This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival has awarded its top honors to two films, and both are directed by filmmakers skilled at finding the big story within the small one.
The film Congo Boy, directed by Niu Niu’s Final Payment won the Best Film Award in the Fei Mu Awards, while Rafiki Fariala’, took home the Best Film prize at the Roberto Rossellini Awards. Two distinct awards make up the ceremony, each targeting a different group of directors. The Fei Mu awards focus on emerging Chinese-language filmmakers, whereas the Roberto Rossellini Awards are aimed at emerging international directors.
At the festival’s close, the prizes were handed out at the ceremony, marking the end of a contest that drew entries from all over the world.
The Jury’s Words On Final Payment
The film’s director kept things small and exact while telling a large story, and the jury praised him for it. Final Payment centers on a homeowner who has a dispute with a contractor over the final payment following renovations on his house.
“The film leads us into a reality and emotional landscape so expansive, where we sigh, lament, and reflect,” the jury stated. “The director’s approach is concise, unpretentious, and masterful, earning the wholehearted recognition of the entire jury.”
The Best Actor award went to Niu Jianrong for his work in the film, while the Best Film prize carried a cash reward of $150,000 (RMB1m). That amount was shared equally between the director to support development of their next film and the distributor in China.
Mr Junjun, a film previously directed by Niu Niu, took home both the Jury Award and Youth Jury Award at PYIFF in 2023.
Congo Boy’s Second Prize
The jury at Pingyao described Congo Boy as an autobiographical story told in a simple style that echoes the great tradition of neorealism. The film also won Best Actor when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes film festival.
“For a film focusing on a character that confronts his world with optimism despite dark times and takes on his shoulders the destiny of his entire family,” the jury stated.
The film’s win came with a cash prize of $20,000, split the same way as Final Payment‘s: half to the director for development of their next film, half to the distributor in China.
Other Winners Across Both Awards
In the Fei Mu Awards, the field included:
- Xu Zao winning Best Director for Light Pillar
- Sun Yi winning Best Actress for Wang Xiaozhen’s A Joke
- Dong Jie’s Zoom In, Zoom Out taking the Jury Award, which had its world premiere in Venice Critics Week
- Cai Chengjie’s Suzhou Quartet receiving a special mention
The Roberto Rossellini Awards saw:
- Rafael Manuel win Best Director for Filipiñana
- Ben’iman, directed by Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, taking the Jury Award and winning the Camera d’Or at this year’s Cannes
- Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep earning a special mention
The People Behind The Festival
Ann Hui, a Hong Kong filmmaker, has been given the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award. She will also accept the Camellia Award at Busan International Film Festival next week.
The International Contribution To Chinese Cinema Award went to Marco Müller, who helped found the festival with Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke and is currently the Artistic Director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University, along with veteran producer, director and former chairman of China Film Group Han Sanping. Hello Group chairman Tang Yan received a 10th Anniversary Award.
A Year Of Restorations And Premieres
This year’s PYIFF opened on September 24 with a screening of the 4K restoration of Fei Mu’s Spring In A Small Town. It closed with Good Trip, co-directed by Hong Kong filmmakers Norris Wong and Hoi Wong, and also screened Jia’s short film Torino Shadow, which premiered at this year’s Cannes.
What We Make Of It
Both top awards went to films that don’t depend on spectacle. Congo Boy and Final Payment both tell stories about ordinary people under pressure.
The prize money is substantial. $150,000 and $20,000 are genuine payouts for filmmakers, and dividing them between director and distributor makes sure the funds reach where they can be of most benefit.
That both Final Payment and Congo Boy claimed top honors speaks to what the festival is signaling. Pingyao has worked for years to earn a name for finding new talent, and these prizes show that effort has paid off.
The Pingyao winners from this year point to exactly where the Chinese-language film world and the wider international film scene are paying attention. The festival has built its standing on finding fresh talent over many years, and these prizes show that standing remains intact.
Both movies carry a quiet strength, refusing to announce themselves. Instead, they simply arrive and allow the story to do the work on its own.
Picking the very best kind of cinema twice is exactly what Pingyao has done, and that makes for a remarkable record.
Source material: “‘Final Payment’, ‘Congo Boy’ Win Top Awards At Pingyao International Film Festival,” Deadline.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.