‘Wandering Earth’ wins for best visuals
BEIJING: This year’s Spring Festival blockbuster The Wandering Earth took home the Best Visual Effect award during the Beijing International Film Festival.
Danish film A Fortunate Man won Best Feature Film in competition with The Wandering Earth.
“I am so pleased and so honoured”, said legendary director Bille August.
Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes, 42, won Best Director for his work Sunset, ahead of Guo Fan (The Wandering Earth) and Steve Krikris (The Waiter).
Greek actor Aris Servetalis and Iranian actress Forough Ghajabegli won Best Actor and Actress with The Waiter and Tehran: City of Love respectively.
“It is an honour for our group,” said an emotional Ghajabegli. “Beijing is also a city of love.”
Best supporting awards went to 68-year-old British actor John Henshaw and Chinese newbie actress Leah Do.
Their brilliant performances in The Keeper and The Eleventh Chapter impressed audiences and judges alike.
Best Screenplay of the Tiantan Awards also went to Chinese film The Eleventh Chapter, which made it one of the biggest winners.
Entertainers Nick Cheunk, Li Yifeng, Huang Xiaoming and Guan Xiaotong gave dazzling performances as part of the closing ceremony.
“It’s not always easy and we did not always agree with each other,” said American director Bob Minkoff, president of the judging panel.
Directed by Steve Krikris, the Greek film The Waiter also won the Tiantan Award for Best Music score, while Indian film Fear won for Best Cinematography.
Founded in 2011 a nd supported by the government of Beijing Municipality, the annual festival has now become one of the world’s most influential film festivals.