Top film festival slammed for ignoring acting skills
BEIJING: A top film festival in China has been widely criticised for handing out awards based on popularity rather than acting skills.
At the Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival, the Best Supporting Actress Award went to Angelababy despite her mediocre acting skills.
She was honoured for her risible role in Mojin – The Lost Legend.
Critics have lampooned the move, complaining that the major awards in the acting categories were given to young popular stars instead of performers seen as having superior acting skills.
Originally two separate film festivals – the Golden Rooster Film Festival, which started in 1981 and whose winners were selected by industry professionals, and the Hundred Flowers Film Festival, established in 1962 and whose awards were selected by the public – the two combined into one event in 1992, with each of the two sub-festivals taking turns on even and odd numbered years.
As this year is an even year, the winners were decided by popular vote.
At the award ceremony over the
Critics have lampooned the move, complaining that the major awards in the acting categories were given to young popular stars instead of performers seen as having superior acting skills.
weekend, popular heartthrob Li Yifeng won the Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Mr Six beating out actors Duan Yihong in The Dead End and Zhang Yi in Dearest, both of whom were praised for their outstanding performances.
The Best Leading Actor Award went to Feng Shaofeng for his performance in Wolf Totem. Ignored were multiple- award winners Feng Xiaogang in Mr Six, Huang Bo in Dearest and Deng Chao in The Dead End.
Once highly regarded, the film festival’s influence has been declining, with industry insiders, the media and filmlovers claiming it is trying to bring in viewer numbers by relying on hot young stars who have millions of young fans willing to spend money to support their idols.