Singapore films Wonderland, A Year Of No Significance win at China’s Golden Rooster Awards

Two Singaporean films have shone at the Golden Rooster Awards in China.

Chai Yee Wei’s Wonderland and Kelvin Tong’s A Year Of No Significance were named “Most Anticipated Chinese-Language Films” at the 37th edition of the event.

The awards were part of the prestigious China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival held in Xiamen, Fujian, from Nov 13 to 16.

The film-makers and local actor Peter Yu, who starred in both films, attended the ceremony on Nov 15.

The other winner in this category was the Malaysian sports film Gold, starring Malaysian actor Jack Tan and directed by Malaysian film-maker Adrian Teh.

Both Wonderland and A Year Of No Significance are period films set in Singapore.

Wonderland, which is set in the 1980s, revolves around a lonely and illiterate man (Mark Lee), who asks his neighbour (Yu) to help him pen letters to his daughter (Xenia Tan) studying in America. Together, the men must come to terms with the secrets they hold about themselves and their families.

A Year Of No Significance follows the story of a Chinese-educated architect (Yu) facing social changes in 1979.

“It was an honour to be among the best in Chinese cinema receiving this award,” Chai said in a press statement. “Totally unexpected and so grateful that the themes in Wonderland resonated with the audience at the festival.”

Lee, who is currently filming in Malaysia, said: “So happy that this film was so well received by the China audience at the screening and, at the same time, we won most anticipated Chinese-language film too. What a great achievement for the whole team.”

The 56-year-old attended the movie’s special screening in Xiamen, but had to miss the award ceremony due to filming commitments in Malaysia.

Yu said in the press statement: “I am here representing two Singapore films and I cannot believe that both films were given the same award. Sharing the stage with both the directors is going to be one of the highlights of my career.”

He also told Shin Min Daily News: “The staff thought there was a mistake when my name appeared twice in both films. When they realised it was really me, they said: ‘Looks like you’re a big hit in Singapore.’”

The Chinese-language Film Section, which highlights Sinophone films from beyond mainland China, featured 23 old and new movies from Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Nine of the films were from Hong Kong, nine from Taiwan, one from Macau and four from Singapore and Malaysia.

The awards ceremony held on Nov 16 presented more than 20 accolades across various categories.

The Best Feature Film award went to Chinese legal drama Article 20, with lead actor Lei Jiayin, playing a middle-aged prosecutor, winning the Best Actor award.

The Best Director award went to Chen Kaige for the Chinese war film The Volunteers: To The War. Li Gengxi was named Best Actress for her role as a terminally ill girl in the romantic drama Viva La Vida.