Golden Rooster Award nominations announced: seven films compete for best feature film, the film festival opens in Xiamen on November 6

The nomination list for the 39th China Golden Rooster Awards was announced in Beijing on October 19. Seven films - Wan Tongshu - The Pilot - Nanjing Photo Studio - Love Letter to Grandma - Secret Files - Deafening - The Bodyguard: Wind Rises in the Desert - were shortlisted for the best feature film.The 2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival will be held in Xiamen from November 6 to 10, the final list of winners was announced at the awards ceremony.

This year’s awards received 209 eligible films, covering works that obtained a film release license from the National Film Administration between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.The jury selected nominations for each award through intensive observation, discussion and real-name voting. The awarding concept is to sense the advancement of the times, understand the needs of the audience, and observe changes in art.

There are four adjustments to the award setting, which will be implemented in two years: this year's Best Director's Debut Film will be renamed as Best New Director, and Best Art Film will be renamed as Best Animated Film. From next year, Best Children's Film and Best Opera Film will be selected alternately every other year, and the Best Visual Effects Award will be added.There are a total of 20 awards this year, covering individual awards such as film awards, screenwriters and directors, and special jury awards.

At the press conference, the relevant person in charge of the China Film Association introduced the awards, and Huo Tingxiao announced the nomination list.About 200 people attended the event, including Deng Guanghui, Secretary of the Party Committee of the China Film Association and Vice Chairman of the Party Committee, Guo Guoyun, Member of the Standing Committee of the Xiamen Municipal Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, Huang Xiaoming and Huo Tingxiao, Vice Chairman of the China Film Association, as well as representatives from film authorities, film units, young film workers, relevant departments in Fujian and Xiamen, partners and media.

The opening ceremony will be held at the Xiamen Minnan Grand Theatre, the awards ceremony and closing ceremony will be held at the Strait Grand Theater, and the nominees commendation ceremony will be held at the Xiamen International Expo Center.Guo Guoyun introduced that the preparatory work focuses on five aspects: event arrangement, international exchanges, industry development, film benefiting the people and service guarantee.

In addition to award-winning events, the festival will also host film industry symposiums, the Golden Rooster Chinese Film Festival and International Film Festival, the Golden Rooster Film Forum, dialogues with international film festival directors, the Golden Rooster Film Venture Capital Conference, and the Golden Rooster Cross-Strait and Hong Kong and Macao Youth Short Film Season.A special promotion event for Taiwanese films and a Strait Light and Shadow Night are also included in cross-strait exchange activities.

In terms of supporting youth creation, the Venture Capital Conference, with the theme of “ Breaking the Situation and Upgrading the Dimension, integrates resources from creativity, production to dissemination; the short film season continues to target young authors from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, Hong Kong and Macao.The academic activities focus on the Golden Rooster·Gulangyu Forum, with annual speeches, academic forums, director forums, film and urban civilization and other topics, while also paying attention to mobile phone movies, virtual reality movies and other image forms.The film market will arrange promotion meetings, film schools, roundtable dialogues, AI film units and project negotiations.

This is the first time that the International Film Festival and Exhibition Directors Dialogue will be held. Directors of film festivals and exhibitions at home and abroad and people from the film industry will be invited to communicate.In addition to international film festivals, overseas film festivals and cross-strait special events, activities for the public include "Light and Shadow in the Wave", grassroots visits by film workers, open-air cinemas and lifestyle markets.Xiamen will also extend some activities into daily life in the city through arrangements such as the ”Movie·Xiamen% series of activities and film festival ticket stubs linked to consumption in business districts.

Huang Xiaoming serves as the international communication ambassador for this year’s Golden Rooster, and Huang Xiyan serves as the promoter of cross-strait light and shadow for the Golden Rooster.The press conference also released the main poster, secondary posters and design concepts, and held partner signings. Xiamen International Trade Holding Group Co., Ltd., Huawei Terminal Co., Ltd., Thalys Group Co., Ltd., Four Seasons Mulan Group, Xiamen Qianzhao Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., Beijing Damai Entertainment Culture Co., Ltd., Xiamen Beimingcui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and other companies signed contracts with Xiamen Film Festival Co., Ltd.

Among the nominations announced this time in the film category, the best feature film is - Wantongshu - Aviator - Nanjing Photo Studio - Love Letter to Grandma - Secret Files - Deafening - Dartman: The Wind Rises in the Desert -; the best small and medium-budget feature film is - Girl - My Karakoram - Extraordinary You - Vegetable and Meat Wontons - Green Lake -; the best children's film is - The Sound of Malan Blossoms - Never Walk Alone - Zimu Gatuo -.

Best foreign language film nominees include Not Friends from Thailand, Mercy and Project Hail Mary from the United States, Loveable from Norway, and Sentimental Value, a co-production between Norway, France, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Nominated for Best Opera Film - Princess Diaoman's Concubine - Six Out of the Qishan - Flaming Horse - Xiang Jingyu - Gu Yanwu -; Nominated for Best Documentary/Scientific and Educational Film - Mountains and Rivers as Witnesses - Returning Home after a Long Journey - Resurrection: Confronting Cancer - Hermit Mountains and Rivers - Blue Star Outside the Window -; Nominated for Best Cartoon - The Eight Immortals!《》Three Kingdoms Part 1: Fighting for Luoyang《》Luo Xiaohei's War Chronicles 2《》The Little Monster of Langlang Mountain《》Bear Infested·There are Bears Every Year《.

The best director nominees are Bid for the Olympics - Nanjing Photo Studio -, Sirzati Yahefu - Wan Tongshu -, Wu Tiange - Vegetable and Meat Wontons -, Zheng Dasheng - Secret Files -, Lan Hongchun - Love Letter to Grandma -.Best New Director nominees are Wan Li - Deafening -, Bian Zhuo - Green Lake -, Li Yongyi - Ruyi Hotel -, Shu Qi - Girl -.

The nominees for best screenplay are Tang Yuchen - Deafening -, Zhang Qi, He Zizhuang - Secret Files -, Chen Sicheng, Tan Liying, Six Beasts - 10 Suicide Squad -, Hu Xiaoxi, Zhang Disha - When the Stars Shine - (Screenplay Creative Collective), and Lan Hongchun, Zheng Xuanxuan, Yang Leng, Zhu Liyun - Love Letter to Grandma-.

The five nominees for the Actor Award are Wu Lei (》When the Stars Shine《Zhao Jihu), Tony Leung Ka-fai (》Chasing the Wind and Chasing Shadows《Fu Longsheng), Jiang Long (》10 Suicide Squad《Zhang Xiaobing), Jiang Qiming (》The Aviator《Li Mingqi), Tan Jianci (》Deafening《Li Qi).The heroine nominations are Li Sitong (》A Love Letter to Grandma《Xie Nanzhi), Song Jia (》Volunteer Army: Bloody Peace《Lin Yueming), Zhang Zifeng (》Chasing the Wind and Chasing Shadows《He Qiuguo), Chen Lijun (》The Bodyguard: The Wind Rises in the Desert《Ayuya), Gao Ye (》Nanjing Photo Studio《Lin Yuxiu).

Best Supporting Actor nominees are Wang Chuanjun (》Nanjing Photo Studio《Wang Guanghai), Baike (》Miss Rubik's Cube《Dong Dawei), Zisha (》Chasing the Wind and Chasing Shadows《Xiwang/Ximeng/Xitai), Wushouer Sailai (》Wantongshu《Turdi Ahong), Shao Feng (》Secret Files《Gu Shaotang); Best Supporting Actress nominees are Wang Juan (》Cuihu《Xie Shuzhen), Lan Xiya (》Deafening《Zhang Xiaorui), Mao Shanyu (》Vegetable and Meat Wonton《Meiqin), Xie Chengying (》 Secret Files《A Chun).

Nominations for the Photography Award include Lu Hongyi - Wan Tong Shu -, Bai Yuxia - Speeding Life 3 -, Zhang Dongliang - The Escort: Wind Rises in the Desert -, Shao Dan and Wu Jingwen - Sidu -, Zhao Xiaoding - Jingzhe Silent -, Dong Jinsong - Wild Times -.The nominees for the Recording Award are Wang Yanwei》The Escort: The Wind Rises in the Desert《, Wang Gang and Liu Xiaosha》Flying Life 3《, Li Danfeng and Si Zhonglin》Wild Times《, Yang Jiang and Zhao Nan》When the Stars Shine《, Lin Siyu》Nanjing Photo Studio《.

The nominations for the Art Award are Wang Zichao, Zhao Junxiang - A Love Letter to Grandma -, Wang Jing - Dexian Jinzhi -, Li Anran - Nanjing Photo Studio -, Lin Mu - The Escort: The Wind Rises in the Desert -, Liu Qing - The Aviator -.Music Award nominees are Wu Zehua, Li Yihan - A Love Letter to Grandma -, Hu Xiaoou - 10 Suicide Squads -, Hu Weili - The Bodyguard: The Wind Rises in the Desert -, Gao Xiaoyang - Wan Tong Shu -.

The nominees for the Editing Award are Jiang Yijun, Olympic bidder》Nanjing Photo Studio《, Zhang Shuping》Vegetable and Meat Wonton《, Zhang Jiahui, Zhang Chao》The Escort: The Wind Rises in the Desert《, Huang Shang》Miss Rubik's Cube《, Huang Zenghongchen》The Aviator--.