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Key Points

The 9th Pingyao International Film Festival wrapped up with major wins for Taiwanese cinema. Shen Ko-shang's "Deep Quiet Room" claimed the top Fei Mu Award along with a substantial cash prize. Joseph Chang earned best actor honors for his powerful performance in the winning film. The festival also recognized emerging talent across multiple categories including international films and short films.

Key Points: Shen Ko-shang Deep Quiet Room Wins Pingyao Film Festival Top Award

  • Shen Ko-shang's film wins RMB1 million prize with half funding next project
  • Joseph Chang earns best actor for family trauma portrayal in winning film
  • Zhang Zhongchen wins best director for Nighttime Sounds from guard to filmmaker
  • Ranice Tay takes best actress for Amoeba while international section honors Hasan Hadi
2 min read

Pingyao International Film Festival 2025: Shen Ko-shang's 'Deep Quiet Room' wins top honours, Joseph Chang takes best actor

Taiwanese director Shen Ko-shang's 'Deep Quiet Room' wins Fei Mu Award at Pingyao International Film Festival with Joseph Chang taking best actor honors.

"the director brilliantly controls the rhythm, and advances the story layer by layer until it reaches its profound core - Variety"

Shanxi, September 30

Taiwanese director Shen Ko-shang's 'Deep Quiet Room' claimed the top honour at the 9th Pingyao International Film Festival, the Fei Mu Award for best film, along with a cash prize of RMB1 million (137,000 USD), reported Variety.

Half of the prize will support Shen's next project, while the other half goes to the film's Chinese distributor. The jury praised the film's "solid narrative and incisive expression," noting how "the director brilliantly controls the rhythm, and advances the story layer by layer until it reaches its profound core," as quoted by Variety.

Joseph Chang took home the Fei Mu Award for best actor for his performance in 'Deep Quiet Room,' portraying a husband navigating family trauma, reported Variety.

Zhang Zhongchen won best director in the Fei Mu Awards for 'Nighttime Sounds,' with the jury noting his journey 'from a guard in a film academy' to 'self-taught director' who 'composes a poem with his lens.'

Ranice Tay earned the best actress prize for her role in 'Amoeba,' directed by Tan Siyou.

In the Roberto Rossellini Awards section for international films - the Crouching Tigers strand of the festival - Hasan Hadi's 'The President's Cake' won best film, receiving 20,000 USD.

Akinola Davies Jr. took the Rossellini best director prize for 'My Father's Shadow,' shot on 35mm film, whereas Miao Zhuangzhuang's 'Daughters' won both the Tong Ye Award and the Netpac Award for best first film, reported Variety.

Qi Yanyan's documentary 'The Toddling Youths' received the Fei Mu Jury Award.

According to the outlet, in the short film categories, Chu Hoi Ying's 'After the Cat' won the Fei Mu Award for best short film, while Li Longjianhui's 'Quick Pause, Quick Breath' from the Central Academy of Drama took best student short Film.

Special mentions went to Liu Canwen's 'I Wanna Fly' from Shanghai Vancouver Film School and Song Yibo's "Downstream" from Beijing Film Academy.

The festival also presented lifetime achievement honours, including the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award to filmmaker Feng Xiaogang and script supervisor Teruyo Nogami, and the International Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award to Busan International Film Festival co-founder Kim Dong-ho.

The 9th Pingyao International Film Festival concluded on September 30, 2025.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great to see Chinese cinema thriving! Zhang Zhongchen's journey from security guard to award-winning director is truly inspiring. Shows that talent can come from anywhere. More power to such festivals that give platform to new voices.
A
Arjun K
While I appreciate the international recognition, I wish Indian films got more visibility at such prestigious festivals. Our regional cinema has so much to offer! Maybe next year we'll see some Indian entries winning awards. 🤞
S
Sarah B
The cash prize structure is interesting - half for next project, half for distributor. Smart way to support both artistic vision and commercial distribution. More festivals should adopt this model to sustain independent filmmaking.
V
Vikram M
Respectfully, while the festival celebrates great cinema, I hope the selection process remains purely artistic and doesn't get influenced by political considerations. Art should transcend boundaries and speak universal truths.
K
Kavya N
So many women winners this year! 👏 Ranice Tay for best actress, Qi Yanyan for documentary, Chu Hoi Ying for short film. Wonderful to see female talent getting the recognition they deserve in the film industry.
M
Michael C
The lifetime achievement awards to Feng Xiaogang and Kim Dong-ho are well-deserved. These veterans have contributed so much to Asian cinema. Their work has inspired generations of

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