2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival Unveiled in Beijing; Full Nominee List Announced

A press conference for the 2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival was held in Beijing on Oct. 19. Attendees included Deng Guanghui, secretary of the leading Party members group and resident vice chairman of the China Film Association; Guo Guoyun, member of the Standing Committee of the Xiamen Municipal Committee and head of its Publicity Department; China Film Association vice chairmen Huang Xiaoming and Huo Tingxiao; representatives from the Film Bureau of the Publicity Department, relevant departments of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the China Film Association and several Beijing-based film organizations; representatives of young filmmakers; officials from the Publicity Department of the Fujian Provincial Committee as well as the Xiamen Municipal Committee, municipal government and related units; and representatives of festival partners and the media.

It was announced at the conference that the 2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival will be held in Xiamen, Fujian province, from Nov. 6 to 10. This year's opening ceremony and the awards ceremony-cum-closing ceremony will take place at Xiamen's Minnan Grand Theatre and the Strait Grand Theatre respectively, while the Golden Rooster Awards nominees recognition ceremony will be held at the Xiamen International Expo Center.

Eligible films for this edition of the China Film Golden Rooster Awards were those that received a public screening license from the National Film Administration between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. During the registration period, a total of 209 qualifying films across all genres were submitted. The judging process was guided by the principle of "sensing the progress of the era, understanding the needs of audiences and observing changes in art," aiming to discover and promote outstanding works that extol the spirit of the times and express the voices of the people, while continuing to empower the high-quality development of Chinese cinema. Following group screenings, discussions and signed ballots by the jury, the nomination lists for each category have been determined, and the final winners will be revealed live at the awards ceremony.

This year's Golden Rooster Awards feature 20 categories, including film awards such as Best Feature Film, Best Low- and Medium-Budget Feature Film and Best Foreign Language Film; individual awards such as Best Screenplay and Best Director; and the Jury Special Award. To sharpen the awards' orientation, accurately reflect industry realities and effectively guide creative production, and with the approval of relevant departments, the China Film Golden Rooster Awards will introduce four adjustments. Two take effect this year: "Best Directorial Debut" has been renamed "Best New Director," and "Best Art Film" has been renamed "Best Animated Film." Starting next year, two more adjustments will apply: "Best Children's Film" and "Best Opera Film" will be judged in alternating years, and a new "Best Visual Effects Award" will be added.

The conference also announced that Huang Xiaoming will serve as the 2026 festival's Golden Rooster International Communication Ambassador, and Huang Xiyan will serve as the festival's Golden Rooster Cross-Strait Cinema Ambassador.

39th China Film Golden Rooster Awards Jury Nomination List (ordered by stroke count)

Best Feature Film

- "Wan Tongshu" - "The Aviator" - "Nanjing Photo Studio" - "A Love Letter to Grandma" - "Secret Files" - "Deafening" - "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert"

Best Low- and Medium-Budget Feature Film

- "Girl" - "My Karakoram" - "Extraordinary You" - "Vegetable and Meat Wonton" - "Cuihu"

Best Children's Film

- "The Sound of Mulan Flowers Blooming" - "Never Walk Alone" - "Zimukatuo"

Best Foreign Language Film

- "Not Close Friends" (Thailand) - "The Limit Trial" (U.S.) - "The Rescue Plan" (U.S.) - "Loveable" (Norway) - "Sentimental Value" (Norway, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, U.K.)

Best Opera Film

- "The Willful Princess and the Foolish Consort" - "Six Sorties from Qishan" - "The Flaming Steed" - "Xiang Jingyu" - "Gu Yanwu"

Best Documentary/Science and Education Film

- "Mountains and Rivers as Witness" - "The Long Journey Home" - "Rebirth: Facing Cancer" - "The Hidden Mountains and Rivers" - "The Blue Planet Beyond the Window"

Best Animated Film

- "The Eight Immortals!" - "Three Kingdoms Part One: Battle for Luoyang" - "The Legend of Hei 2" - "Nobody" - "Boonie Bears: Bears a Year Round"

Best Director

- Shen Ao, "Nanjing Photo Studio" - Xierzhati Yahefu, "Wan Tongshu" - Wu Tiange, "Vegetable and Meat Wonton" - Zheng Dasheng, "Secret Files" - Lan Hongchun, "A Love Letter to Grandma"

Best Screenplay

- Tang Yuchen, "Deafening" - Zhang Qi and He Zizhuang, "Secret Files" - Chen Sicheng, Tan Liying and Liu Shou, "Ten Blocks Suicide Squad" - Hu Xiaoxi and Zhang Disha, "When the Stars Shine" - (writing collective) Lan Hongchun, Zheng Xuanxuan, Yang Leng and Zhu Liyun, "A Love Letter to Grandma"

Best New Director

- Wan Li, "Deafening" - Bian Zhuo, "Cuihu" - Li Yongyi, "Ruyi Hotel" - Shu Qi, "Girl"

Best Actor

- Wu Lei (as Zhao Jihu in "When the Stars Shine") - Tony Leung Ka-fai (as Fu Longsheng in "Catch the Wind, Chase the Shadow") - Jiang Long (as Zhang Xiaobing in "Ten Blocks Suicide Squad") - Jiang Qiming (as Li Mingqi in "The Aviator") - Tan Jianci (as Li Qi in "Deafening")

Best Actress

- Li Sitong (as Xie Nanzhi in "A Love Letter to Grandma") - Song Jia (as Lin Yueming in "The Volunteers: The Bloody Fight for Peace") - Zhang Zifeng (as He Qiuguo in "Catch the Wind, Chase the Shadow") - Chen Lijun (as Ayuya in "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert") - Gao Ye (as Lin Yuxiu in "Nanjing Photo Studio")

Best Supporting Actor

- Wang Chuanjun (as Wang Guanghai in "Nanjing Photo Studio") - Bai Ke (as Dong Dawei in "Miss Rubik's Cube") - Cisha (as Xiwang/Ximeng/Xitai in "Catch the Wind, Chase the Shadow") - Wushouer Sailai (as Tuerdi Ahong in "Wan Tongshu") - Shao Feng (as Gu Shaotang in "Secret Files")

Best Supporting Actress

- Wang Juan (as Xie Shuzhen in "Cuihu") - Lan Xiya (as Zhang Xiaorui in "Deafening") - Mao Shanyu (as Meiqin in "Vegetable and Meat Wonton") - Xie Chengying (as A Chun in "Secret Files")

Best Cinematography

- Lu Hongyi, "Wan Tongshu" - Bai Yuxia, "Pegasus 3" - Zhang Dongliang, "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert" - Shao Dan and Wu Jingwen, "Four Crossings" - Zhao Xiaoding, "Silent Awakening" - Dong Jinsong, "Caught by the Tides"

Best Sound

- Wang Yanwei, "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert" - Wang Gang and Liu Xiaosha, "Pegasus 3" - Li Danfeng and Si Zhonglin, "Caught by the Tides" - Yang Jiang and Zhao Nan, "When the Stars Shine" - Lin Siyu, "Nanjing Photo Studio"

Best Art Direction

- Wang Zichao and Zhao Junxiang, "A Love Letter to Grandma" - Wang Jing, "Made Leisurely" - Li Anran, "Nanjing Photo Studio" - Lin Mu, "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert" - Liu Qing, "The Aviator"

Best Music

- Wu Zehua and Li Yihan, "A Love Letter to Grandma" - Hu Xiao'ou, "Ten Blocks Suicide Squad" - Hu Weili, "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert" - Gao Xiaoyang, "Wan Tongshu"

Best Editing

- Jiang Yijun and Shen Ao, "Nanjing Photo Studio" - William Chang Suk-ping, "Vegetable and Meat Wonton" - Zhang Jiahui and Zhang Chao, "Blades of the Guardians: Rise from the Desert" - Huang Shang, "Miss Rubik's Cube" - Huang Zenghongchen, "The Aviator"

Source: Hong Kong Commercial Daily — https://hkcd.com/hkcdweb/content/2026/10/19/content_8780748.html