“Golden Seagull” Promotion Ceremony Honors Chinese Documentary Films in Zhuhai

The “Golden Seagull” Promotion Ceremony and Closing Ceremony of the 4th Chinese Documentary Film Festival were held in Zhuhai, Guangdong, on the evening of Oct. 27, bringing together documentary filmmakers across the Chinese-speaking world to celebrate this year’s distinguished achievements in Chinese-language documentary filmmaking.

The “Golden Seagull” Promotion Ceremony of the 4th Chinese Documentary Film Festival takes place at Zhuhai Opera House. (Photo by Li Jianshu)

For this year’s festival, the Chinese Documentary Film Recommendation Initiative selected a total of 31 outstanding works from 40 submissions. Among them, Hotline Beijing was honored with the distinction of Annual Special Recommended Documentary. The 20 documentaries, including Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness, The Hump, Chinese White Dolphin, Ms. Hu’s Garden, Never Too Late, Minning Town (Stage Documentary & Opera), and The Moon is Yours, were recognized in the Work Category. In the Individual Category, 11 individuals were commended, including Yu Peng, Han Jinnai, and Zhang Ning, directors of Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness, as well as principal creators of documentaries such as Magical Animals on the Plateau, Daughter of the Light, and Hidden Landscapes.

 Hotline Beijing garners the distinction of Annual Special Recommended Documentary. (Photo by Liang Guanxian)

A special honor was conferred to acknowledge the outstanding contributions from documentary production institutions, including the China Film Archive, Guangzhou Radio and Television Station, and Zheng Teng Pictures (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

During the ceremony, it was announced that 23 productions, including Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness, Marvelous Hong, The Hump, Magical Animals on the Plateau, Chinese White Dolphin, Light Chaser, and Hotline Beijing, will be permanently archived under the National Video Archive Project. This initiative serves to preserve the touching moments from different eras as archival records, thereby safeguarding invaluable cultural and spiritual heritage for future generations.

As a core unit of the festival, this year’s “Impression of Zhuhai” short video collection event shortlisted 10 works from a large number of works from across China and overseas, and provided support. Four works—Beishan Sound Walk, Grandma’s Secret, Cultivating Marine Resources and Farming the Sea: Regardless of Day and Night, and Youth on the Green Field—won the accolades of “Recommended Works.”

 Recommended Short Video Works of “Impression Zhuhai.” (Photo by Liang Guanxian)

The ceremony was integrated through a variety of artistic expressions, including children’s choir performances, poetry recitations, and a medley of traditional Chinese operas, effectively showcasing the profound heritage of Chinese culture, the dynamic spirit of the times, and the authentic voices of the people. This honored documentary filmmakers’ achievements and aspirations, reaffirming their core mission in the new era: to stay grounded in reality, document the times, serve the public, and pursue excellence through continuous innovation.

 Cultural performances. (Photo by Liang Guanxian)

A special tribute session was held during the ceremony. Directors of documentary films, holding bouquets, paid heartfelt homage to a group of exemplary ordinary workers: outstanding operator of the Beijing 12345 Hotline, Macao-based educators dedicated to preserving Cantonese opera, breeders overseeing the reintroduction of giant pandas into the wild, post-90s rural entrepreneurs returning to their hometowns to launch agricultural ventures, master craftsmen operating in offshore environments, and inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage of the Suona, a traditional Chinese wind instrument, from Henan Province. These individuals exemplify diligent workers in various fields, showing how dedication and perseverance lead to meaningful lives and remarkable achievements.

 Salute to ordinary workers. (Photo by Liang Guanxian)

Through a series of initiatives—including documentary recommendations, focused dialogues, new film promotions, screenings, and observational exchanges—the festival serves as a vital platform for Chinese documentary filmmakers to present their works, exchange insights, and foster collaboration. Utilizing light and shadow as a medium, it bridges history and the future, connects China with the world, and enhances the communicative power and global influence of Chinese civilization. Guided by the China Media Group, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, the festival was jointly hosted by the China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio (Group), the China Film Association, and the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and organized by the Documentary Film Committee of the China Film Association and Zhuhai Media Group.

Source: Zhuhai Media Group

Translated & edited by: Lynn Huang