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| Xiao Zhan Wins Big with Gezhi Town, Becomes First Post-90s Actor to Take Top Student Award. (Credits: Weibo) |
Xiao Zhan has just pulled off a career move that’s hard to ignore — winning the Most Popular Actor Award (as voted by university students) at the 33rd Beijing College Student Film Festival for his role in Gezhi Town.
No long build-up, no dramatic campaign — just one nomination, one win, and suddenly he’s the first post-90s actor in the festival’s history to take the title. Efficient, to say the least.
The award itself isn’t just another trophy for the shelf. The Beijing College Student Film Festival has long been seen as a litmus test for younger audiences — a mix of public votes and industry judging that reflects what students actually rate, not just what’s heavily promoted.
So when Xiao Zhan walked away with the top acting honour on his first attempt, it didn’t just land well — it landed loud.
His performance as Mo Dexian in Gezhi Town clearly did the heavy lifting. The character, described by Xiao Zhan as grounded yet sharp, carries a mix of intelligence, responsibility, and quiet resilience.
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| Xiao Zhan’s Gezhi Town Performance Earns Him Major Student Film Festival Recognition |
Not exactly flashy, but that’s the point. It’s the kind of role that doesn’t beg for attention but earns it anyway — and apparently, that worked.
On stage, the tone was notably low-key. No over-rehearsed lines, no dramatic pauses. Xiao Zhan admitted he was both surprised and genuinely moved, especially as it was his first time attending the festival.
He made a point to thank director Kong Sheng and writer Lan Xiaolong, crediting the team for building a story that actually resonates — a subtle nod to the fact that good scripts still matter, even in a star-driven market.
He also leaned into what might be the most relatable part of the night — speaking directly to the students who voted for him.
His message was simple: find your lane, do it well, and don’t overcomplicate life. No grand speeches about dreams, just a calm “get on with it and do your best” energy. It landed. Unsurprisingly.
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| Xiao Zhan Clinches Best Actor Title Voted by Students at 33rd Beijing College Festival |
What makes this win more interesting is the timing. It comes just over a month after Xiao Zhan picked up a major television accolade for The Legend of Zanghai.
Translation: he’s now holding recognised wins in both TV and film within weeks of each other. For an actor often labelled as a “traffic star”, this kind of back-to-back validation shifts the conversation slightly. Not entirely — but enough.
Behind the scenes, small details didn’t go unnoticed. Walking the red carpet alongside director Kong Sheng and writer Lan Xiaolong gave off a clear message: this wasn’t about celebrity optics, it was about the project.
Even veteran presenter Ni Ping reportedly praised him for staying grounded — a comment that carries weight in an industry that’s rarely short on ego.
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| Xiao Zhan Dominates Student Votes to Win Top Acting Award in Beijing Festival |
Fans are celebrating the milestone as proof that Xiao Zhan has moved beyond hype into something more substantial. Meanwhile, more sceptical voices are cautiously acknowledging the win — not quite converted, but no longer dismissive. Then there’s the neutral crowd, quietly admitting that a student-voted award is harder to brush off than most.
Looking back, the trajectory is hard to ignore. From breakout fame in The Untamed to steady performances in The Youth Memories and now a film award backed by student voters, Xiao Zhan has built a career that’s gradually shifting from visibility to credibility.
It hasn’t been smooth, and it hasn’t been universally agreed upon, but this particular win makes one thing clearer: audience approval, especially from younger viewers, is still a powerful metric.
And that closing line from his speech — wishing students a smooth path ahead — might sound simple, but it hits differently when it comes from someone who’s had to navigate both hype and scrutiny. Whether you rate him or not, this moment adds another layer to his story.
So now the real question is: is this the turning point where Xiao Zhan fully crosses from star to actor in the eyes of the wider public, or just another strong chapter in an already complicated career?