Niu Niu’s “Final Payment” and Dong Jie’s “Zoom In, Zoom Out” each won two prizes at the 10th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival in China. The best film prize carries RMB1 million ($149,000), split equally between the director, for the development of their next film, and the film’s China distributor. The director’s approach is concise, unpretentious, and masterful, earning the wholehearted recognition of the entire jury,” the jury said.
The film follows a homeowner locked in a standoff with his contractor over the last payment for a renovation, a dispute drawn from Niu Jianrong’s own experience. Niu Jianrong, an experienced TV and film director, made his debut as a lead actor in the film. Along with best actress winner Sun Yi, he received a Louis Vuitton accessories box engraved with the festival logo.
In real life, I’m my son’s father; but in front of the camera, he’s my father.” Accepting the jury award, Dong said the team approached the film “with absolute purity of intent, which allows me to fully and unreservedly embrace the joy of making it. It’s the joy of conquering something immensely difficult alongside dear friends, the joy of connecting with audiences after the premiere, and, above all, the joy of simply being here, in this very moment.” Xu Zao won the Unitree best director award for his debut animated feature “Light Pillar,” which carries RMB200,000 ($29,800) toward his next film. The jury cited his “strong aesthetic awareness” and “astute yet warm approach,” which “encourages everyone to hold up the beacon and keep moving forward even on a cold night.” Sun won best actress for Wang Xiaozhen’s “A Joke.” The jury said she “delivers a delicate performance with restraint, portraying the regret and growth within an intimate relationship.” The Fei Mu jury also gave a special mention to Cai Chengjie’s “Suzhou Quartet,” produced by Huang Bo, “for its bravery, for its belief that the movie screen is still vast and open to new adventures and new forms of storytelling.” In the Crouching Tigers international competition, Rafiki Fariala’s “Congo Boy” won the Roberto Rossellini Award for best film and $20,000, split between the director’s next film and the film’s China distributor.
The jury cited its “simple style that echoes the great tradition of neorealism.” Fariala, who was not in Pingyao, sent a video thanking the festival and closed it by singing a folk song. Rafael Manuel won best director and $10,000 for “Filipiñana,” which Jia Zhangke executive produced and Unknown Pleasures acquired for Greater China. Lenti Liang’s “Our Secrets” won the Fei Mu best short film award and RMB50,000 ($7,450), sponsored by Nowness of Meta Media.
On stage, Liang said the film drew on her own childhood trauma, and that after her mother saw it in Pingyao, the two talked it through and she had made peace with it. Wang Wenting’s “Black Goat” won the Unitree best student short film award in the Pingyao Corner section, with RMB30,000 ($4,470) and a Unitree robot dog. Earlier in the festival, Ann Hui received the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award.
Pingyao also honored Marco Müller and Han Sanping with the International Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award, and producer Tang Yan, founder of Hello Group, which owns social app Momo, with the 10th Anniversary Award. Fei Mu Awards – Hidden DragonsBest Film: “Final Payment,” dir. Niu NiuUnitree Best Director: Xu Zao, “Light Pillar”Best Actress: Sun Yi, “A Joke,” dir.
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