Sri Lankan film ‘Riverstone’ picks up two awards at Shanghai International Film Festival

The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) celebrated the best in global cinema at a star-studded Golden Goblet Awards ceremony held at the iconic Shanghai Grand Theatre. 

Among the evening’s major highlights, the Sri Lankan film ‘Riverstone’ emerged as a standout winner, earning critical acclaim and multiple honors in the Asian New Talent section.

Riverstone, directed by Lalith Rathnayake, secured two prestigious awards: Asian New Talent Best Script Writer for Lalith Rathnayake and Nilantha Perera, and Asian New Talent Best Cinematography for Prabath Roshan. 

These accolades recognize the film’s compelling narrative and its exceptional visual storytelling, marking a significant achievement for Sri Lankan cinema on the international stage.

At the awards ceremony, 49 entries competed in the five major categories of the Golden Goblet Award. 

By integrating culture, commerce, and tourism, the Shanghai International Film Festival has created new entertainment-driven consumption opportunities, further energizing this cosmopolitan city’s vibrant economy. 

Other major winners at the event included BLACK RED YELLOW from Kyrgyzstan, which won Best Film, and performances by José Martins (The Scent of Things Remembered) and Wan Qian (Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts), who were awarded Best Actor and Best Actress respectively.

Find the full list below:

Best Feature Film:

BLACK RED YELLOW (Kyrgyzstan), directed by Aktan Arym Kubat

Jury Grand Prix：

ON SUMMER SAND (Japan), directed by Shinya Tamada

WILD NIGHTS, TAMED BEASTS (China), directed by WANG Tong

Best Director:

CAO Baoping for ONE WACKY SUMMER (China)

Best Screenplay:

Korek Bojanowski/Katia Priwieziencew for LOSS OF BALANCE (Poland), directed by Korek Bojanowski

Best Actor:

José Martins in THE SCENT OF THINGS REMEMBERED (Portugal/Brazil), directed by António Ferreira

Best Actress：

WAN Qian in WILD NIGHTS, TAMED BEASTS (China), directed by WANG Tong

Best Cinematography:

Markus Nestroy for YOU BELIEVE IN ANGELS, MR. DROWAK? (Germany, Switzerland), directed by Nicolas Steiner

Outstanding Artistic Achievement:

MY FATHER’S SON (China, France), directed by QIU Sheng

Asian New Talent Best Film:

AS THE WATER FLOWS (China), directed by BIAN Zhuo

Asian New Talent Best Director:

Liryc Dela Cruz for WHERE THE NIGHT STANDS STILL (Italy/Philippines)

Asian New Talent Best Actor: 

SHI Pengyuan in WATER CAN GO ANYWHERE (China), directed by FANG Liang

Asian New Talent Best Actress:

Meenakshi Jayan in VICTORIA (India), directed by Sivaranjini J

Asian New Talent Best Script Writer:

Lalith Rathnayake/Nilantha Perera for RIVERSTONE (Sri Lanka), directed by Lalith Rathnayake

Asian New Talent Best Cinematography:

Prabath Roshan for RIVERSTONE (Sri Lanka), directed by Lalith Rathnayake

Best Documentary:

Constanza (Spain), directed by Agustín Márquez Gómez

Best Animation Film:

THE SONGBIRDS’ SECRET(France/Switzerland/Belgium), directed by Antoine Lanciaux

Best Live Action Short Film:

CROW (China), directed by XU Jianming

Best Animated Short Film:

SON (Russia, Kazakhstan), directed by Zhanna Bekmambetova

Source: Enterprise Asia
--Agencies