Niu Niu’s Final Payment and Rafiki Fariala’s Congo Boy have claimed the top competition prizes at the 2026 Pingyao International Film Festival.

Final Payment was named Best Film in the Fei Mu Awards, while its star Niu Jianrong took Best Actor. In the festival’s Roberto Rossellini Awards, Congo Boy secured Best Film.

Niu Niu’s film centers on a homeowner whose dispute with a contractor erupts over the final payment for renovations to his home. The competition jury praised the drama for using that contained conflict to explore a much broader emotional and social terrain.

“Tearing through a very small rip, the film leads us into a reality and emotional landscape so expansive, where we sigh, lament, and reflect,” the jury said. “The director’s approach is concise, unpretentious, and masterful, earning the wholehearted recognition of the entire jury.”

The Best Film prize carried $150,000 (RMB1 million), split evenly between the director, for development of their next film, and the movie’s distributor in China.

Niu Niu previously directed Mr Junjun, which received both the Jury Award and the Youth Jury Award at the festival in 2023.

Fei Mu Awards honor emerging Chinese-language filmmakers

The Fei Mu Awards recognize titles in Pingyao’s Hidden Dragons section, which features first, second and third films from emerging directors working in Chinese-language cinema.

Beyond the two wins for Final Payment, Xu Zao was named Best Director for Light Pillar. Sun Yi received Best Actress for her performance in Wang Xiaozhen’s A Joke.

The Jury Award went to Dong Jie’s Zoom In, Zoom Out, which had its world premiere in Venice Critics Week. Cai Chengjie’s Suzhou Quartet earned a Special Mention.

Congo Boy adds another festival honor

The Roberto Rossellini Awards center on the Crouching Tigers section, Pingyao’s competition for emerging international directors. Fariala’s Congo Boy arrived at the festival after premiering in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Actor.

Its Pingyao Best Film award included a $20,000 prize. As with the Fei Mu Best Film honor, half is allocated to the director for development of a future film and half to the distributor in China.

The jury said it was unanimously moved by the film’s autobiographical story and its straightforward approach, which it linked to the tradition of neorealism. Jurors highlighted its central character, who faces dark circumstances with optimism while taking responsibility for his entire family’s destiny.

Elsewhere in the Roberto Rossellini field, the Philippines’ Rafael Manuel won Best Director for Filipiñana. Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s Ben’imana, which won the Camera d’Or at this year’s Cannes, received the Jury Award. A Special Mention was presented to Rakan Mayasi’s Yesterday The Eye Didn’t Sleep.

Festival tributes and anniversary recognition

Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui received the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon East-West Award. The honor came shortly before she was due to receive the Camellia Award at the Busan International Film Festival the following week.

Pingyao’s International Contribution to Chinese Cinema Award was presented to Marco Müller and Han Sanping. Müller founded the festival with Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke and currently serves as artistic director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University. Han is a veteran producer and director, as well as a former chairman of China Film Group.

Hello Group chairman Tang Yan was also recognized with a 10th Anniversary Award.

This year’s festival opened on September 24 with a screening of the 4K restoration of Fei Mu’s Spring In A Small Town. It closed with Good Trip, co-directed by Hong Kong filmmakers Norris Wong and Hoi Wong.

The program also included Jia’s short film Torino Shadow, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.