films. Special mentions were sent to Liu Canwen’s “I Wanna Wanna Fly” from the Shanghai Vancouver Film School and to Song I Bo’s “downstream” from the Beijing Film Academy.
The Pingyao Project Promotion section of the festival awarded development funds to emerging filmmakers. Wang Xiying and Wang Ruiyuan’s “The Songs We Never Sang” won the Creative Award and RMB 150,000 ($21,000). Song Donks’ “Grass Ska!” Jingyi’s “Good, Goodbye” won the most promising award at RMB100,000 ($14,000) and the Human Rights Award at RMB100,000 ($14,000).
Momo Pictures sponsored the screenplay competition in which Memet Emetjan’s “The Flower Seller” won the grand prize of RMB250,000 ($35,100). The five projects each featured a MOMO SKY SELECTION award of RMB 50,000 ($7,000). “Girl Crush” by Ravine Yang, “Take It Easy” by Qi Linlin, “No Weekends” by Ma Huaichang and Xu Xiao, “Three-Life Stone” by Guo Qianhui, “The Flower Stroen.”
The festival also announced lifetime achievement honors, including the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award to filmmaker Feng Xiaogang and screenwriter Teruyo Nogami, and international contributions to the Chinese Film Awards to Kim Dong-Ho, co-founder of Busan International Film Festival.
Complete Winner List:
Tiger Hidden Dragon East West Awards
Feng Xiaogang
Teruyo nogami
International contribution to the Chinese Film Awards
Kim Dong Ho
Fei Mu Awards (Hidden Dragons)
Best Short Film: “The Cat After”, dir. Chu Hui Inn
The best movie: “The Deep Quiet Room”, dir. Shenkoshan
Best Director: Zhang Zhongchen, “Night Sound”
Best Actresses: Lanis Tei, “Amoeba”, dir. Tan Siyou
Best Actor: Joseph Chang, “The Deep Quiet Room”, dir. Shenkoshan
Juju Award: “The Toddling Youths” (documentary), dir. Qi Yanyan
Roberto Rossellini Award (Crouching Tigers)
Best movie: “President’s Cake”, dir. Hasan Hadi
Best Director: Akinola Davies Jr., “The Shadow of Father”
Ju Judge Award: Director of “The World of Love.” Yoon ga-eun
Youth Jury Award
“Ameba” dir. Tan Siyou
Tong ye Award
“Daughters” dir. Miao Zhuangzhuang
NetPac Awards – Best First Movie
“Daughters” dir. Miao Zhuangzhuang
Cinephilia Critics ‘Award
“Ameba” dir. Tan Siyou
Best student short films
“Quick pose, quick bracelet” dir. Li Longjianhui (Central Academy of Drama)
Special mention: “I want to fly,” dir. Liu Canwen (Shanghai Vancouver Film School)
Special mention: “downstream”, dir. Song Yi-bo (Beijing Film Academy)
Pingyao Project Promotion Award
Creative Awards: “Songs we’ve never sang,” Written by King Louisuan/Wang Xiying, Directed by King Louisuan
Humanism Award: “Grassland Ska!”, writer/director Song Dongxu
Most Promising Award: “Good, Goodbye”, Screenwriter jingyi/xie liyi, director jingyi
Momo Sky Grand Award
“The Flower Seller,” writer/director Memet Emetjan
Momo Sky Selection Prize
“Girl Crush” screenwriter/director Villain Yang
“Think simple” Screenwriter/director Qi Linlin
“The Killer doesn’t have a weekend,” says screenwriter Ma Huaichang/Xu Xiao
“Three-Life Stone”, screenwriter/director Guo Qianhui
“The Flower Seller,” writer/director Memet Emetjan
