China's Golden Rooster film festival opens in Xiamen

The 2025 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, featuring the 38th Golden Rooster Awards, kicked off on Tuesday evening in Xiamen, Fujian province.

A ceremony is held to light up golden rooster statue on stage at the opening of the 2025 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, Nov. 11, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

During the opening ceremony, Gao Shiming, vice president of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, stated Chinese filmmakers have achieved glorious accomplishments, with numerous film classics becoming the collective memory of generations. He said they have resonated with the times, articulated the inner world of the Chinese people, told Chinese stories of the new era, and actively explored the Eastern aesthetics of film art.

"Film is a reflection of reality, and it is also a reality made of imagery," he said. "We must fully understand the significance of watching films and the value of making them against the backdrop of rapidly evolving technology. We must continue to work together to make the Golden Rooster Awards even better, and ensure Chinese cinema shines even more brightly in the new era and within the global context."

The opening ceremony featured the lighting of the golden rooster statue, presided over by actors Huang Bo and Zhou Dongyu. The event also presented creative performances and promotions for upcoming films such as "West by Northwest," "Peng Hu" and "Pass and Goal." Through diverse artistic expressions, it showcased a panoramic view of the flourishing landscape of Chinese film production over the past year and the fruitful achievements of the reform and development of China's film industry.

"As the global film industry strides into a new digital era, we young filmmakers are ready to embrace new technologies," said director and actor Dai Mo. "But we also understand that the soul of cinema exists beyond algorithms. We will continue to tell stories with light and shadow, capture time on film, and convey genuine emotion."

This year marks the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema. The festival will feature more than 60 events, including the Golden Rooster Film Exhibition, academic forums, and the Golden Rooster Film Venture Capital Conference. The winners of the 38th Golden Rooster Awards will be announced at the ceremony on Nov. 15.

Deng Guanghui, executive vice chairman of the China Film Association, revealed that a total of 212 films were deemed eligible for this year's Golden Rooster Awards. He said the jury adheres to judging principles of expanding the main theme, pursuing artistic innovation, and cultivating genre diversity, while encouraging creators to highlight "the new era in scenes, the new masses in works, and new ideas in light and shadow."

The war epic "The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death" received seven nominations, including the best feature film. Other notable nominees for this category include "Detective Chinatown 1900," "Big World," "Her Story," "The Last Dance" and "The Lychee Road." The phenomenal animated feature "Ne Zha 2" was nominated for best animated feature. The best foreign film award category nominated America's "F1 The Movie," "Here," Italy's "There's Still Tomorrow," Brazil and France's "I'm Still Here," and Thailand's "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies."

This year marks the seventh year of the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival being held in Xiamen. The city had signed a 10-year agreement for hosting the event, leveraging its strong economic, social and cultural foundations. Xiamen's urban character aligns well with cinema, attracting numerous film and television crews of different genres to shoot in the city each year.

According to statistics from the local film bureau, the Golden Rooster Awards' role as a major national platform has helped Xiamen attract over 2,600 film and television enterprises, including 92 medium-to-large companies, which generated approximately 20 billion yuan in revenue in 2024. 

The vibrant film ecosystem in Xiamen and the national prominence of the Golden Rooster Awards form a powerful, mutually reinforcing loop for Chinese cinema. Xiamen provides fertile ground for production, promotion and industry collaboration, while the festival amplifies Chinese storytelling to a broader audience, drawing talent, investment and viewers from across the country. 

Together, they reveal an exciting trajectory for Chinese cinema.