Chapter 683: Hundred Flowers Award Winner
The Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival is currently one of the most important film festivals in the domestic film industry.
It has two awards: the Golden Rooster Award and the Hundred Flowers Award, which are held in rotation every year.
The Golden Rooster Awards are jointly sponsored by the China Film Association and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and are one of the highest honors in the domestic film industry.
The selection criteria include the work's ideology, artistry, and appreciation, and require the work to reach a high level in terms of literary quality, artistry, and market performance.
Because it is selected by professional filmmakers, it is also called the "Expert Award."
The Hundred Flowers Awards selection method is completely different. Moviegoers vote online or by phone to select the most popular film, most popular director, most popular actor and actress, and other awards.
Since the Hundred Flowers Awards are determined by audience voting, there is a certain degree of randomness in the number of votes, which may not fully represent the true level of the film, but it reflects the audience's love for the film, so it is also called the "Audience Award."
Last year, Gu Wei was nominated for the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor for his role in "Operation Mekong", but unfortunately he lost to Deng Chao's "The Sun Also Rises".
However, it is not surprising that at the Golden Rooster Awards, which place more emphasis on "literariness" and "artistic quality", it is natural for commercial action films to lose to literary and artistic feature films.
This year's closing ceremony of the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival was hosted by the Hundred Flowers Awards, and unsurprisingly, Gu Wei was selected again.
To be honest, Gu Wei is very confident of winning the award this year. After all, in terms of popularity and audience votes, he doesn't think anyone can beat him.
On the evening of November 10, the closing ceremony of the 27th China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival and the 34th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards were held at the Foshan International Sports and Culture Performing Arts Center in Guangdong Province.
Gu Wei's plane landed in Foshan at noon. After changing clothes and putting on makeup, he took a car to the venue of the award ceremony.
He walked down the red carpet amid the cheers of fans, had his photos taken by media reporters, and then strode into the Cultural Performing Arts Center.
In the lounge, Gu Wei saw many familiar faces as soon as he entered.
"When I heard the fans outside shouting so loudly, I knew it was you~" Wu Jing came up to me with a smile in a black suit.
This year's Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival will be held from November 7th to November 10th. Most nominated actors like Gu Wei will arrive on the last day and only attend the awards ceremony.
Wu Jing came to Foshan from the very beginning of the film festival because he was invited by the organizers this year to become the image ambassador of the film festival.
Gu Wei walked up to him and gave him a gentle hug, then coughed lightly and took a step back. With a smile on his face, he raised one arm and stretched his palm forward, making Wu Jing's classic move.
He held on for two seconds before bursting out laughing.
"You guy!" Wu Jing of course knew what he meant, and patted Gu Wei's shoulder with a smile.
"Brother Jing, you're really lazy. I remember you posed like this when you got married. You've been doing the same pose everywhere you go over the years. You didn't even change your pose for the film festival poster?"
Wu Jing felt a little embarrassed.
"There aren't that many cool poses out there. I think this one is pretty good, and the photographer also liked it when we took the photo."
"That's right, this posture has become your classic move. Wu Jing stretched out his hand."
As he spoke, Gu Wei raised his hand and gestured again.
"Brother Jing, you've reaped a huge harvest at this year's Hundred Flowers Awards, nominated for four awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor!"
After chatting and laughing, Gu Wei congratulated.
"It's just luck. No matter how many nominations you get, it's useless if you don't win the award."
Wu Jing had a smile on his face. Because the movie was a big hit, he had won quite a few awards at various award ceremonies in the past year.
This is not the first time he has been nominated for the Hundred Flowers Awards. At the last Hundred Flowers Awards in 2016, he was nominated for Best Picture, Outstanding Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay for "Wolf Warrior 1", which is almost the same as this year, but in the end he only won the Outstanding Picture Award.
"By the way, when applying for the award, I also nominated you for the Best Actor. The organizer may have taken into consideration that you were also involved in Operation Mekong, so they didn't nominate you for the Best Actor in Wolf Warrior 2," Wu Jing explained as he thought of something.
"I know. I've nominated three films for Best Actor. Only one will be left. It's impossible for me to be nominated for all of them."
Gu Wei nodded in understanding.
In addition to "Wolf Warrior 2" and "Operation Mekong", Gu Wei's "Time Raiders" released this year also submitted an award application, and it will definitely be nominated in the end based on this film.
The two chatted for a few words, and Wu Jing looked at Gu Wei with some hesitation:
"I have a movie I want to see you for?"
"What movie? Are they going to shoot Wolf Warrior 3?" Gu Wei joked.
"It's a tribute film from Shanghai Film Studio called 'The Climbers,' which tells the story of a mountaineering team climbing Mount Everest.
As you know, next year is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Mr. Ren from Shanghai Film Group personally approached me and I read the script. I felt the story was really good, so I took the role.
Besides the leading lady, there are some important supporting roles that haven't been decided yet. Are you interested?"
Wu Jing also knew that Gu Wei would rarely play a supporting role in a movie, so he was a little embarrassed.
But everyone knew that he had a good relationship with Gu Wei, so director Li Rengang asked him to help with the invitation.
"【Climber】ah" Gu Wei touched his chin.
He had some impression of this movie. The box office revenue was over 1 billion, which was pretty good, but the word of mouth was not very good. The love line of the heroine Zhang Ziyi was too superfluous.
If Gu Wei had starred in the film, with the appeal of both him and Wu Jing, the box office of the film would definitely have exceeded that of the original version.
Moreover, Zhang Ziyi can add more scenes. With Gu Wei's status, if he participates in the show, he will definitely add a lot of scenes and will not be inferior to the male and female protagonists.
But it's useless and totally unnecessary.
"When will it start?"
"February or March next year."
Gu Wei shook his head slightly.
"I've finished filming the drama I'm currently filming, and I have two more movies coming up, including Detective Chinatown 3, so it's hard to find time."
"I understand. There's nothing we can do about it. We can only work together again next time."
"I have a good young actor to recommend to you~"
Gu Wei thought for a moment and said.
"who?"
"Li Xian, who starred in the summer TV series 'Ashes of Love' and last year's 'Princess Agents', is currently very popular."
Gu Wei looked at Wu Jing's somewhat confused face.
“Well, I guess you haven’t seen it, go back and ask your sister-in-law and you’ll know. Li Xian is very famous among young people and his acting skills are not bad either.
He debuted with teacher Yan Bingyan in the film "Thousand Arrows Piercing the Heart."
"I've seen this. You mean the one who played Yan Bingyan's son?"
"Yes!" Gu Wei nodded.
"Okay, I'll tell the director later and then notify Li Xian to come for an audition."
"I'll send you his contact information."
To Gu Wei, [Climber] is a piece of junk, but to Li Xian, it is a top-level resource that he can never reach.
Although he rejected the [Climber], Wu Jing's words also reminded Gu Wei.
Next year will be the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Various tribute films and mission films will be launched soon. There are some invitations that he cannot refuse. No matter what, he has to choose one to act in.
Wu Jing is now a signboard of mainstream movies, and Gu Wei is no worse than him. With "Operation Mekong" and "Wolf Warrior 2", he can be regarded as the number one mainstream actor among the younger generation.
Gu Wei thought about it and felt that only "My People, My Country" was more suitable. Wen Mu was also his man, so he didn't need to spend too much energy on the compilation movie. When the time came, Gu Wei would have the final say on how to arrange the tasks and shoot them.
The two chatted for a few words, and then Lin Chaoxian came over with the crew of "Operation Red Sea".
If nothing unexpected happens, "Operation Red Sea" will definitely be the biggest winner at this year's Hundred Flowers Awards.
"Wolf Warrior 2" was nominated for four major awards, while "Operation Red Sea" was nominated for all awards, from Best Director and Best Picture to Best Newcomer.
Lin Chaoxian was in a particularly good mood at first sight, and immediately walked over when he saw Gu Wei, his acquaintance.
"Mr. Gu, Director Wu, long time no see~"
He greeted and exchanged a few words with Gu Wei and Wu Jing who were standing together. Zhang Yi, Zhang Tianai and a few others were also with him.
Zhang Yi, like Gu Wei and Wu Jing, was nominated for Best Actor, while Zhang Tianai was nominated for Best Actress for her role as female reporter Xia Nan in "Operation Red Sea".
Everyone was an acquaintance and they stood together and chatted with each other.
"When did you arrive in Foshan?" Gu Wei asked Zhang Tianai.
The other person was wearing a black halter dress today, with long wavy hair draped over her shoulders, and a curvy figure, looking extremely sexy.
"Yesterday afternoon, I couldn't believe I was nominated for Best Actress!"
"Don't belittle yourself. You've endured so much hardship and put in so much effort to film this movie. It's normal for you to be nominated."
Zhang Tianai understood the meaning behind Gu Wei's words and pouted unhappily.
"You think I have no hope of winning the prize?"
Although she also thought that her chances of winning the award were slim, she still held a glimmer of hope in her heart.
Gu Wei leaned forward slightly and whispered to Zhang Tianai's ear:
"Teacher Chen Jin, nominated for her role in 'Shibadong Village,' has already won Best Actress at the Golden Rooster and Huabiao Awards. She's only one Hundred Flowers Award away from a grand slam. While she's not very famous, she's a recognized veteran in the industry, and the Hundred Flowers jury is likely to favor her."
Although the Hundred Flowers Awards are selected by audience voting, the real decision-making power lies with the jury.
After hearing what Gu Wei said, Zhang Tianai understood immediately and looked a little depressed.
"Is [Emergency Rescue] on?" Gu Wei also noticed her unhappiness and changed the subject.
"Not yet, but it's scheduled to start filming this month. I'll be joining the crew after the Hundred Flowers Awards."
While the two were chatting, Lin Chaoxian brought the other members of "Operation Red Sea" over.
"Mr. Gu, let me introduce you to the other actors of Operation Red Sea: Du Jiang, Jiang Luxia, and Huang Jingyu.
Luxia and Jingyu are both new actors who have not been in the industry for long. Mr. Gu, please take good care of them in the future."
Du Jiang was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Jiang Luxia was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Huang Jingyu was nominated for Best Newcomer.
It can be seen that Lin Chaoxian is very optimistic about the main actors in "Operation Red Sea" and specially introduced Gu Wei to them to help them expand their network.
"Hello~" Gu Wei smiled and nodded.
"Hello, Mr. Gu!" Jiang Luxia and Huang Jingyu greeted him somewhat stiffly. They were not complete newcomers. They had debuted for several years and had acted in many dramas, but their actual fame was still outside the third-tier, far from stars of Gu Wei's level.
Du Jiang hesitated for a moment and also called out "Hello, Mr. Gu~"
In fact, he is Gu Wei's predecessor and debuted much earlier than him, but his fame and status are incomparable.
In the entertainment industry, status has always been the most important thing, not who debuted earlier.
It won't be long before the award ceremony begins and the guests are coming in and taking their seats.
Gu Wei sat in the middle of the first row, with Wu Jing on his left and Lin Chaoxian and Yu Dong on his right.
This year's Hundred Flowers Awards ceremony was star-studded. In addition to the nominated actors, many other well-known celebrities also attended.
After the opening performance, the first awards presented were Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actor and Actress.
All three awards were won by the crew of "Operation Red Sea".
Huang Jingyu, Du Jiang and Jiang Luxia, who had just met Gu Wei in the lounge, won three awards respectively.
"Congratulations to Director Lin and Chairman Yu. No matter how you look at it, Bona will be the biggest winner today."
Gu Wei clapped his hands and spoke to Yu Dong and the other person beside him.
"I also hope that Mr. Gu can win the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actor!"
Yu Dong was not modest at all and said with a smile.
"My winning of the Best Actor award is also an honor for the "Operation Mekong" crew. No matter what, Yu Dong won."
"Haha. Win-win, win-win."
Afterwards, the Best Actress award was presented, which was not unexpected for Gu Wei.
This year's Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress was given to veteran actress Chen Jin, who achieved a surprise victory over Zhang Tianai from "Operation Red Sea," Zhou Dongyu and Ma Sichun, who were nominated for "Soulmate," and Li Qin from "The Founding of an Army," with her performance in "Shibadong Village."
The award-winning teacher, Ms. Chen Jin, was not present today, and someone else received the award on her behalf.
The organizer's award speech was also very interesting, "This year marks Chen Jin's 30th year in the industry, and this award is very important to her."
In fact, Gu Wei also knew Teacher Chen Jin. She played Princess Pingning, the mother of the young master, in "The Story of Minglan". The two had some exchanges when they were filming.
If we talk about her acting skills, there is no problem for her to win the Best Actress award, but in terms of popularity, she is definitely not as popular as the other nominees, so her winning the award was a surprise.
Finally, it was time to present the Best Actor award. Gu Wei was a little nervous sitting in the audience. Although he was confident in himself, he couldn't be sure that he would win the award until the last moment.
Wasn’t there an upset for Best Actress? No one can guarantee that there won’t be an upset for Best Actor.
The short films of the five candidates were played on the big screen. They are Zhu Yawen from "The Founding of an Army", Huang Xuan from "Youth", Wu Jing from "Wolf Warrior 2", Gu Wei from "Operation Mekong", and Zhang Yi from "Operation Red Sea".
"Congratulations to all the actors. I believe being nominated is a form of affirmation. Seeing the characters you have just portrayed, including soldiers, police officers, and great men, audience members and judges, are you ready?"
"Voting begins now, ten seconds left."
After the two female hosts Zhou Tao and Jiang Shuying finished speaking on the stage, the names of the five nominees appeared on the big screen and 101 audience judges pressed their voting buttons.
Among the five people, the votes of Gu Wei and Wu Jing rose rapidly, far exceeding the others. Wu Jing stopped at 31 votes, while Gu Wei got 56 votes.
Ten seconds later, the best actor of the 34th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards was announced.
There was a cheer from the audience and thunderous applause in the venue.
"【Operation Mekong】Gu Wei! Congratulations!" Jiang Shuying looked at Gu Wei in the audience and congratulated him.
We traveled around together on the set of "Divas Hit the Road 3" last year. I didn't expect that Gu Wei would win the Best Actor award at such a young age.
Gu Wei stood up and hugged Wu Jing and Lin Chaoxian beside him.
"Congratulations~" Wu Jing was a little disappointed that he didn't win the award, but he was also happy for Gu Wei that he won the award.
"Brother Jing, I'm one step ahead of you."
"Haha, don't forget to treat me to a meal later!"
"No problem~"
Zhang Tianai, who was sitting with the crew of "Operation Red Sea", watched Gu Wei clapping his hands excitedly. Best Actor, even though it was only the Hundred Flowers Award, it was also one of the highest honors in the domestic film industry. As early as when she met Gu Wei, she knew that this day would come sooner or later.
On the other side, Zhou Dongyu and Ma Sichun sat together, both of them clapping with smiles on their faces, but Ma Sichun was simply happy for Gu Wei, while Zhou Dongyu felt more complicated.
After [Better Days], she had a falling out with Gu Wei, but the result was that she could only stay away from him silently and endure the discomfort and unhappiness.
If Gu Wei was not doing well, she would have some thoughts, but now that his career was flourishing, she saw no possibility of revenge.
Gu Wei strode onto the stage and received the Best Actor trophy from the award presenters Lu Qi and Huang Xiaoming.
"Congratulations, congratulations!" Huang Xiaoming hugged Gu Wei and patted his shoulder.
"Thanks."
The three of them took a group photo, and the two award presenters walked off the stage, leaving Gu Wei standing in the center of the stage to deliver his acceptance speech.
Gu Wei held the trophy in one hand and the certificate in the other and took a deep breath.
"Hello everyone, I'm actor Gu Wei!"
As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers rang out in the venue again.
The guests sitting in the front row also applauded.
"Gu Wei's popularity is too exaggerated, no wonder he won the award." Zhu Yawen, who was sitting in the second row and was working on the set of "The Founding of an Army", sighed as he watched the excitement in the venue.
"The Founding of an Army" also received many nominations, including Zhu Yawen for Best Actor, Li Qin for Best Actress, and Ma Tianyu for Best Supporting Actor. Unfortunately, none of them won the award.
"The title of box office king isn't given for nothing, he's been incredibly popular these past few years.
The most important thing is that he is so handsome," Li Qin, who was sitting next to him, continued.
"I don't agree with what you said. Am I not handsome? The audience nicknamed me "walking hormone"~"
Li Qin looked Zhu Yawen up and down and gave him a look that said you understand.
"Okay, Gu Wei is a little more handsome than me, but just a little bit, no more." Zhu Yawen stretched out his finger and gestured.
The applause and cheers gradually subsided, and Gu Wei continued his acceptance speech.
“Thank you to the audience, thank you to the judges, and thank you to all the creators and staff of Operation Mekong.
To be honest, when I first entered this industry, I never thought about winning any awards.
At first, I just wanted to act well and let more people see my plays. I hope everyone will like the role I played and the work I completed with my heart.
I am deeply honored to receive this award today.
The Best Actor Award at the Hundred Flowers Awards is both an affirmation and a spur to me.
In the future, I will work harder to produce more and better works to give back to everyone. Thank you!"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
