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| Golden Rooster 2025 Nominations Announced: Who’s Battling for Chinese Cinema’s Top Prizes? |
The Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival 2025 will be staged in Xiamen, Fujian, running from 11–15 November.
The grand awards ceremony itself lands on 15 November, promising a night where red carpets, iconic names, and top-class cinema all come together to celebrate Chinese film’s finest achievements.
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Heavyweights in the Best Film Line-Up
The Best Film category is packed with titles that have dominated conversations this year.
“Big World”, “The Lychee Road”, “Detective Chinatown 1900”, “Her Story”, “The Last Dance”, and the patriotic epic “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” are all jostling for the crown.
Notably, Jackson Yee’s “Big World” keeps the actor firmly in the awards spotlight, marking his fourth Golden Rooster nomination.
The young star has become something of a regular at the ceremony, and all eyes are on whether this could finally be his winning year.
Best Actor & Actress: Clash of the Titans
The Best Actor line-up is a who’s who of modern Chinese cinema:
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Da Peng (The Lychee Road)
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Zhu Yilong (The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death)
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Liu Haoran (Decoded)
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Jackson Yee (Big World)
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Huang Xiaoming (Don’t Worry, Be Happy)
Meanwhile, the Best Actress race is just as fierce:
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Michelle Wai (The Last Dance)
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Song Jia (Her Story)
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Yong Mei (Like a Rolling Stone)
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Duan Aojuan (The Lost Daughter)
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Xu Haipeng (Fly Me to The Moon)
It’s a line-up that mixes fresh faces with established veterans, ensuring no easy predictions.
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Beyond the Big Categories
The nominations also shine a spotlight on emerging talent and diverse film styles.
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In Best Director, nominees include Da Peng (The Lychee Road), Chen Sicheng and Dai Mo (Detective Chinatown 1900), and Shao Yihui (Her Story), among others.
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Debut Director nods highlight fresh voices such as Dajie Dingzeng (Tashi) and Qin Tan (Fly Me to the Moon).
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The festival’s global outlook is seen in the Best Foreign Film category, featuring international hits like Thailand’s “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” and Italy’s “There’s Still Tomorrow.”
Other categories like Best Animation (with blockbusters such as Ne Zha 2 and Boonie Bears: Future Reborn), Best Documentary, and Best Cinematography prove that the Golden Rooster continues to celebrate every corner of filmmaking, from indie projects to large-scale epics.
Why This Year Feels Different
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While the Golden Rooster has always been a major industry highlight, this year feels especially charged.
With an eclectic mix of arthouse stories, patriotic blockbusters, and youth-driven tales, the nominations reflect just how dynamic Chinese cinema is right now.
The inclusion of smaller-budget films like “A Song Sung Blue” and “Wulong Town” in key categories also shows the jury’s growing recognition of intimate storytelling alongside box office giants.
When & Where to Watch
The 38th Golden Rooster Awards Night takes place on 15 November 2025 in Xiamen.
The ceremony will be broadcast across major Chinese television networks and streaming platforms, making sure fans don’t miss a single red carpet moment or emotional acceptance speech.