As dusk settled over Sanya Bay, with a gentle coconut-scented breeze and the sound of the waves, the Closing Ceremony and Awards Ceremony of the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival took place on the evening of December 9 at CCCC Phoenix Island in Sanya. Renowned directors, actors and scholars from China and abroad gathered by the South China Sea to celebrate with local residents and visitors and witness the announcement of the Golden Coconut Awards.
Ocean of Possibilities, Boundless Light. The evening opened with the song and dance performance A Date with Hainan. Jury President Marco Müller gave a speech and offered his best wishes to the Hainan Island International Film Festival.
Amid shifting lights, performances including the song and dance Rising with the Tide, the song Echoes of the Years and a medley of classic film songs followed one after another, as the stage shimmered and the audience joined in the celebration to the sound of the tide.
During the evening, a number of well-known filmmakers took the stage to announce the winners of this year’s Golden Coconut Awards. Best Film went to Black Rabbit, White Rabbit; Phantoms of July and A Dance in Vain received the Jury Grand Prix; Best Director went to Joel Alfonso Vargas for Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo); and Théodore Pellerin of NINO won Best Actor. Best Actress was shared by Destiny Checo, Yohanna Florentino and Nathaly Navarro of Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo). Best Screenplay went to Sophy Romvari for Blue Heron and Miguel de Zuviría for Brought with the Storm. Mare’s Nest won Best Visual Effects, Eternal Summer received the Best Chinese-Language Contribution Award, and Hair, Paper, Water... and L’mina won Best Documentary and Best Short Film respectively.
The Jury Special Mention, newly introduced this year, went to the documentary I sing, I love, I exist and the short film āyí.
Full List of Golden Coconut Awards Winners
This year’s call for entries received 4,564 films from 119 countries and regions, including 788 feature films, 403 feature documentaries and 3,373 short films, the highest number in the festival’s history.
The 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival was co-hosted by China Media Group and the People’s Government of Hainan Province under the theme “Ocean of Possibilities, Boundless Light”. Guided by the principles of year-round screenings, island-wide screenings, cinema for all and the full industry chain, it held the Opening Ceremony, the Golden Coconut Awards competition, the Golden Coconut Forum and other main events, along with a film program marking the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations and a film and television industry investment promotion and signing event, connecting industry resources with the policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port. With a more open spirit and a more professional platform, the Hainan Island International Film Festival brings together the power of cinema from around the world.
