The Chinese film "My Friend An Delie" took home the most awards at the sixth Hainan Island International Film Festival on Dec. 10 in Sanya, Hainan province, during the festival's prestigious Golden Coconut Awards ceremony.
The film, directed by actor-turned-director Dong Zijian, won the awards for Best Chinese Contribution of the Year and Best Visual Effects. A thrilled Dong said he was nervous when stepping on stage to receive the awards for his directorial debut and thanked his crew for their trust and support as he embarked on this new role. "Thanks to them for letting me always believe in myself. Congratulations to my friends, thank you!" he said.
Dong's crew included top professionals such as cinematographer Lyu Songye, editor William Chang, sound director Li Danfeng, production designer Liu Qiang and art director Shandy Lui.
"My Friend An Delie" follows Li Mo, played by Liu Haoran, returning to his hometown in northeastern China for his father's funeral. On the plane, Li unexpectedly reunites with An Delie, an old friend played by Dong. This encounter rekindles memories of their friendship, which was once strong through soccer but disappeared from Li's memory due to an accident. As they reconnect, long-buried memories begin to resurface.
The film is adapted from Shuang Xuetao's novel of the same name, with the screenplay written by Dong and Zhang Weizhong.
The Golden Coconut Awards jury praised the film for its delicate emotional portrayal and profound cultural relevance, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese cinema on the world stage. It is both an innovative attempt in visual and narrative storytelling and a significant contribution to the globalization of Chinese cinema. Jury members also applauded the film's exquisite visual effects, which vividly present a world where reality and imagination intertwine, enhancing the narrative's creative reach and emotional expression.
On Dec. 8, during a post-screening Q&A session, Dong shared: "From the moment we are born, we constantly face loss and separation. Learning to cope with loss and separation is an important part of life. I believe that, as long as we cherish memories without dwelling on the past and keep moving forward, we will eventually find our own sunshine."
Besides the Golden Coconut Awards, "My Friend An Delie" has also received acclaim abroad, winning the Award for Best Artistic Contribution at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo International Film Festival on Nov. 6.
Born in Beijing in 1993, Dong became an actor at the age of 19 and has starred in critically acclaimed films and TV series such as Jia Zhangke's "Mountains May Depart" (2015) and Lu Yang's "A Writer's Odyssey" (2021). Huace Pictures, the producer of "A Writer's Odyssey," subsequently introduced Dong to the "My Friend An Delie" project.
According to the producers, "My Friend An Delie" is set to be released in China next year.
Other films that won awards at this year's Golden Coconut Awards ceremony where the Georgian film "Holy Electricity," which won Best Picture; the Serbian film "78 Days," which received the Grand Jury Prize; and the Swiss-French coproduction "Dog on Trial" by Laetitia Dosch, which won Best Director.
Alberth Merma for his performance in the Peru-Chile coproduction "Through Rocks and Clouds" won Best Actor, while Preeti Panigrahi received the Best Actress award for her role in "Girls Will Be Girls," an Indian-French-American-Norwegian coproduction. The Best Screenwriter award went to Ruth Becquart and Leonardo Van Dijl for the Belgian film "Julie Keeps Quiet." Celeste Rojas Mugica's "An Oscillating Shadow" won Best Documentary Film, with Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan's "Vox Humana" taking home Best Short Film.
This year's Hainan Island International Film Festival received a total of 4,330 entries from 117 countries and regions. After several rounds of selection, 14 feature films, eight feature documentaries and 10 short films successfully made it to the final competition. The jury panel for the Golden Coconut Awards featured 13 renowned film industry professionals from both domestic and international backgrounds, including Luc Besson, Paolo Carnera, Xu Fan, Wang Jingchun and Zhang Yi.
During the film festival from Dec. 4 to 10, over 100 films were screened in more than 20 cinemas across the island province. The festival hosted events celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and France, as well as forums, Spanish Film Week, the ASEAN Film Exhibition, masterclasses featuring Sophie Marceau, Cao Yu and Luc Besson, and a training camp that focused on pitching films.
