#China #Sanya #HIIFF #Golden Coconut #Film Festival

6th Hainan Island International Film Festival Comes to a Grand Close

On December 10, 2024, the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) wrapped up after a week of cinematic celebration in Sanya, Hainan Province, China. The closing ceremony held at Phoenix Island was a dazzling event where the winners of the prestigious Golden Coconut Awards were announced, recognizing outstanding achievements in the film industry.

The award for Best Picture was claimed by Georgian director Tato Kotetishvili for his poignant film Holy Electricity. Meanwhile, Serbian director Emilija Gasic's 78 Days was awarded the Grand Jury Prize, a testament to its compelling storytelling and unique perspective. Laetitia Dosch was recognized as Best Director for her work on Dog on Trial, further solidifying her reputation as a formidable talent in the film industry.

Other notable winners included Alberth Merma who received the Best Actor award for Through Rocks and Clouds, and Preeti Panigrahi, who was honored as Best Actress for her stellar performance in Girls Will Be Girls. In the writing categories, Ruth Becquart and Leonardo Van Dijl shared the prize for Best Scriptwriter for Julie Keeps Quiet.

The festival this year drew a record 4,330 film submissions from 117 countries and regions. Ultimately, eight documentary features, ten short films, and 14 feature films were shortlisted for the Golden Coconut Awards. The jury, spearheaded by the renowned French director Luc Besson, had the challenging task of selecting the awardees from an impressive pool of talent.

In addition to the awards, the festival also introduced its first