'Atlantic Rhapsody' bags best feature film at Shanghai International Film Festival 2026; See full winners list here
Shanghai, June 21
China's "Atlantic Rhapsody," directed by Zhong Kaifeng, claimed the best feature film at the 28th Golden Goblet Awards, concluding the Shanghai International Film Festival's awards night, reported Variety.
According to the outlet, 'Atlantic Rhapsody' had its world premiere at the 28th edition of SIFF, where Zhong discussed at a press conference how he shaped the film's atmosphere through natural lighting and ambient sound design.
The film is set in Northeast China and stars Yin Fang, who 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."
Accepting the award, Zhong said, "'Atlantic Rhapsody' is not a film that hands audiences ready answers, yet this award has given me my own answer: persistence, passion, hard work, and faith," as quoted by Variety.
Zhang Songwen won best actor for "Secret in the Box," a Chinese Mainland-Hong Kong co-production directed by Frankie Tam Gong-Yuen and a remake of Au Yeung Ping Keung's murder mystery.
Best documentary went to "Notes Unheard," a Chinese production directed by Gu Yun. The film traces a father-son relationship across several years through recurring dialogues, with the director choosing to leave the conclusion open.
Best animation was awarded to "Lucy Lost," directed by Olivier Clert of France, selected from a five-film competition that also included two further European co-productions and Indonesian entry "Garuda: Dare to Dream," reported Variety.
In the short film categories, best animated short film went to "If Only," directed by Ada Guvenir of Belgium, while best live action short film was awarded to "Sitting Bird," directed by Athena Han of Canada.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS - 28TH GOLDEN GOBLET AWARDS
MAIN COMPETITIONBest Feature Film - "Atlantic Rhapsody" (China)Jury Grand Prix - Nicolas Rincon Gille, "Iluminada" (Belgium)Best Director - Yassine El Idrissi, "Halima" (Morocco)Best Actor - Zhang Songwen, "Secret in the Box" (Chinese Mainland/Hong Kong)Best Actress - Khadija Amari, "Halima" (Morocco)Best Screenplay - Reis Çelik, "Night of Blindness" (Turkey/Germany)Best Cinematography - Hao Jiayue, "Atlantic Rhapsody" (China)Outstanding Artistic Achievement - Susanne Heinrich, "The Miserable Mother" (Germany/France)
ASIAN NEW TALENTBest Film - "Her First Taste" (China)Best Director - Sompot Chidgasornpongse, "9 Temples to Heaven" (Thailand)Best Actress - Ma Fufu, "Her First Taste" (China)Best Actor - Sompop Songkampol, "9 Temples to Heaven" (Thailand)Best Screenplay - Ridham Janve, "Hunter's Moon" (India/Germany)Best Cinematography - Samiul Karim Shuptak, "The Blind Girl and an Elephant" (Bangladesh/Germany)
OTHER CATEGORIESBest Documentary Film - "Notes Unheard," Gu Jun (China)Best Animation - "Lucy Lost," Olivier Clert (France)Best Animated Short Film - "If Only," Ada Guvenir (Belgium)Best Live Action Short Film - "Sitting Bird," Athena Han (Canada)
The Golden Goblet Awards ceremony opened with a musical performance by Zheng Yunlong, Chen Haoyu and Shi Pengyuan, and also featured a Wing Chun martial arts sequence accompanied by a clip from Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmaster," and a rendition of "Reflection" by Malaysian singer Shila Amzah.
The evening closed with Tony Leung presenting the best picture before the screening of the closing film "The Decisive Moment," reported Variety.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The documentary "Notes Unheard" about a father-son relationship with open ending sounds intriguing. We need more films that explore complex emotions without spoon-feeding audiences. Also great to see a German-French co-production winning for artistic achievement - international collaboration in cinema is thriving. Wish Indian cinema participated more in such festivals with experimental works.
Zhang Songwen winning Best Actor for a murder mystery remake - that's some serious acting chops! The full list shows how diverse global cinema has become. From Morocco's "Halima" winning Best Actress to Turkey-Germany's "Night of Blindness" for screenplay, it's not just Hollywood anymore. India's win in Screenplay category is a great start, but we need more representation in main competition. 🇮🇳
Impressive to see the Golden Goblet Awards celebrating such a wide range of genres and nationalities. "Atlantic Rhapsody" seems like a slow-burn art film that demands patience, which festival audiences appreciate. The closing with Tony Leung presenting best picture - that's class! Would love to see more Asian films make it to mainstream Indian multiplexes.
The Asian New Talent section is a brilliant initiative! "9 Temples to Heaven" from Thailand winning Best Director and Best Actor, and "Hunter's Moon" from India getting screenplay award - shows the future of Asian cinema is bright. The Wing Chun martial arts performance at the ceremony sounds spectacular too. More Indian filmmakers should target such festival circuits rather than just commercial Bollywood. 👍
R Rohit P While We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.