Chinese film 'Atlantic Rhapsody' wins top award at Shanghai International Film Festival

Young filmmaker Zhong Kaifeng's "Atlantic Rhapsody" won the Golden Goblet Award for best feature film at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 20 as the festival drew to a close.

Cast and crew of "Atlantic Rhapsody" celebrate winning the Golden Goblet Award for best feature film at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai, June 20, 2026. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

"Atlantic Rhapsody" is a 2026 Chinese comedy fantasy film about a supermarket employee who accidentally cooks a live shark on display in the store and begins hearing a strange voice. Driven by a missing person notice for his father, he travels from a southern city to the barren plains of Northeast China to find his father and recover lost memories. Along the way, he pieces together his father's absurd life through visits to an abandoned amusement park, a winter zoo and the supermarket where shark meat was sold. Guided by sound, he encounters a series of eccentric characters — an experimental musician, a blind fortune-teller, a shark-attack survivor and a picture-book artist — all of whom are mysteriously connected.

The jury, led by veteran actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai, was highly impressed by the film, commenting: "Through a bold experimental approach, the director explores the absurdity of human life, while the outstanding cinematography and editing create a uniquely compelling visual experience."

After receiving the award from Leung, the director Zhong, with tears in his eyes, said during his acceptance speech: "'Atlantic Rhapsody' is not a film that provides answers, but today this award has given me an answer — that is persistence, passion, hard work and belief."

"Atlantic Rhapsody" also won best cinematography for cinematographer Hao Jiayue. Jurors said the film is one where technique converts to art, organically integrated into the work. All the elements required to make a film converge here to surprise audiences with a beautiful and impressive whole.

Director Zhong Kaifeng holds up the Golden Goblet Award for best feature film at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai, June 20, 2026. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

The Jury Grand Prix prize was awarded to "Iluminada" from Belgium, directed by Nicolás Rincón Gille. Best director was won by Yassine El Idrissi for "Halima" from Morocco, with the film also winning Khadija Amari the best actress award for her performance. Best actor went to veteran Chinese actor Zhang Songwen for Frankie Tam Kwong Yuen's "Secret in the Box."

Reis Çelik received the best screenplay award for "Night of Blindness," a Turkey-Germany co-production, and outstanding artistic achievement went to "The Miserable Mother," a Germany-France co-production directed by Susanne Heinrich.

This year, all 12 films shortlisted for the main competition section of the Golden Goblet Awards held world premieres in Shanghai, a first in the history of the film festival. The eight awards ultimately went to six films.

In the Asian New Talent section, Chinese film "Her First Taste" by Gong Yiwen won best film, while Sompot Chidgasornpongse from Thailand won best director for "9 Temples to Heaven." The two films also shared the top acting awards, with Ma Fufu winning best actress for "Her First Taste" and Sompop Songkampol winning best actor for "9 Temples to Heaven." Best screenplay went to Ridham Janve for "Hunter's Moon," who also directed the India-Germany co-production, while best cinematography was awarded to Samiul Karim Shuptak for "The Blind Girl and an Elephant," a Bangladesh-Germany co-production directed by Ishtiyak Ahmad Zihad.

Other notable awards included best animated short film won by Ada Güvenir's "If Only" from Belgium, and best live action short film won by Athena Han's "Sitting Bird" from Canada. Best animation film went to Olivier Clert's "Lucy Lost" from France. Best documentary film was awarded to China's "Notes Unheard," directed by Gu Jun.

Winners and jurors pose for a group photo at the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival in Shanghai, June 20, 2026. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

Jury president Tony Leung Chiu-wai shared on stage his experience of working with his fellow jurors, including Chinese director Guan Hu, actress Xin Zhilei, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat, Georgian filmmaker Déa Kulumbegashvili and Mexican director Fernanda Valadez. 

He said that during the judging process, there were "a lot of debates and some disagreements," but added that "without their professional opinions and their inspiring perspectives, I could not have completed this task." Leung also said that he enjoyed being able to set aside all other commitments and fully immerse himself in cinema.

This year's Shanghai International Film Festival organized a wide range of events including forums, masterclasses, and a film and TV market, with new additions such as the AI filmmaking unit. During the nine-day festival, more than 1,600 screenings of over 420 films from around the world were held across Shanghai, with many filmmakers attending Q&A sessions to engage in exchanges with audiences.

For many filmmakers, the Shanghai International Film Festival holds a special meaning — it is a place they feel the need to "come home to" regularly. Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat, who won the Golden Goblet Award for best film for "Black, Red, Yellow" in the main competition section last year, previously served as jury president for the Asian New Talent section in 2023, and returned this year as a jury member of the main competition. He said he would likely return again next year: "Maybe then I will sit in the audience and quietly watch a film. That would be the happiest moment for me."