Young Chinese directors dominate Shanghai's Golden Goblets

Films of young Chinese filmmakers dominates the Golden Goblet Awards at the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) with Zhang Ming’s The Young Man who Sings Folk Songin the Opposite Door taking three prizes and Han Jie’s Mr. Tree [pictured] taking two major prizes among the eight prizes of the Golden Goblet competition.

The Best Feature prize went to Turkish filmmaker Orhan Oguz’s Hayde Bre, which is a drama about an old man adjusting his life from Macedonia to Istanbul and his intense father-daughter relationship. Actor Sevket Emrulla, who portrays the father, won the Best Actor title.

Han Jie and Zhang Ming, the two up-and-coming Chinese filmmakers, were most honoured by the Golden Goblet Jury led by Rain Man director Barry Levinson. Han’s Mr. Tree won Best Director title and Jury Grand Prix. Zhang’s The Young Man who Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door is awarded with Best Music with composer Wen Zi, Best Actress with Lv Xingchen and Best Screenplay with director Zhang Ming.

Mr Tree is a fable-like story about an unlucky man losing his jobs, friends and social status in his rural village, but miraculously receives a flash of enlightenment and becomes a well-respected prophet in his village. Winning the awards, Han expressed gratitude towards his mentor and producer of the film Jia Zhangke. “Originally I was just happy working as a cinematographer, but it was him who persuaded me to become a film director,” Han said.

The Young Man who Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door was Best Actress winner Lv Xingchen’s first film, which tells about a young woman’s struggle between fulfilling her parents’ expectation to lead a middle-class life as a concert musician and finding her happiness with the man she loves.

The closing ceremony of 14th SIFF was attended by guests including Guy Pearce, Vivian Hsu, Eddie Peng and Hong Kong’s Miriam Yeung. The 14th Shanghai festival closed with more diverse programs and higher audience participation this year. SIFF organisers presented two new programs this year apart from its regular Golden Goblet competition, SIFF Market, project market and the showcase of international films.

Mobile SIFF is a mobile film competition with 50 international short films competing for 10 prizes. Star Hunter is a program in collaboration with European Film Promotion’s Shooting Stars which chooses recommends 10 promising Chinese actors to the international industry.

Chinese short Fading Flowers by Su Jiaming received both the Grand Short Award and Best Documentary Award while Hungarian film Beast by Attila Till won Best Feature Film Award at Mobile SIFF.

Judged by Hong Kong filmmaker Tsui Hark, mainland Chinese actress Zhao Tao and Thai film director Nonzee Nimibutr, Mobile SIFF has reached a distribution deal with Ciwen Films and telecom company China Mobile Corporation.  he 50 international mobile films will be distributed on China Mobile’s mobile video platform on a revenue-sharing basis. 

The biggest highlight of the 14th SIFF was its international film screenings, which demonstrated the Chinese moviegoers’ box-office power and the increasing demand to see more diverse international films. 

Japanese filmmakers SABU’s Bunny Drop, Fumihiko Sori’s Tomorrow’s Joe and Wim Wenders’ Pina were the hottest films that the organisers had to add extra screenings for. According toEntGroup Entertainment Consulting, there are 151 screenings reached 100% attendance rate with an average attendance rate of 70%, a new record of SIFF screenings.

Golden Goblet Award winners

Best Feature Film: Hayde Bre (Turkey) — Orhan Oguz

Jury Grand Prix: Mr. Tree (China) – Xstream Films

Best Director: Mr. Tree (China) — Han Jie

Best Actor: Hayde Bre (Turkey) — Sevket Emrulla

Best Actress: The Young Man who Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door (China ) — Lv Xingchen

Best Screenplay: The Young Man who Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door (China ) — Zhang Ming

Best Cinematography: Friday Killer (Thailand) — Tiwa Moeithaisong

Best Music: The Young Man who Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door (China ) — Wen Zi

Jury award: Friday Killer (Thailand) — Yuthlert Sippapak

Mobile SIFF winners:

Grand Short Award: Fading Flowers (China) – Su Jiaming

Best Feature: Beast (Hungary) — Attila Till

Special Jury Award: leave Without Running (Germany) – Jurgen Tonkel

Best Director: The Soup (Germany) — Fred Willitzkat

Best Creative Idea: The Mirror (Switzerland) – Laurentt Fauchere, Antoine Tinguely

Best Comedy: Dauntless Man (China) – Wang Zizhao

Best Action: The Line (France) – Martin Saulnier

Best Documentary: Fading Flowers (China) – Su Jiaming

Best Animation: Out on A Limb (Germany) – Falk Schuster

Audience Choice: Centripetal (Venezuela) – Alexis Mendez Giner