The News
Attendees at a Chinese film festival were stunned when the jury announced that the best feature film would be awarded to… no one. The FIRST International Film Festival recognizes fresh talent in independent Chinese cinema, but this year the jury decided there was “no single outstanding work” and a “lack of those who have raised new horizons.”
The decision was “somehow a fittingly enigmatic ending to a festival that prides itself on introducing the latest trends — and talent — in Chinese cinema,” The Hollywood Reporter wrote. They did, however, award the Grand Jury Prize to Chen Yanbin’s Sailing Song of June, praising it for its “powerful sensory impact.”