Highlights and Winners of the 18th and 19th Huabiao Film Awards

The 18th and 19th editions of the Huabiao Film Awards were successfully held at the National Indoor Stadium on May 23, 2023, in Beijing, with a red-carpet appearance of celebrities.

The 18th edition was canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic so the National Film Administration, which presented the Award, decided to hold a joint ceremony this year.

Dante Lam and Chen Kaige 

cast and crew of the Battle of Lake Changjin

Huabiao Film Award is one of the three most prestigious award-giving bodies in China for film excellence, along with the Golden Rooster and the Hundred Flowers Awards. 

It is a biennial award which means, occurs only once every two years. So the next Huabiao Awarding season will be in the year 2025. It is one of the highly anticipated awarding ceremonies for film excellence in China since the nominees and winners are selected by the national film regulators. 

Red carpet gala

Wang Yibo walks on the red carpet 

The big winner at the 18th edition is the patriotic film, My People My Country shown in 2019 to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It won four major awards including Best Feature Film, Best Director for Chen Kaige, Best Actor for Zhang Yi, and Best Actress for Ren Suxi.

My People, My Country is a 2019 Chinese anthology drama film, consisting of seven segments directed by seven directors, Chen Kaige, Zhang Yibai, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, and Wen Muye. It has two sequels: My People My Homeland (2020) and My Country My Parents (2021).

Ren Suxi won Best Actress for her role in My People, My Country

Zhang Yi won Best Actor for My People My Country

The 19th edition also saw the Excellent Feature Film Award given jointly, to 10 movies, including The Battle at Lake Changjin, and Embrace Again.

Chen Kaige won two Outstanding Director awards, for My People, My Country (2019) at the 18th edition and The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021) at the 19th edition.

He said that My People, My Country, which incorporated seven directors for seven standalone tales, is an unprecedented film in the history of Chinese cinema, featuring a collaboration of several of the country's top filmmakers, and recording some of the most pivotal historical moments since the founding of New China.

Liu Ye accepts his award 

The best actor award for the 18th and 19 editions went respectively to Zhang Yi for My People, My Country, and Liu Ye for Island Keeper. The best actress award for the 18th and 19 editions were won by Ren Suxi for My People, My Country, and Zhang Zifeng for Sister.

"I feel quite surprised to have won this award," said Zhang Yi. "Every time I receive recognition for my work, I feel a strong sense of pressure to worry that if I could maintain that level of quality in future projects and continue to satisfy audiences. Each award also serves as a new challenge that pushes me to start from scratch and create even better work."

Zhang Zifeng accepts her award 

Zhang Zifeng, at just 22 years old, is the youngest person to ever win the Outstanding Actress honor at the Huabiao Film Awards. She has been receiving critical praise for her portrayal in the film, My Sister, which tells the story of the close bond between an older sister and a younger half-brother. When their parents died, the older sister chose to take care of her younger brother instead of choosing her freedom.

The Wandering Earth, China's highest-grossing sci-fi epic of all time, won two awards at the 18th edition, for the best feature and the best scriptwriter.

Chen Kaige and Dante Lam won Outstanding Directors for My People My Country.

Huang Jianxin, the producer of My People, My Country and The Battle at Lake Changjin, said he has seen more young talent emerging in China's rapidly developing film industry, and expressed his admiration for their passion and love of cinema.

Angelababy and Yang Yang walked together in the red carpet 

Here is the list of winners for the 18th China Film Huabiao Awards:

The 18th China Film Huabiao

Outstanding Feature Films:

• My People My Country
• The Wandering Earth
• The Climber
• Captain of China
• Gutian Army
• The Number
• Musician
• Huang Danian
• The Believers
• Heroes of Fire
• Nezha: The Devil Boy Comes into the World

Outstanding Directors: 

• Chen Kaige, Guan Hu, Xue Xiaolu, Xu Zheng, Ning Hao, Wen Muye, etc. ("My People My Country)

Outstanding Actor

• Zhang Yi ("My Motherland and Me")

Outstanding Actress

• Ren Suxi (My People My Country )

Outstanding Screenwriters:

• Gong Ge, Yan Dongxu, Guo Fan, Ye Junce, Yang Zhixue, Wu Wei, Ye Ruchang, Shen Jingjing ("The Wandering Earth")

Excellent Cinematography: Geritu ("The Faraway Pastoral")

Excellent Film Music: Ju Wenpei ("Gutian Bugle")

Excellent Youth Film Creation: "Teacher Good"

Excellent minority-themed film: "Pianjing Baoyin"

Excellent rural-themed film: "The Faraway Pastoral"

Excellent children's-themed film: "Animal Attack"

Here is the list of winners for The 19th China Film Huabiao Awards:

Outstanding feature films:

• Battle of Lake Changjin 
• Hug You Through the Cold Winter
• Deng Xiaoping Trail
• Miracle Stupid Child
• Hello, Li Huanying or Hi Mom
• The Island Guardian
• My Parents and Me
• The Legend of the White Snake
• A Little Red Flower
• Jiang Ziya

Chen Kaige

Outstanding Film Directors:

• Chen Kaige, Tsui Hark, and Lin Chaoxian for the Battle of Lake Changjin

Outstanding Actor: 

• Liu Ye for The Island Guardian

Outstanding Actress: 

• Zhang Zifeng for My Sister

Excellent Screenwriter: 

• Zhang Ji for Win the Championship

Excellent Cinematography

• Han Qiming for Assassination of Novelists

Excellent Film Music

• Wang Yi, Liang Haoyi, Li Ye for Battle of Lake Changjin

Excellent Youth Film Creation: Life Events

Excellent Minority Theme Film: Watching the Acacia Tree

Excellent Rural Theme Film: Get Home at One Point

Excellent Children's theme film: There is a good place on the tree

Zhang Yunlong, Fan Chengcheng, and Arthur Chen

Best Actor winner, Liu Ye, especially thanked Wang Jicai, the prototype of "The Island Guardian", "He silently guarded the island on a small border island of the motherland for 32 years. He is a real hero and a role model for the people. In him, ordinary people can be seen. Something out of the ordinary.”

Acting Excellence Awardees 

In her acceptance speech, Ren Suxi said: "This award is the greatest encouragement to my career, and I will repay this award with better work in the future.

For winning the 18th Huabiao Award for Outstanding Actor in My People My Country, Zhang Yi said: "For our actors, I took advantage of it anyway. I am grateful to the heroes who sacrificed and contributed to our new China technological front in that era. Without them, we would not have this movie. 

Zhang Zifeng 

Zhang Zifeng in her acceptance speech said that she is very happy and believes that the character An Ran has become a bird in the sky, going where she wants to go. "Today I also want to go forward. With the love and original intention for the film, I will continue to go on well." 

Guan Xiaotong 

One of the highlights in the glittery ceremony was the singing of "Glory" with an All-Star cast ensemble that include Wang Yibo, Li Qin, Jing Tian, Liu Ye, Chen Feiyu, Nicolas Tse, and a lot more.

Wang Yibo, Li Qin, and Chen Feiyu perform on stage

Milestone 

Director Chen Kaige is the first filmmaker to win successive Best Director Award at Huabiao while Zhang Zifeng at 21 became the youngest person to win Huabiao Best Actress Award.

Chen Kaige, Zhang Zifeng, and Zhang Yi

Zhang Yi is the first actor to win grand slam in three major acting awards in China. He won the Golden Rooster Best Actor Award in 2021 and the Hundred Flowers Best Actor Award in 2022 for the movie, The Cliffhangers, directed by Zhang Yimou. 

For our Best-Dressed List, read our separate post. Most Stylish Celebrities at the Huabiao Film Awards.