28th Shanghai International Film Festival Crowns Golden Goblet Award Winners
SHANGHAI — The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) concluded its ten-day run with the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on June 20, with Chinese debut feature Atlantic Rhapsody taking home the top prize of Best Feature Film. The festival, China’s only International A-category film event, received a record approximately 4,100 submissions from 125 countries and regions, according to the official SIFF announcement.
A Record-Breaking Edition
Running from June 12 to 21, the 28th edition marked SIFF’s first since its official designation as an International A-category festival by FIAPF. Among the roughly 3,000 eligible entries, 82% were world or international premieres, reflecting the festival’s growing stature as a launch platform for global cinema. Over 420 Chinese and international films were screened during the festival, with extended screenings continuing through June 28.
Hong Kong acting legend Tony Leung Chiu-wai served as president of the Main Competition jury. At a sold-out masterclass, Leung reflected on his craft, remarking that audiences must “watch closely to catch my tiny details and body language—sometimes it’s only a slight movement of my fingers,” as Variety reported.
Main Competition Highlights
Atlantic Rhapsody, directed by Zhong Kaifeng, won both Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography (Hao Jiayue). The film, set in Northeast China and starring Yin Fang, had its world premiere at SIFF. Yin described the central character as “a figure of that era, someone who wanted to make a big splash but ended up being toyed with by the times.”
The Jury Grand Prix went to Iluminada by Belgium’s Nicolás Rincón Gille. Moroccan director Yassine El Idrissi won Best Director for Halima, a social realist cannabis drama that marked Morocco’s return to the Golden Goblet main competition after 27 years. Khadija Amari, a veteran of smaller Moroccan roles making her feature lead debut, won Best Actress for the same film.
Chinese actor Zhang Songwen won Best Actor for his role in Secret in the Box, a Chinese Mainland–Hong Kong co-production directed by Frankie Tam Kwong Yuen. Zhang, one of China’s most prominent dramatic actors, previously starred in The Sun Rises on Us All, which world premiered at Venice 2025.
Best Screenplay went to Reis Çelik for Night of Blindness (Turkey/Germany), the second film in his planned “Night Trilogy” set against Turkey’s 1980 military coup. Germany’s Susanne Heinrich received Outstanding Artistic Achievement for The Miserable Mother (Germany/France).
Asian New Talent and Other Categories
In the Asian New Talent section, Her First Taste by Gong Yiwen won Best Film and Best Actress for Ma Fufu. The campus story about a writing-obsessed girl navigating identity and first love was supported by the SIFF Project. Thai director Sompot Chidgasornpongse, who spent more than two decades as an assistant director to Apichatpong Weerasethakul, won Best Director for 9 Temples to Heaven, which previously premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Best Documentary went to Notes Unheard by Gu Jun (China), Best Animation to Lucy Lost by Olivier Clert (France), Best Live Action Short Film to Sitting Bird by Athena Han (Canada), and Best Animated Short Film to If Only by Ada Güvenir (Belgium), as confirmed by Xinhua News Agency.
A Festival of Global Reach
The strong showing of Chinese films alongside winners from Morocco, Belgium, Turkey, Germany, France, Thailand, India, Bangladesh, and Canada underscored SIFF’s commitment to global cinema. The festival also launched “AI BACKLOT,” a pioneering initiative exploring AI integration in the film industry, signaling its forward-looking approach to technological innovation.
As the festival officially concludes on June 21, the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival has reinforced its position as one of Asia’s most prominent film events, alongside Busan, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, serving as a vital platform for cultural exchange and cinematic discovery.