The Composer, directed by Xierzhati Yahefu, won Best Feature Film at the first Chinese Film Festival 2026, which closed with an awards night at the Films Division Auditorium on Mahadev Road, New Delhi. Hu Jun took Best Actor for the same film. The two-day festival, organised by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China with the Delhi International Film Festival (DIFF) and the National School of Drama (NSD), screened more than 10 films from India and China.
Organisers also confirmed two follow-ups: a second Chinese Film Festival in New Delhi, with dates to be announced, and an Indian Film Festival in Beijing, to be put together with the Indian Embassy in China and DIFF.
What was the Chinese Film Festival 2026?
The Chinese Film Festival 2026 was a two-day film event held in New Delhi to show Chinese and Indian cinema side by side. It was the first edition of the festival. The Chinese Embassy in India organised it along with the Delhi International Film Festival and the National School of Drama, and the screenings took place at the Films Division Auditorium on Mahadev Road.
More than 10 films from both countries were shown, with approval from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Beat Life Entertainment handled day-to-day coordination, with Piyush Sagar in charge of organisation. Alongside the screenings, filmmakers, cultural representatives and film fans took part in discussions on the two countries’ storytelling traditions.
The festival is also the first film festival of its kind that the National School of Drama has officially been associated with.
Who won at the Chinese Film Festival 2026?
The Composer won Best Feature Film and Best Actor (Hu Jun). The other main prizes went to The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, Yihui Shao for Her Story, and the short film A Passing Clouds. Winners received official trophies, gold medals and certificates at the closing ceremony.
| Award | Winner | Film | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Feature Film | The Composer | The Composer | Xierzhati Yahefu |
| Selection Committee Choice Award | The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru | The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru | Ming Fan, Lily Gong, Fang Li |
| Best Director, Feature Film | Yihui Shao | Her Story | Yihui Shao |
| Best Actor, Feature Film | Hu Jun | The Composer | Xierzhati Yahefu |
| Best Actress, Feature Film | Night Red | Axis of War: Night Red | |
| Best Short Film | A Passing Clouds | A Passing Clouds | Peiyan Tang |
| Best Child Actress | Aaradhya | The Girl with Close Lips | Ramkishore Parcha |
One thing to confirm before publishing: the source copy lists “Night Red” as both the Best Actress winner and part of the film title, which looks like a typo. Check the actress’s name against the official winners list and fix that row.
Will there be another Chinese Film Festival in Delhi?
Yes. Organisers said at the closing ceremony that the second Chinese Film Festival will be held in New Delhi, with dates to be announced shortly.
When is the Indian Film Festival in Beijing?
An Indian Film Festival will be held in Beijing as a return event. It is being planned with the Indian Embassy in China and the Delhi International Film Festival. No dates have been announced yet. The Beijing edition is meant to give Chinese audiences the same kind of access to Indian films that Delhi audiences had to Chinese films this year.
What did the organisers say?
Wang Xinming, Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy, said at the closing ceremony that films help audiences in different countries understand each other, and thanked the National School of Drama, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for their support. He said film exchange of this kind can build understanding, trust and friendship between India and China.
Zhang Hailin, First Secretary at the Chinese Embassy, spoke earlier in the programme and described the festival as part of the long cultural relationship between the two countries. He said cinema gives people a way to talk across cultural differences and form lasting connections.
Arvind Gaur, the theatre director who headed the festival jury, said film festivals let audiences see how people in neighbouring countries live and what their histories look like. He called the National School of Drama’s involvement a milestone for the festival.
Ramkishore Parcha, Founder President and Festival Director of DIFF, thanked the partner institutions and pointed to NSD’s first official association with a film festival as a notable first.
