As twilight bathed Sanya Bay, accompanied by the gentle coconut breeze and the sound of the waves, the Closing Ceremony and Awards Ceremony of the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) took place as scheduled at Sanya CCCC Phoenix Island on the evening of December 9. Numerous renowned directors, actors, and experts from the domestic and international film industry gathered on the shores of the South China Sea, celebrating alongside Sanya citizens and tourists to jointly witness the announcement of the Golden Coconut Awards.
The ocean births myriad forms, and light and shadow stretch boundlessly. The song and dance performance "A Date with Hainan" kicked off the gala. The jury president of this year's festival, Marco Müller, delivered a speech and extended his best wishes to the HIIFF.
Amidst the shifting lights and graceful dances, the melodies rippled with the refreshing sea breeze. Performances including the song and dance "Rising with the Tide", the song "Echoes of Time", and a medley of classic film theme songs took the stage one after another. The interplay of light and shadow on stage shone alongside the starlight, while the beaming smiles in the audience blended with the sound of the tide.
That evening, several prominent filmmakers took to the stage one after another to announce the winners of the Golden Coconut Awards at this year's festival. Among them, the Best Feature Film Award was presented to Black Rabbit, White Rabbit; Phantoms of July and A Dance in Vain won the Jury Grand Prize; the Best Director Award was given to Joel Alfonso Vargas, director of Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo); and actor Théodore Pellerin from NINO won the Best Actor Award. The Best Actress Award was simultaneously presented to three actresses from Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo): Destiny Checo, Yohanna Florentino, and Nathaly Navarro. The Best Screenplay Award was jointly awarded to Sophy Romvari, screenwriter of Blue Heron, and Miguel de Zuviría, screenwriter of Brought with the Storm; the film Mare's Nest captured the Best Visual Effects Award, the film Eternal Summer received the Best Chinese Language Contribution Award, and Hair, Paper, Water... and L'mina won the Best Documentary Award and the Best Short Film Award, respectively.
The "Jury Special Mention" honor, newly added to this year's festival, was awarded to the documentary I sing, I love, I exist and the short film āyí.
Winners List
This year's festival received a total of 4,564 submissions from 119 countries and regions, including 788 feature-length narratives, 403 feature-length documentaries, and 3,373 short films, setting a record high for submissions in the festival's history.
The 7th HIIFF was co-hosted by the China Media Group and the People's Government of Hainan Province. Under the theme "The Ocean Births Myriad Forms, Light and Shadow Stretch Boundlessly", it upheld the festival philosophy of "year-round screenings, island-wide screenings, public viewing, and a full industry chain." It hosted major events including the Opening Ceremony, the Golden Coconut Awards competition, and the Golden Coconut Forum, as well as a series of film-themed events for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand, and a film and television industry investment promotion and signing conference, facilitating the precise alignment of film and television industry resources with the policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port. With an even more open embrace and a more professional platform, the HIIFF continues to gather the power of global cinema.
