At the 10th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival in China, two productions were honored equally, each collecting two awards. The honors were split between Niu Niu’s “Final Payment” and Dong Jie’s “Zoom In, Zoom Out”, while Rafiki Fariala’s “Congo Boy” claimed the Roberto Rossellini Award for best film in the Crouching Tigers international competition.
Trophies were handed out during the festival through a series of ceremonies covering feature films, shorts, animation, and documentary categories. Each prize comes with a cash purse, with amounts ranging from RMB50,000 up to RMB1 million, divided among directors, distributors, and actors based on the category.
Niu Niu’s “Final Payment” and Its Father
The Fei Mu Award for best film went to “Final Payment”, and it also earned best actor honors for Niu Jianrong, the director’s father. A writer and director from Shanxi, Niu, created the drama, which centers on a homeowner who becomes embroiled in a standoff with his contractor over the final payment for a renovation. That dispute was drawn directly from Niu Jianrong’s personal experience.
The best film prize comes with RMB1 million ($149,000), divided evenly between the director for the development of their next film and the film’s China distributor. The jury praised the film’s approach as “concise, unpretentious, and masterful,” adding that it “leads us into a reality and emotional landscape so expansive, where we sigh, lament, and reflect.”
The film marked Niu Jianrong’s first time starring as a lead actor. Alongside best actress winner Sun Yi, he took home a Louis Vuitton accessories box engraved with the festival logo. On stage, he made light of the honor, noting that the jury had been audacious to give it to him, calling it torture, and remarking that his director-son had pushed him hard through training. He also pointed out that while in real life he plays his son’s father, on camera he plays his father.
Dong Jie’s “Zoom In, Zoom Out”
“Zoom In, Zoom Out” claimed the Fei Mu jury award and the Cinephilia Critics’ Award. The film, directed by Dong Jie, earned its recognition through a jury that commended its “absolute purity of intent.” Accepting the prize, 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.”
As a reason for choosing the film, the jury pointed to its “absolute purity of intent”, which it considered decisive.
Animation and Short Films
Xu Zao won the Unitree best director award for his debut animated feature “Light Pillar,” carrying 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 Yi took best actress for Wang Xiaozhen’s “A Joke,” with the jury praising her “delicate performance with restraint, portraying the regret and growth within an intimate relationship.”
The Fei Mu jury also singled out Cai Chengjie’s “Suzhou Quartet,” produced by Huang Bo, for a special mention “for its bravery, for its belief that the movie screen is still vast and open to new adventures and new forms of storytelling.”
“Congo Boy” Wins the Rossellini
In the Crouching Tigers international competition, “Congo Boy” claimed 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.”
A video message from Fariala, who did not attend the event in Pingyao, thanked the festival and ended with her singing a folk song.
For his work on “Filipiñana,” Rafael Manuel took home best director and $10,000. Jia Zhangke served as the film’s executive producer, while Unknown Pleasures acquired it for Greater China.
Shorts and Other Honors
Lenti Liang’s “Our Secrets” won the Fei Mu best short film award and RMB50,000 ($7,450), sponsored by Nowness of Meta Media. 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.
Honorary awards were also part of the festival’s program. The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award went to Ann Hui. Marco Müller and Han Sanping were given the International Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award. Producer Tang Yan, who runs Hello Group, the company behind the social app Momo, received the 10th Anniversary Award.
Full List of Winners
The complete list of winners includes:
- Fei Mu Awards – Hidden Dragons
- Best Film: “Final Payment,” dir. Niu Niu
- Unitree Best Director: Xu Zao, “Light Pillar”
- Best Actress: Sun Yi, “A Joke,” dir. Wang Xiaozhen
- Best Actor: Niu Jianrong, “Final Payment,” dir. Niu Niu
- Jury Award: “Zoom In, Zoom Out,” dir. Dong Jie
- Special Mention: “Suzhou Quartet,” dir. Cai Chengjie
- Best Short Film: “Our Secrets,” dir. Lenti Liang
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Best Short Film Special Mention: “If a Walnut Falls,” dir. Liu Bohao
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Roberto Rossellini Awards – Crouching Tigers
- Best Film: “Congo Boy,” dir. Rafiki Fariala
- Best Director: Rafael Manuel, “Filipiñana”
- Jury Award: “Ben’imana,” dir. Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
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Special Mention: “Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep,” dir. Rakan Mayasi
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Pingyao Corner
- Unitree Best Student Short Film: “Black Goat,” dir. Wang Wenting
- Special Mentions: “Rainforest,” dir. Justine Moo; “Whose Home,” dir. Huang Duojia
- Youth Jury Award: “Whispers in May,” dir. Chen Dongnan
- Netpac Award – Best First Film: “Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep,” dir. Rakan Mayasi
- Cinephilia Critics’ Award: “Zoom In, Zoom Out,” dir. Dong Jie
- PYIFF–NAAC Distribution Award: “A Girl Unknown,” dir. Zou Jing
Chinese features stand out at the festival because of its structure, which distinguishes them from international titles. Pingyao Corner is dedicated to shorts and documentaries, while the jury’s awards and special mentions add more categories to the mix.
A complete tally of the winners reveals a festival that honors ambition across genres and career stages. Among them is Chinese feature Congo Boy from Niu Niu’s family drama to Fariala’, alongside international titles and emerging talent.
“Tearing through a very small rip, the film leads us into a reality and emotional landscape so expansive, where we sigh, lament, and reflect. The director’s approach is concise, unpretentious, and masterful, earning the wholehearted recognition of the entire jury.”
That quote, from the jury’s citation for “Final Payment,” captures the spirit of the festival’s recognition of clarity and mastery in filmmaking.
Source material: “‘Final Payment,’ ‘Zoom In, Zoom Out’ Win Big at Pingyao; ‘Congo Boy’ Takes Rossellini Prize,” Variety.
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