Golden Goblet Awards jury convenes amid record film submissions

The jury for the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival's (SIFF) prestigious Golden Goblet Awards held a news conference in Shanghai on June 13 to discuss their expectations for this year's event and the competing films.

Jury members for the main competition of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival's Golden Goblet Awards pose for a group photo at a news conference in Shanghai, June 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of SIFF Organizing Committee]

The jury is chaired by legendary Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, best known for Cinema Paradiso. Other panel members include Argentine screenwriter and director Iván Fund, Chinese actor-director Huang Bo, Greek producer Thanassis Karathanos, Indian filmmaker Kiran Rao, Chinese director Yang Lina and Chinese actress Yong Mei.

Organizers said this year's Golden Goblet Awards received a record 3,900 film submissions from 119 countries and regions across five competition categories. The main competition section features 12 films, 11 of which are world premieres and one an international premiere in China. Latin American productions are strongly represented, with three entries in the main competition, the most in the festival's history.

"I've visited China many times and always left with wonderful memories, but I've never been to Shanghai before," Tornatore told reporters. He said previous invitations to the festival had clashed with work commitments, but this year, he was determined to attend and experience the city.

However, Tornatore said his primary motivation was cinema. "As filmmakers, simply making movies doesn't bring us the greatest satisfaction," he said. "What's truly joyful and exciting is watching films from around the world with my fellow jury members and engaging in discussions about them."

Despite his established reputation, Tornatore said he still hopes to draw inspiration from fellow filmmakers at the festival. "When I go to the cinema, I never want to walk in with preconceptions or fixed expectations — I dislike that approach," he said. Instead, what he looks forward to is the element of surprise. "When the lights go down and we all sit together in the dark, I become just another audience member, fully immersed in the film's world. Only afterward do I reflect on what enlightenment or lessons it might offer."

Iván Fund said his great hope for the trip to Shanghai was rooted in the belief that "films help us understand human differences, and we're embarking on a truly meaningful journey."

Jury members acknowledged they will likely have disagreements in the coming days but agreed this is a positive aspect of the process. Fund said this reflects cinema's unique power. "It gives us the opportunity to celebrate our differences and diversity while sharing our common humanity," he said.

Kiran Rao said she was particularly excited to "hear distinct voices from across the world," adding that "encountering diverse perspectives and visuals should be the natural evolution of cinema."

Huang Bo, who won best actor at the Golden Goblet Awards in 2017 for his role in "The Conformist," spoke about moving from being a recipient to serving on the jury. "SIFF is a place where dreams are made — it once made my dreams come true," Huang said. He added that he hopes his current role will "help create more cinematic dreams."

Huang said every film shortlisted at this stage is outstanding and deserves congratulations. He noted that the jury's goal is to "find films that genuinely surprise and inspire us." He said, "Our greatest hope is that this SIFF will discover one or several films worthy of entering cinema history — that would be our ultimate achievement."

Yang Lina, a former juror for the festival's documentary section whose feature film "Spring Tide" was once screened at SIFF, spoke movingly about the event. "After 27 editions, the festival stands like a cinematic angel — returning each year to warmly welcome filmmakers from across the globe." Yang reflected that, at its heart, SIFF is about fostering "meaningful spiritual connections and dialogue through the platform of cinema."

After the news conference, jury members began evaluating entries to determine the winners in this year's Golden Goblet Awards categories, including best film, jury grand prix, best director, best actress, best actor, best screenplay, best cinematography, and artistic achievement award. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on June 21 at the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

Finalists in the main competition include "After the Fog" by Miriam Heard (Chile, United Kingdom, France), "Black Red Yellow" by Aktan Arym Kubat (Kyrgyzstan), "Cyclone" by Flavia Castro (Brazil), "My Father's Son" by Qiu Sheng (China, France), "Loss of Balance" by Korek Bojanowski (Poland), "Luisa" by Julia Roesler (Germany), "One Wacky Summer" by Cao Baoping (China), "On Summer Sand" by Shinya Tamada (Japan), "The Reborn" by Santiago Esteves (Argentina, Spain, Chile), "The Scent of Things Remembered" by António Ferreira (Portugal, Brazil), "Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts" by Wang Tong (China), and "You Believe in Angels, Mr. Drowak?" by Nicolas Steiner (Germany, Switzerland).

The 27th SIFF kicked off on June 13 with a series of preliminary events, followed by a star-studded opening gala and red carpet ceremony on June 14. Running through June 22, the festival offers 10 days of screenings, forums, awards and other events.

"In 10 days, the festival will come to a close, and audiences will step out of the theaters," Yang Lina said. "But as we return to our daily lives, I believe what stays with us won’t just be which films won awards, but the courage and kindness these films inspired in us."