Huayu: The Big Players Behind the Scenes

From the perspective of hunting value,

Selling it for $400 million was actually a loss.

But as I said before, some things need to be considered in the context of the actual situation.

In the eyes of those older white men, the East shouldn't be making movies that focus on humanity; they believe the East is ignorant and backward, and that making films about the earth is what they should be doing.

But the kind of movies that older white men want to see, Zhuang Huai'an will never make in his lifetime.

On the penultimate night of the film festival, Han Sanping came to Zhuang Huai'an's room. This was the first time the two had met. Seeing that this "Mountain Eagle" was not as domineering as rumored, Zhuang Huai'an breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, I'm destined to have a lot of dealings with this person in the future.

The group gathered together to smoke, drink tea, and chat.

The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but everyone kept glancing at the landline phone on the side.

"Ring ring ring..."

Everyone in the room tensed up. Han Sanping and Wang Hongwei exchanged a glance and smiled slightly.

"Hello?"

"Are you Ann, the director of 'The Hunt' and 'The Piano Tuner'?"

"Yes, I am Zhuang Huai'an."

"Good evening, Ann. This is the film festival organizing committee. I'm the secretary, Ellen."

"Hello, Allen." Zhuang Huai'an smiled and gripped the receiver slightly.

"The organizing committee cordially invites you to attend the film festival's closing ceremony tomorrow afternoon at 15 PM. Staff members will be available to assist you at that time."

"Okay, thank you, Allen. Good night."

Goodnight, Ann.

Zhuang Huai'an put down the receiver, met the expectant gazes of the crowd, took a deep breath, and tried his best to keep his tone calm.

"It was the organizing committee who told us to attend the closing ceremony tomorrow, saying that attendance is absolutely necessary."

Wang Hongwei had previously explained to everyone the unspoken rules of major film festivals: if you are invited to attend the closing ceremony, you will basically receive an award.

Moreover, this time, the organizing committee used the word "must".

After a moment of silence in the room, Ning Hao spoke first.

"Holy crap! That's awesome!"

The two characters, Zhuge Liang and Feng Xiao, embraced tightly. Wang Zhiwen and Jiang Wu laughed loudly, and Han Sanping also looked delighted. Although China Film Group did not invest in this film, as a veteran filmmaker, he felt very gratified to see the younger generation go global.

Wang Hongwei lit a cigarette with trembling hands, patted his good apprentice's shoulder hard, and muttered: Good lad!

He's so smug inside, tsk tsk, who knows, maybe I, Old Wang, can also teach a student who wins the Palme d'Or!

The joyful atmosphere in the room lasted until late at night before dissipating. Everyone was too excited to sleep, so Han Sanping had someone bring over some late-night snacks and drinks. With the help of the alcohol, they finally dispersed.

The following afternoon, Renault came to make contact again.

"Ann, congratulations in advance." Renault winked at him playfully.

Zhuang Huai'an instantly understood. Renault, as a staff member, had probably heard some rumors and wanted to ask him a few questions, but he was afraid of affecting Renault's job, so he could only smile and give him an OK sign.

The red carpet at the film festival's closing ceremony was much simpler than the opening ceremony, but the atmosphere wasn't as relaxed.

After all, those who came here were all contenders for the awards.

Unlike the opening ceremony where they were ignored and felt quite rude, the Hunt crew received a warm welcome from the media this time. After taking a few photos on the red carpet, the group entered the venue, where Renault arranged for them to sit in a reserved area.

Zhuang Huai'an looked around and found that the third row, middle to left, was a pretty good spot.

The host went on stage to introduce the program, followed by the screening of the closing film, a film with a long title that needed to be shortened. After watching it, Zhuang Huai'an still couldn't understand what the director was trying to express.

After a Broadway performance, festival chairman David Lynch took the stage to give a speech, which roused the somewhat drowsy crowd, who knew that the main event was about to begin.

David Lynch first introduced the judging panel in the first row, among which Yang Ziqiong stood out, a group of foreign faces.

After all the procedures were completed, the first awards were given to the main short film competition winners.

Wang Hongwei glanced at his apprentice subconsciously, and seeing his calm expression, he nodded.

The film that won the Palme d'Or at the 55th Cannes Short Film Awards is…

The award presenter opened the card, smiled, and looked at Zhuang Huai'an.

"The Tuner, Ann!"

"Phew..." Zhuang Huai'an let out a deep breath. The two young heroes beside him, Wolong and Fengchu, clapped their hands vigorously. After all, they were deeply involved in this film, which was also their first work.

The rest of the crew also applauded.

Zhuang Huai'an stood up, straightened his suit, and strode towards the podium as the host introduced him.

"This is an excellent short film, a tragic performance. Through a concise plot and outstanding performance techniques, the director presents us with a story full of suspense and even horror. The open ending gives the audience enough room for imagination."

Congratulations to "Andhadhun" for winning the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film!

The presenters, one holding the trophy and the other the certificate, smiled and handed it to Zhuang Huai'an, saying in a low voice, "Well deserved, Ann, congratulations."

"Thank you." Zhuang Huai'an nodded politely, took the trophy and certificate, and walked to the microphone.

"Thank you to the film festival and the organizing committee for their recognition."

Zhuang Huai'an looked at the trophy in his hand, then pointed to the long Palme d'Or trophy placed not far away, and smiled, "This trophy seems to be a bit smaller than that one, but it has given me just as much recognition."

As many of you may know, I have two films nominated this time, one feature film and one short film, but strictly speaking, "Andhadhun" is my first film.

Looking at the audience below, Zhuang Huai'an spoke eloquently: "As a freshman in college, when I proposed to my teacher the idea of ​​making a movie, my mentor did not reject me outright. Instead, he assigned me an assignment to make a short film first to hone my skills, which led to this work."

Here, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my alma mater, Beijing Film Academy, and to my teacher, Mr. Wang Hongwei, for not dismissing a student's whimsical ideas.

Thank you to my brothers Sun Hao, Wang Zhiyong, Zhang Songwen, and Zhou Yiwei; thank you to all the senior students who worked behind the scenes. Without you, there would be no award.

After speaking, Zhuang Huai'an bowed slightly. The students below, who were both cunning and ambitious, were flushed with excitement. Wang Hongwei looked gratified. This was the result of their teaching!

Amidst applause, Zhuang Huai'an stepped down from the stage.

As everyone passed the trophy around, Wang Hongwei laughed and said, "This trophy is quite unprecedented for the school."

The process continued, and soon Zhuang Huai'an was called out again.

"The winner of the Golden Camera Award at the 55th Cannes Film Festival is Ann for *The Hunt*!"

Everyone became excited again, and Zhuang Huai'an also showed a happy expression.

This award is unknown to most people, but it is also known as: Best New Director.

Compared to others, this award feels somewhat like a consolation prize, but Zhuang Huai'an feels it is more meaningful than the Palme d'Or for short films.

Best new director! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; missing it would be a huge regret.

You're right, right, Milk Tea Lun?

The applause was even louder than before. Zhuang Huai'an went on stage to accept the trophy, which was about the size of a palm and resembled a golden camera.

"Thank you to the film festival and the organizing committee for giving me an award that I can only receive once in my life."

Thank you to my alma mater, Beijing Film Academy, for your nurturing; thank you to teacher Wang Hongwei for your support; and thank you to all the crew members I've worked with. This award is partly yours!

After Zhuang Huai'an finished his acceptance speech, which was full of familiar platitudes, the audience promptly applauded.