Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 244 Nomination

Immediately afterwards, a stunning Peking Opera-style vocal performance suddenly rang out, and her voice switched instantly.

An Xiaoqian's sweet, clear, soft, and lively voice blends the unique charm of the Xun School of Peking Opera.

When vocalizing, the sound resonates forward and converges in the front of the oral cavity, with rich embellishments and ornaments layered upon each other, instantly highlighting a playful and lively style.

"I hate that the paths of humans and gods are so different, and I lament that my prime years have not come. I raise my silken sleeve to wipe away my tears, which flow in waves down my robe..."

This unique opera singing style, with its twists and turns, is like a lament, vividly portraying the sorrow and helplessness in "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River".

In an instant, the audience held their breath, completely immersed in the moment.

Many people had tears welling up in their eyes, deeply moved by the incredibly infectious performance.

Between songs, An Xiaoqian also danced, showcasing her stunning figure in accordance with the mood of the song.

Every movement she made was light and graceful, exuding classical charm. Her sleeves drew beautiful arcs in the air, like the goddess Luo walking lightly on the Luo River, her every glance captivating.

When the music ended, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience and lasted for a long time.

Meanwhile, viewers across the country were also captivated by the spectacular performance on television.

Countless families sat around the television, their eyes glued to the screen, either immersed in or amazed by An Xiaoqian's singing.

Social media was instantly flooded with posts about the song and An Xiaoqian's performance, with many leaving comments expressing their praise and love for this audio-visual feast.

An Xiaoqian bowed slightly in greeting, her eyes sparkling with indescribable excitement. She just wanted to get off the stage as soon as possible and share her joy with Hu Xiaobei and her mother.

At that moment, she captivated audiences across the country with her singing and performance.

This also made "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" the most dazzling gem on this year's Spring Festival Gala stage, deeply imprinted in everyone's heart.

The three of them sat in the Spring Festival Gala venue, watching the programs and celebrating the Lunar New Year's Eve.

For Hu Xiaobei, who was all alone, it didn't matter where he spent New Year's Eve.

For An Xiaoqian and her daughter, not being able to return to Jiangcheng to celebrate the festival with their family this year meant missing out on the atmosphere of reunion.

Fortunately, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala is broadcast live, so it's like celebrating the festival with people all over the country, which is a rare experience.

The next day, Lunar New Year, at An Xiaoqian's home.

The bright red Spring Festival couplets exuded the fragrance of ink, and the brand-new "Fu" (good fortune) characters were neatly pasted on the wall.

The air was filled with the enticing aroma of the New Year's Eve dinner. A table was laden with all sorts of delicious dishes, and the rising steam carried the scent of happiness.

Hu Xiaobei, An Xiaoqian, and Liu Xiaoli sat around the dining table, enjoying a variety of delicious foods.

Suddenly, a familiar cell phone ringtone sounded.

Hu Xiaobei slowly put down his chopsticks, his gaze fixed on the unfamiliar foreign number on his phone screen, and a guess formed in his mind.

He winked at An Xiaoqian, signaling her to mute the TV.

An Xiaoqian noticed something was off from his subtle movements, so she glanced at her phone screen, her eyes instantly filled with curiosity and anticipation.

She put down her bowl and chopsticks, pressed the mute button on the remote control, leaned forward slightly, and listened openly and honestly.

Hu Xiaobei slowly pressed the answer button.

The caller spoke in standard English, the voice clear and businesslike, indicating it was from the Berlin Film Festival organizing committee.

Hu Xiaobei's eyes lit up instantly, and his hand gripping the phone tightened slightly involuntarily.

In fact, the nominations for the Berlin Film Festival are usually announced on the official website at this time.

The film festival will announce the shortlist for the main competition and other sections at specific times through press releases or updates on its official website.

Generally, film festivals do not call each nominee individually to notify them.

However, for key members of the shortlisted films or related organizations, the film festival may formally notify them via email or other means to ensure they are informed in a timely manner.

However, the official website remains the primary and most transparent channel for releasing shortlisted information.

Hu Xiaobei listened attentively, nodding repeatedly and saying "OK, Thank you" from time to time.

Before he could even hang up the phone, An Xiaoqian eagerly stood up, quickly ran to the computer, and turned it on. Hu Xiaobei and Liu Xiaoli exchanged a glance, smiled, and then leisurely walked into the room, waiting together for the computer to start up.

A minute later, An Xiaoqian's hands were rapidly typing on the keyboard, and her movements to open the webpage were slightly flustered due to her excitement.

As the official website slowly loaded, the list of nominees for the main competition section, officially announced by the Berlin Film Festival, gradually became clear.

An Xiaoqian's eyes widened instantly, her pupils sparkling with surprise, but she still suppressed the urge to cheer and looked down.

This also means that she automatically qualified for the Silver Bear for Best Actress, which is to say, she received a Best Actress nomination.

The music from the film "Sissi's Dog" was nominated for the Silver Bear for Best Original Film Score.

Looking at the three nominations, An Xiaoqian was so excited that her body trembled uncontrollably.

She happily turned to the side, hugged Hu Xiaobei's neck tightly with both hands, completely ignoring that her mother was right next to her, and kissed Hu Xiaobei's cheeks and lips several times.

"Xiao Bei, our film received three nominations! We did it!"

Liu Xiaoli sat there, first slightly startled, then her eyes widened, her face filled with surprise.

Although my daughter had filmed a kissing scene with Hu Xiaobei before, this was the first time they had kissed in private.

Then, upon hearing her daughter's words, a slight smile appeared on her lips, assuming that her daughter was simply too excited about being nominated for the film festival.

Hu Xiaobei was initially taken aback by An Xiaoqian's sudden action, a look of surprise flashing across his face as he quickly glanced at Liu Xiaoli.

However, he quickly relaxed, a slight smile of relief appearing on his lips.

He looked at the list of 20 films nominated for the Golden Bear, took a deep breath, and tried to stay calm.

His gaze gradually became calmer, and he gently patted An Xiaoqian's back as he slowly said, "This is just a nomination; there are 20 films nominated at the same time."

And your Best Actress nomination means you'll be competing against 20 other actresses, so the competition will be fierce.

Think about it, the main character of our movie is a dog, and your role isn't as big as theirs, so winning an award is probably unlikely. Relax a bit.

He explained the situation in detail to An Xiaoqian and Liu Xiaoli, trying to calm An Xiaoqian down a bit.

In fact, the main competition section prioritizes films that have made their international premieres, which eliminates a large number of films.

As China's influence grows, the film will likely receive more preferential treatment and attention.

In addition, any film that is shortlisted for the main competition will automatically receive nominations for awards such as the Golden Bear.

In other words, this nomination didn't have the prestige that An Xiaoqian had imagined.

In order to expand the influence of its film festival, the organizing committee often gives priority to films from some important countries.

The so-called nominations are actually quite meaningless.

During the subsequent screenings, the jury will select the winners of each award based on the films' performance.

An Xiaoqian turned her head away, gave a light snort, and said smugly, "I don't care, I don't care! A nomination is a victory, Comrade Xiao Bei, from now on please call me Best Actress~"

As she spoke, she secretly tiptoed, subtly increasing her height by ten centimeters, and patted Hu Xiaobei's shoulder smugly.

"Okay, Sisi, no problem, Sisi!" Hu Xiaobei nodded, indicating her agreement.

An Xiaoqian was in high spirits and didn't bother arguing with him. She took her mother's hand and swayed it back and forth, begging for praise in a coquettish manner.

Seeing that her daughter didn't hug or cuddle with her, Liu Xiaoli felt both relieved and a little disappointed, so she had no choice but to hug her daughter herself.

She smiled slightly, gently patted her daughter's back, and softly encouraged and comforted her.

Regardless of the outcome, being shortlisted for screening is enough to allow "Sissi's Dog" to shine on the international stage.

Anyway, this movie didn't cost much, just getting nominated is enough to make it worthwhile, and it can bring in a lot more dollars.

Moreover, she can also get several nominations for free, which will not only increase An Xiaoqian's popularity, but also enhance her industry status among domestic actors.

With this in mind, Hu Xiaobei began to consider matters related to participating in the Berlin Film Festival.

(End of this chapter)