On the evening of November 27, the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival announced the shortlist for the "Golden Coconut Award" competition, with a total of 14 feature films, 6 documentaries and 10 short films competing for ten awards.
This year's Shanghai International Film Festival boasts a prestigious lineup, featuring films with both international perspective and artistic value, many of which originated from the Locarno and Venice Film Festivals. Three Chinese-language films are included: Zhang Lu's new film "Luo Mu's Twilight," Li Hongqi's "I Am the Happiest Baby in the World," and Ye Zhenpeng's "Summer Not Long Ago."
"Golden Coconut Award" Jury
The Power of Chinese Language: An International Expression of Eastern Aesthetics
This year has been a truly "banner year" for Chinese-language films in terms of awards. Among the nominees for this year's Golden Coconut Awards, Zhang Lu's "Lunar Sunset" won Best Film at the Busan International Film Festival, while Li Hongqi's "I Am the Happiest Baby in the World" was selected for the Venice Critics' Week.
Poster for "Luo Mu's Twilight"
"Luo Mu's Twilight," directed by Zhang Lu and starring Bai Baihe, Liu Dan, and Huang Jianxin, recently won the Best Film Award in the main competition section of the 30th Busan International Film Festival. The film tells the story of Xiao Bai, a dancer who receives a postcard from her boyfriend who has abruptly left her in a small town in southwestern China. She travels to find him but encounters two other strangers in the area. Director Zhang Lu, with his unique "slow narrative" style, sets the story in the authentic setting of Luo Mu Ancient Town in Emei Mountain, Sichuan, using tranquil shots to capture the restless souls of contemporary people.
It's worth mentioning that Zhang Lu and Bai Baihe's second collaboration after this film, *Spring Tree*, also won a major award at the Tokyo International Film Festival this year. However, Bai Baihe felt excluded from the film crew after being separately informed by the producer before the awards ceremony that she could return to China early if she didn't win an award, which sparked public attention. Zhang Lu later clarified in an interview that he was completely unaware of this manipulation. Whether the *Twilight of Luo Mu* crew can reconcile on the beautiful and warm island of Hainan, and whether Bai Baihe can win a Best Actress award there, has become a major highlight of this year's Golden Coconut Competition.
"I Am the Happiest Baby in the World" is written, directed, and photographed by Li Hongqi, and stars Wang Zixuan. It was nominated for the Critics' Week section of the 82nd Venice Film Festival. The film was produced on a low budget of less than one million RMB and tells the story of "Monkey," a backstage worker in a theater troupe, and the hardships she faces after the death of her boyfriend.
In an interview, Li Hongqi explained his creative philosophy: "What I want to capture are those subtle tremors in life that are often overlooked. When great sadness comes, people often don't wail and cry, but unconsciously repeat a certain daily action." This persistent pursuit of the texture of life makes his directorial debut show a maturity beyond his age.
"The Summer Not So Long Ago," director Ye Zhenpeng's latest work, tells the story of Ke Feng, a boy from an island, who experiences a "coming-of-age ceremony" during a typhoon-stricken summer after his father's death. The film was shot entirely in Hainan, cleverly combining personal growth with the forces of nature.
Nominees
International Perspective: Film Dialogue Across Multicultural Horizons
This year's film lineup also features a diverse array of international films, showcasing a multifaceted exploration of cinematic language.
"The Falling Leaf" received special mentions for the FIPRESCI Prize and the Golden Leopard Award at the Locarno Film Festival. Shot entirely with an old-fashioned mobile phone, the three-hour film tells the story of a road trip in search of a missing photographer. This extreme exploration of cinematic form challenges the traditional movie-watching experience.
"The White Snail" won the Locarno Special Jury Prize, receiving high recognition for its performances and overall artistic quality. Also competing in the Locarno main competition were "The Desire of Sangerhausen" and "Dream Nest," demonstrating the European art film festival's continued focus on auteur cinema.
The Venice Horizons Best Actress winner "The Kidnapping of Arabella" and the Best First Feature Film winner "A Short Summer," along with "Nino," a Cannes Critics' Week entry, "The Crazy Bill," a Berlin Film Festival Viewpoint entry, and "Black Rabbit, White Rabbit," a Busan main competition entry, together form a map depicting the current state of world cinema.
Nominees
Since the inception of the "Golden Coconut Award" in 2019, the Hainan Island International Film Festival has been successfully held six times. The number of participating films has increased from 1,495 initially to 4,330 in the sixth edition, with international films accounting for 77.5%. Leveraging its year-end location, the festival brings together outstanding works from various film festivals around the world, providing domestic film fans with a rare viewing opportunity. The warm and pleasant winter atmosphere of the island attracts filmmakers from around the globe, offering film enthusiasts a unique setting for a relaxing vacation while watching movies.
In addition to the competition section, James Cameron will also hold a grand Chinese premiere of the new "Avatar 3" on Hainan Island this year. International superstar Juliette Binoche, as the image ambassador of this year's Hainan Island International Film Festival, will also have her directorial debut "I Am Dancing" screened at the festival and will hold a master class.
Avatar 3 will have its Chinese premiere in Hainan Island.
The ticketing section for this year's Shanghai International Film Festival is now online, and tickets will officially go on sale at 12:00 noon on November 28th.
