Italian film "There's Still Tomorrow" won best picture and China's animated feature "Ne Zha 2" took home best animation on Sept. 13 at the second Golden Panda Awards, an increasingly influential international cultural event in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Film category jurors appear on stage during the second Golden Panda Awards ceremony in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Sept. 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

The second Golden Panda Awards featured four main categories — film, TV drama, documentary and animation — plus Special Jury Awards. The competition drew 5,343 entries from 126 countries and regions, with international productions comprising 73.2% of submissions.

Paola Cortellesi's "There's Still Tomorrow" prevailed over Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," Pema Tseden's "Snow Leopard," Wim Wenders' "Perfect Days," and Anselm Chan's "The Last Dance" for best picture. The 2023 Italian period comedy-drama, which Cortellesi co-wrote, directed and starred in for her directorial debut, is set in post-war 1940s Rome. Drawing inspiration from her grandmother's story, it portrays the struggles of countless Italian women of that era fighting for the rights they deserved.

"Snow Leopard" won best director, with Jigme Trinley, son of the late Pema Tseden, accepting the award as the film's acting director. "This film embodies his life experiences and reflections, conveying a power of compassion and love that transcends time and space," Trinley said, adding that his father's spirit will continue to inspire the crew.

Best actor in a leading role went to Zhu Yilong for his performance in "Only the River Flows," while Brazilian actor Denise Weinberg won best actress in a leading role for "The Blue Trail." The phenomenally successful Hong Kong film "The Last Dance" won best music for music producer Wan Pin Chu.

"Ne Zha 2," the world's highest-grossing animated film of all time, unsurprisingly won best animation. Its producer Liu Wenzhang took the stage to receive the award, stating, "We will continue, as always, to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to creating new works. To me, this is our foundation, our original aspiration, and also our direction and strength."

Producer Liu Wenzhang accepts the best animation award for "Ne Zha 2" during the second Golden Panda Awards ceremony in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Sept. 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

Another animation, "Chang An," won best visual effects. Producer Yu Zhou stated in his acceptance speech that animated films "carry the mission and opportunity of our time to preserve and promote outstanding Chinese traditional culture and to tell compelling Chinese stories. Light Chaser Animation and fellow Chinese animators will continue striving forward, creating exceptional works worthy of this era."

"She and Her Girls," adapted from the true story of Zhang Guimei, who founded a free all-girls high school in remote southwest China, won best TV drama. British miniseries "Mr. Bates vs The Post Office" won best director for James Strong. Francis Ng won best actor for "Escape from the Trilateral Slopes," and Tang Yan won best actress for "Blossoms Shanghai."

Tang Yan walks the red carpet of the second Golden Panda Awards ceremony in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Sept. 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

Norway's "A New Kind of Wilderness" won best documentary, while best director in that category went to Gao Song for "My Hometown Across the Ocean."

This year's jury consisted of 27 international film and television industry figures, with nearly half coming from outside China.

Renowned director Chen Kaige, who serves as general jury president, noted that Sichuan is one of the cradles of civilization. "It has nurtured both the ancient mystery of the Sanxingdui ruins and innovative cultural works like 'Ne Zha,'" he said. "It preserves the lively atmosphere of traditional teahouses while also embracing a brilliant future written in code. Sichuan's openness reflects the Chinese spirit: tradition here never means isolation, and innovation doesn't imply abandoning roots. What we need is not one single culture, but the coexistence of diverse cultures."

Renowned director Chen Kaige speaks during the second Golden Panda Awards ceremony in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Sept. 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

He added, "The Golden Panda Awards aim to build precisely this kind of bridge, making exchange and mutual learning tangible and meaningful."

The ceremony opened with musician Han Hong performing the theme song "The Land of Splendor," an ode she wrote to modern and ancient Sichuan. The stage design blended Sichuan cultural elements with international aesthetics, featuring a three-sided immersive stage. Traditional motifs, including bamboo forests and regional landscapes, created a distinctive visual style.

"The Golden Panda Awards break through many conventional boundaries," Han told China.org.cn. "Other awards are typically for just film festivals or television events, but the Golden Panda is different. It has a wide range of categories: animation, television, documentaries and film. Any talented artistic work can take part. I believe the broad-mindedness of the Golden Panda and its open-door welcome to artistic works from all over the world is truly remarkable."

Singer Han Hong performs at the second Golden Panda Awards ceremony in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Sept. 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

Sichuan province has invested heavily in its film and TV industry, now hosting more than 1,300 companies, over 100,000 professionals and 200,000 students in related fields. The cultural and creative industries, including film, animation and music, have reached a total value exceeding 250 billion yuan ($35 billion).

A film and TV project launch event on Sept. 11 ahead of the Golden Panda Awards drew over 100 companies and resulted in 64 signed projects totaling more than 12 billion yuan in investment.

Second Golden Panda Awards winners: