The 10th Pingyao International Film Festival concluded with Niu Niu’s 'Final Payment' and Rafiki Fariala’s 'Congo Boy' winning top prizes in the Fei Mu and Roberto Rossellini categories.
Key facts
- •The Fei Mu Best Film award includes a cash prize of RMB 1 million, split between the director and the Chinese distributor.
- •Niu Jianrong, the lead actor in 'Final Payment,' is the father of the film's director, Niu Niu.
- •The Roberto Rossellini Best Film award carries a cash prize of $20,000.
- •Xu Zao received RMB 200,000 toward his next project for winning Best Director in the Fei Mu category.
- •The festival's Fei Mu awards are dedicated to first, second, and third films from emerging Chinese-language directors.
The 10th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival in China has announced its major award winners. Niu Niu’s film 'Final Payment' secured the Fei Mu Award for Best Film, while Rafiki Fariala’s 'Congo Boy' took the top honor in the Roberto Rossellini Awards. The festival recognizes emerging talent through its Hidden Dragons section for Chinese-language films and the Crouching Tigers section for international directors.
By the numbers
Fei Mu Award Winners
In addition to the Best Film prize, 'Final Payment' earned a Best Actor award for Niu Jianrong, who plays a homeowner in a dispute with a contractor. The film's director, Niu Niu, previously won awards at the 2023 festival for 'Mr Junjun.' Other Fei Mu winners included Xu Zao, who won Best Director for 'Light Pillar,' and Sun Yi, who received the Best Actress award for her performance in Wang Xiaozhen’s 'A Joke.' Dong Jie’s 'Zoom In, Zoom Out' received the Jury Award and the Cinephilia Critics’ Award, while 'Suzhou Quartet' by Cai Chengjie received a special mention.
Roberto Rossellini Award Winners
The Roberto Rossellini Awards, which focus on international emerging directors, recognized 'Congo Boy' as Best Film. The autobiographical work, which previously won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival, was praised by the jury for its neorealist style. Rafael Manuel of the Philippines won Best Director for 'Filipiana,' and the Jury Award was presented to 'Ben’imana,' directed by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo.
Advertisement
