Ne Zha 2, almost a miracle in Chinese box-office history, became the biggest winner at the 38th Hundred Flowers Awards in Beijing on Sunday night, taking home the Best Picture Award.
Wang Changtian, chairman of Beijing Enlight Media and producer of Ne Zha 2, received the trophy for the animated hit's win of Best Picture of the 38th Hundred Flowers Awards.
Director Jiaozi, whose Ne Zha 2 grossed 15.9 billion yuan ($2.35 billion) to rank as the world's fourth-highest-grossing film, was absent from the ceremony – just as he has been from most previous film festivals and award presentations.
Wang Changtian, chairman of Beijing Enlight Media and the film's producer, teasingly described Jiaozi as "the most low-key director", revealing that he had insisted on focusing on the sequel's creation and not on making public appearances.
"However, his talent can't be confined," Wang said. "It blooms wherever his dreams reach. May Chinese animation and Chinese cinema continue to shine brilliantly."
The film's historic win marks the first time in the 64-year history of the Hundred Flowers Awards that the Best Picture Award has gone to an animated feature – a moment Wang described as "a collective honor for Chinese animation".
Da Peng won the Best Director Award for his Tang Dynasty (618-907)-set comedy The Lychee Road.
Da Peng won the Best Director Award for The Lychee Road, a comedy set during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in which he also plays the protagonist, a low-ranking official forced to accept a seemingly impossible mission. Recalling that his career began with shooting short videos on online platforms, the director said he was excited and surprised by the win.
"I haven't learned directing. I want to thank all the directors I have worked with as an actor – they are the ones who taught me how to be a director," he said.
The Best Actor award went to Yi Yangqianxi for his portrayal of Liu Chunhe, a young man with cerebral palsy in Big World.
The Best Actor award went to Yi Yangqianxi for his portrayal of Liu Chunhe, a young man with cerebral palsy in Big World. Recalling that he has acted in 12 films since his acting debut in Better Days, which earned him the Best New Performer award at the Hundred Flowers Awards in 2020, Yi expressed his gratitude for the audience's trust.
"I hope that in the future, I can gradually devote more of my energy back to my own life, while extending the vitality of this profession I deeply respect for as long as possible. I love this profession, and I thank the audience for their continued trust," said Yi, 25, who was the youngest winner of the Best Actor award in the history of the Hundred Flowers Awards.
Hong Kong actress Michelle Wai took home the Best Actress award for playing a tradition-breaking woman in The Last Dance.
She said: "A great film can change our lives and make us better people. In the future, I will make more movies that touch people's hearts."
The Best Supporting Actor award went to Wang Xiao for his portrayal of a photography studio owner in Dead to Right, which was adapted from the real-life story of the Nanjing Massacre during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).
"As a native of Nanjing, being able to perform in such a film is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said an emotional Wang. "Through this film, we have conveyed the truth of history and also the most beautiful kindness, truth, and goodness in the human world."
Ethnic Mongolian actress Sarnaa took home the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as a teacher in the comedy Successor, a satire about a superrich couple who disguise themselves as poor people to encourage their son to strive for academic success.
Revealing that Successor marks only her fifth silver-screen work, the 57-year-old Sarnaa humbly described herself as still being like a primary school student on film sets. She recalled learning from fellow cast members and the director about how to improve her performance, citing a friend's observation that films are more than entertainment, but something that can record history.
Director Zhang Yimou, whose directorial espionage thriller Scare Out won the Excellent Film Award, attended the ceremony.
Director Zhang Yimou received the Excellent Film Award for his directorial espionage thriller Scare Out.
Zhang said he believes the future of Chinese cinema belongs to young filmmakers, encouraging industry insiders to continue working hard and making good films.
Chen Lijun won the Best New Performer award for the martial arts film Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert. And writers Xu Luyang, Zhang Ke, and Shen Ao jointly won the Best Screenplay award for Dead to Right.
The awards were decided by a jury of 101 regular moviegoers, each of whom was required to vote within just 15 seconds to determine the winner during the award ceremony.
Reporter: Xu Fan
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