November 14: Nanjing Photo Studio, Shen Ao’s drama set during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre and released internationally as Dead to Rights, won Best Feature Film at China’s 39th Golden Rooster Awards in Xiamen on November 10, with its star Gao Ye named Best Actress. Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka-fai won Best Actor for The Shadow’s Edge, and Zheng Dasheng was named Best Director. The Golden Rooster Awards, now in their 45th year, are mainland China’s top film honours.
Key highlights
- Best Feature Film: Nanjing Photo Studio (Dead to Rights).
- Best Director: Zheng Dasheng for Mi Dang (literally “Secret Archive”).
- Best Actor: Tony Leung Ka-fai for The Shadow’s Edge.
- Best Actress: Gao Ye for Nanjing Photo Studio.
- Best Animated Film: Nobody.
- Best Foreign-Language Film: Sentimental Value.
The main winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | Nanjing Photo Studio (Dead to Rights) |
| Jury Special Award | Gei A Ma De Qing Shu (literally “Love Letter to Grandma”), which also won Best Screenplay |
| Best Director | Zheng Dasheng, Mi Dang (“Secret Archive”) |
| Best Actor | Tony Leung Ka-fai, The Shadow’s Edge |
| Best Actress | Gao Ye, Nanjing Photo Studio |
| Best New Director | Wan Li, Zhen Er Yu Long (literally “Deafening”) |
| Best Animated Film | Nobody |
| Best Foreign-Language Film | Sentimental Value |
| Best Sound | Wang Yanwei, Blades of the Guardians |
How the race was set up
China’s National Film Administration published the nominations on October 22. A total of 209 eligible films were entered, and Nanjing Photo Studio and Blades of the Guardians led with seven nominations each. Twenty awards were presented at the ceremony, which closed the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in Xiamen, Fujian province, held from November 6 to 10 with more than 60 film events. The festival was organised by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the China Film Association and the Xiamen city government.
Gao Ye and Tony Leung Ka-fai were among the five nominees in their categories announced by the administration, as was Zheng Dasheng for Best Director.
Our calculation
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Eligible films entered | 209 |
| Awards presented | 20 |
| Awards for Nanjing Photo Studio among the top acting and film prizes | 2 (Best Feature Film, Best Actress) |
| Years since the Golden Rooster Awards began | 45 |
What it means for India and Asia
A Hong Kong actor winning mainland China’s top acting prize, and a Nanjing Massacre drama winning Best Feature Film, reflect two strong currents in Chinese cinema today: pan-Chinese stars and big historical stories. For Indian audiences, few of these films reach local cinemas, but festivals are a route in. At IFFI in Goa this month, China’s Atlantic is among the seven films in the Best Debut Feature competition.
What to watch
- The National Film Administration’s official list of winners.
- Whether the winning films get wider releases abroad.
- Chinese films at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards on November 22 and at IFFI in Goa.
Note: the nominations, festival details and number of awards are from China’s National Film Administration. The winners are as announced at the November 10 ceremony; the administration had not posted the full results on its website when this report was published. Chinese titles without an established English release title are given in pinyin with a literal translation.
Tony Leung Ka-fai at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in 2025. Image: Outhere505, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
- National Film Administration of China: 39th Golden Rooster Award nominations announced
- National Film Administration of China: 2026 Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival opens in Xiamen
- Xiamen Municipal Government: Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, November 6–10
- PIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting): IFFI 2026 curtain raiser
The Entertainment Desk covers cinema from India, Asia and Hollywood: releases, box office, awards and festivals, reported from official announcements. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
