Gabriele Muccino’s sequel to The Last Kiss scooped the best picture, script and actress awards.

The 13th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) ended on Sunday, June 20 with Italian film Kiss Me Again being the biggest winner at the Golden Goblet Competition, taking Best Script, Best Actress and Best Picture categories.

Opened on June 12 with a starry red carpet parade, the SIFF opening and closing ceremony have become an important promotional platform for both Chinese-language films and foreign films wishing to enter the ever-expanding China film market.  At the opening ceremony, Gong Li, John Cusack and came to promote The Weinstein  Company’s Shanghai;   British actor Hugh Dancy and Claire Danes were presented to promote Dancy- starring, Max Mayer’s Adam and Luc Besson attended SIFF for the China premiere of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec.  Besides, cast and crew of more than 40 upcoming local films were presented on the red carpet, including Feng Xiaogang’s Aftershock ad Su Chao-pin’s action drama Reign of Assassins.

Kiss Me Again, a sequel to director Gabriele Muccino’s The Last Kiss, about the cast of Last Kiss reunited after 10 years, juggling families and jobs, strengthening their bonds, and rekindling old passions in their search for enduring love.  Muccino, took both the Best Script and Best Picture awards while actress Victoria Puccini is awarded with Best Actress.  As both Muccino and Puccini were absent from the closing ceremony, the film’s another actress Sabrina Impacciatore came on stage three times to received the awards.  “Italian filmmakers were very unhappy with our government’s cutting funds for culture and films.  Now the winning of this film represent Italian filmmaker’s revenge,” the actress said

Chinese filmmaker Liu Jie’s Deep in the Clouds, a story set in the remote Lisu tribe in southwest China about an a forbidden romance and the tribe’s migration from their hometown, also took three awards.  Liu is awarded the Best Director and Jury Grand Prix and Taiwanese musician Lim Giong wins the Best Music award.

Besides, the film’s two non-professional actors Wang Puze and Na Zhengyan are awarded with Jury’s Special Mention for their first silver-screen performance.

The Best Actor award went to Christian Ulmen for his performance in Germany/Italy co-production Wedding Fever in Campobello, directed by Leana Neele.

Australian filmmaker Christopher Doyle, who gained his reputation for many Asian films, took home Best Cinematography for his collaboration with Neil Jordan’s Ondine.

Besides the Golden Goblet competition, SIFF’s main competition category, another competition Asian New Talent award was announced Friday, June 18.  Chinese actress-turned-director Jiang Wenli’s first feature film Lan won the Best Feature Film Award at the Asian New Talent Award and a cash award of RMB150,000.  The film shows the heartwarming relationship between a little girl and her grandpa. Lan is also awarded with Technicolor Bangkok awards, and receives a post-production grant of $20,000 for Jiang Wenli’s next film project. 

The Best Director Award went to Korean director Jung Ki-hoon, whose film Goodbye Mom tells a heartbreaking story of mother and child. 

The Executioner, Korean Choi Jin-ho’s debut feature film, won the Jury Prix Award. The story shows the great impact of the death penalty on both the prisoners and executioners.

Philippine director Milo Sogueco’s first feature film The Pawnshop, about a small fledgling pawnshop in the heart of Tondo in Manila, took the Student’s Choice Award.

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