Norwegian film 'Loveable' wins big at BJIFF's Tiantan Award

The Norwegian marital drama "Loveable" won four awards including best film at the 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), becoming the night's biggest winner at the prestigious Tiantan Award.

Tiantan Award jurors, award winners and performers gather on stage at the closing gala of the 15th BJIFF in Beijing, April 26, 2025. [Photo courtesy of BJIFF Organizing Committee]

The debut feature from director Lilja Ingolfsdottir stars Helga Guren and Oddgeir Thune, winning best feature film, best director, best screenplay and best actress for Guren. The film follows Maria, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after her marriage collapses, ultimately learning to embrace her imperfections through the support of loved ones.

Accepting the best feature film trophy on behalf of the absent director, Guren said: "This is a very small project with small crew and actors, so everyone has given out everything to this small feature film." She added that she hopes the film can inspire people to connect more sincerely and deeply, bringing relationships closer. 

"I'm so sad Lilja isn't here. She will be so proud of this," the actor said. "I'm so happy for her because she fought so hard to make this film happen."

Actor Helga Guren collects the best feature film award for "Loveable" at the Tiantan Award in Beijing, April 26, 2025. [Photo courtesy of BJIFF Organizing Committee]

This year's Tiantan Award received a record 1,794 feature film submissions from 103 countries and regions, marking a 19% increase over last year. The winners of 10 categories were selected from 15 shortlisted films by a jury headed by Chinese filmmaker Jiang Wen, alongside other jury members Joan Chen, David Yates, Ni Ni, Teemu Nikki, Vincent Perez and Tim Yip.

Chinese crime thriller "Trapped" earned best supporting actor for Geng Le and best screenplay for Zhang Qi and Sun Yue. Set against the looming backdrop of China's 1995 firearms ban and an apocalyptic sandstorm, Zhang Qi's directorial debut throws three outgunned officers into a brutal confrontation with 44 bandits in a remote border town — a visceral, stylized showdown of desperation and survival.

"Do you remember why you fell in love with cinema?" Zhang Qi asked when accepting the award. "Movies are like elegant rainbows of illusion — they dissolve time into pure experience, letting us surrender to dangerous dreams while savoring every thrill. They forge shared memories among strangers, and remind us that other lives also deserve tears or applause... They amaze us that life can be fleeting brevity and also expansive longevity. Movie is like life, just as life is like a movie. What a joy to have met you through the movies."

"Trapped" also dominated the festival's Critics' Grid with best ratings from accredited press, influential critics and bloggers. The film will open nationwide on May 1 during the Labor Day weekend.

Screenwriters Sun Yue (left) and Zhang Qi collect the best screenplay award for "Trapped" during the Tiantan Award in Beijing, April 26, 2025. [Photo courtesy of BJIFF Organizing Committee]

This year's Tiantan Award featured three categories with dual winners. The best supporting actor honor was shared by Hai Yitian for the Chinese film "Better You, Better Me" alongside Geng Le. The best screenplay award was shared by "Loveable" and "Trapped," while the best actor recognition went to Pierre Bastin and Benjamin Lambillotte for their roles as local policeman cousins in the Belgian film "Vitrival — The Most Beautiful Village in the World."

Ivan Fund's "The Message," an Argentina-Spain-Uruguay collaboration, took three awards: best artistic contribution, best cinematography for Gustavo Schiaffino and best supporting actress for Mara Bestelli.

Veteran actor Tian Hua salutes as she collects a lifetime achievement award at the 15th BJIFF in Beijing, April 26, 2025. [Photo courtesy of BJIFF Organizing Committee]

Other winners included the Enrico Berlinguer biopic "The Great Ambition" for best music. The Kenya-Germany collaboration "Nawi: Dear Future Me" by directors Toby Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Apuu Mourine and Vallentine Chelluget received the special jury award. Legendary Chinese actor Tian Hua, 96, received her lifetime achievement award along with an inspirational tribute. 

The 15th BJIFF concluded Saturday night with a gala and award show, film montages, and song and dance performances, attended by hundreds of filmmakers. Celebrating 120 years of Chinese cinema and 130 years of world cinema, the nine-day festival featured diverse events such as forums, a film carnival, a "Ne Zha 2" poster exhibition, pitching sessions, AI-generated content programs and masterclasses from French icon Isabelle Huppert and renowned Chinese directors Jia Zhangke and Jiang Wen. 

More than 300 new and classic films received over 1,000 screenings, along with nearly 50 post-screening Q&A sessions across 34 theaters in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, featuring more than 190,000 total admissions. The festival also introduced its inaugural China Film Global Distribution and Promotion Awards, recognizing 10 domestic and international distributors for their outstanding work in promoting Chinese cinema globally. 

Singer Zhou Shen performs at the closing gala of the 15th BJIFF in Beijing, April 26, 2025. [Photo courtesy of BJIFF Organizing Committee]

The inaugural Beijing Film Life Festival ran concurrently with the BJIFF, expanding celebrations to venues across the city. During the event period, 28 participating commercial districts recorded a combined 30.77 million visits — a 12.2% increase over the previous week — with 11 billion yuan in consumer spending attributed to the festival period. As part of the "China Film Consumption Year" initiative jointly backed by the China Film Administration and China Media Group, the event integrates cinematic experiences with cultural, tourism and commercial activities.