Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 261, Page 259: Great Director, Times Have Changed
Inside the Shenyang Gymnasium, the lights were on and every seat was taken.

The rousing welcoming music echoed throughout the vast space, gradually building the emotions of the thousands of filmmakers, guests, and audience members present to a climax.

On the huge stage backdrop, the rooster logo of the Golden Rooster Awards and the flower pattern of the Hundred Flowers Awards complement each other, symbolizing the dual honors of Chinese cinema.

Wang Sheng, Han Sanping, Huo Jianqi, and others took their seats in the front row of the guest area according to the seating arrangement.

Their positions offered an excellent view, allowing them to clearly see everything on stage.

Acquaintances around him kept nodding and greeting him, and the air was filled with a complex atmosphere that mixed anticipation, tension and superficial pleasantries.

Wang Sheng could clearly feel the gazes coming from different directions—curiosity, scrutiny, and undisguised envy and a touch of jealousy.

At 8 p.m. sharp, the stage lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight in the center of the stage.

Dressed in formal attire, the male and female hosts walked confidently onto the stage and announced in passionate voices: "The 19th China Golden Rooster Awards and the 22nd Hundred Flowers Film Festival Awards Ceremony are now beginning!"

The opening act was a song and dance performance that blended Northeastern local characteristics with film elements, which was enthusiastic and unrestrained, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the audience.

After the performance, the awards ceremony officially began.

The awards ceremony began with the announcement of the winners of the 22nd Hundred Flowers Awards.

The Hundred Flowers Awards are determined by reader votes from Popular Cinema magazine, representing the broadest range of audience preferences.

When announcing the winner of the "22nd Hundred Flowers Awards for Best Feature Film," the presenter deliberately kept the audience in suspense, flashing clips of the nominated films one by one on the big screen: "The Male Women's Director," "The Matchmaker," "Not One Less," and "The Pursuit of Happyness."

"The winners are—" After a brief pause, the host's voice rang out loudly: "The Pursuit of Happyness, The Male Women's Director, and Not One Less! Congratulations!"

Three-yolk eggs.

This is a long-standing tradition of the Hundred Flowers Awards.

"Wow——!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause instantly swept through the entire venue.

The camera panned across the areas of the three award-winning film crews, finally settling on Wang Sheng and Ge You and others beside him.

Wang Sheng calmly stood up, hugged Lao Han, and then hugged Ge You and Huo Jianqi. He then walked steadily onto the stage with Zhang Huizhong, the director of "The Male Women's Director," and Zhang Yimou, the director of "Not One Less."

Not One Less won the Golden Lion Award for Best Film at the 56th Venice International Film Festival last month.

At this point, the order of the awards seemed to be after "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "The Male Women's Director." Although Zhang Yimou did not show any emotion, the fact that he did not show any emotion meant that he was emotional.

Anyway, that's how the reporters see it.

Go on stage.

After receiving the heavy statue of a goddess holding a bouquet of flowers from the award presenter, Wang Sheng was invited to stand in front of the microphone.

The spotlight shone on his young yet remarkably composed face.

"Thank you to the readers of Popular Cinema, and thank you to all the viewers who voted for 'The Pursuit of Happyness'." Wang Sheng's voice came through the microphone clearly, expressing his sincere gratitude: "This trophy belongs to every ordinary person who was touched by Chen Jianguo's story and inspired by his indomitable spirit in front of the screen."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "Film is the art of creating dreams, but sometimes it needs to reflect reality and give ordinary people the courage to move forward."

Thank you to my team, thank you to all my colleagues at China Film Group Beijing Film Studio and Shengying Media, and thank you to every staff member who worked hard for this film.

Special thanks to Teacher Ge You; your superb acting skills breathed life into Chen Jianguo, bringing him into the hearts of countless households.

Wang Sheng's speech was concise and appropriate, expressing gratitude while highlighting the film's core values. It was not overly sentimental, yet it possessed a powerful ability to touch people's hearts.

The audience responded with enthusiastic applause once again.

"..."

……

The competition for the Best Actor award at the Hundred Flowers Awards, which followed immediately, was equally fierce.

When the title "Ge You, The Pursuit of Happyness" was announced, one of the loudest applause and cheers of the evening erupted in the audience.

Ge You was clearly excited. He stood up, gave Wang Sheng a tight hug, and then jogged onto the stage.

He accepted the trophy from the presenter, gripped it tightly, and spoke into the microphone. His head, which had gone from bald to completely bald, was particularly striking under the lights. His tone was filled with his unique humor and emotion: "Oh dear, this... this happiness came a bit suddenly. The knocking was a bit loud, and it woke me up."

A burst of good-natured laughter erupted from the audience.

"Thank you, viewers. Thank you for acknowledging Chen Jianguo as this 'unlucky guy'."

Ge You continued, his tone becoming increasingly serious: "I also want to thank Director Wang Sheng. He found me and believed that even if I rolled in the mud, I could still get up and chase the shadow called 'happiness.' I feel that this award is not just for me, Ge You, but for all ordinary people like Chen Jianguo who, no matter how difficult, have never given up looking up at the sky and walking with their heads down."

His remarks, simple yet sincere, once again won thunderous applause.

At the Hundred Flowers Awards, "The Pursuit of Happyness" was undoubtedly the biggest winner, taking home two major awards: Best Feature Film and Best Actor. This continued and solidified the high reputation of Wang Sheng's works among audiences. Last year, "30 Days" won Best Feature Film at the Hundred Flowers Awards and Li Xiaoran won Best Actress.

……

After a short break, the more professional 19th Golden Rooster Awards ceremony, selected by expert judges, officially began.

The atmosphere seemed more solemn than at the Hundred Flowers Awards, as this represents recognition of the highest professional standards in the industry.

The first award presented was for Best Screenplay. When the presenter announced, "The winner of the 19th Golden Rooster Awards for Best Screenplay is—'The Pursuit of Happyness,' written by Wang Sheng and…!" a round of applause filled with surprise and admiration erupted in the audience.

Wang Sheng stood up again and walked steadily onto the stage.

"Thank you to the Golden Rooster Awards jury for their recognition."

Holding the Golden Rooster Award trophy, Wang Sheng felt its unique texture: "The script is the foundation of a play. My team and I created 'The Pursuit of Happyness' with the hope of recording the fate of individuals in the torrent of the times and exploring the brilliance of humanity in adversity. I am grateful to life for giving us the richest material; I am grateful to this era for giving us stories to tell and things to say."

His speech remained concise, yet it revealed his respect for and reflection on the creative process itself.

Subsequently, a series of technical awards and individual awards were presented.

The feature film "Postmen in the Mountains" produced by Wang Sheng and directed by Huo Jianqi has begun to demonstrate its strong capabilities, winning awards such as Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, proving its outstanding achievements in artistic quality.

Next came the competition for the Best Director award. The names and works of the nominees appeared on the big screen in turn: Zhang Yimou's "Not One Less", Teng Wenji's "Spring Rhapsody", Huo Jianqi's "Postmen in the Mountains"... and Wang Sheng's "The Pursuit of Happyness".

The award presenter was Xie Jin, a highly respected veteran director.

He opened the envelope, glanced at it, a meaningful smile appearing on his face, and slowly read aloud: "The winner of the Best Director Award at the 19th Golden Rooster Awards is—Wang Sheng, for 'The Pursuit of Happines'!"

"boom--!"

The atmosphere at the scene reached a small climax.

Applause, gasps of amazement, and murmurs mingled together.

Defeating internationally renowned director Zhang Yimou, Wang Sheng won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Director with a realistic film that achieved both commercial and critical success!

Under the spotlight and the gaze of the entire audience, Wang Sheng walked to the center of the stage for the third time.

When he received the trophy from director Xie Jin, he could feel the praise and expectation in the old man's eyes.

"Standing here now, holding this heavy trophy in my hands."

Wang Sheng spoke, his voice slightly lower than the previous two times, but more powerful: "My heart is filled with gratitude. I thank the jury for their kindness, and I thank my mentor Han Sanping for his trust and support all along. Without the Beijing Film Studio platform and the opportunities brought by reform, I would not be where I am today."

He looked towards Han Sanping in the audience, who was clapping vigorously, his eyes filled with excitement and pride.

This was the first time Wang Sheng had addressed him as his mentor.

Their relationship was already one of mentor and friend, which was quite fitting.

There's no need to shy away from this; the industry values ​​mentorship.

Wang Sheng continued, "The director's job is to transform words into images and infuse thoughts into a soul. I thank every member of the crew of 'The Pursuit of Happyness'; it is your professionalism and dedication that have made this work possible."

I also want to thank my co-directors, directors Zhang Yimou, Teng Wenji, and Huo Jianqi. Your works have given me a lot of inspiration; the exploration of cinematic art is endless.

He paused briefly, then his tone became even more resolute: "This award is a tremendous encouragement to me, but also a heavy responsibility."

It encourages me to continue using my lens to focus on reality and tell stories that belong to us Chinese people; it reminds me that as filmmakers, we should not only pursue box office success and entertainment, but also uphold artistic ideals, convey the spirit of the times, and probe people's hearts. The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit. Thank you all!

This acceptance speech demonstrated both respect for seniors and colleagues and a clear understanding of one's own responsibilities. It was grand in scope and lofty in purpose, earning prolonged applause.

Having taken the stage three times in a row, with the spotlight repeatedly focused on him, Wang Sheng's name, as well as the creative direction and market power he represents, left an indelible mark on tonight's Golden Rooster Awards stage.

The awards ceremony continued, and "Postmen in the Mountains" lived up to expectations, winning Best Actor (Teng Rujun, who played the father) and the most prestigious Best Feature Film award!
When Huo Jianqi, Wang Sheng, Teng Rujun, Huang Xiaoming, and others excitedly embraced each other on stage and raised the Best Feature Film trophy, the entire audience stood up and applauded, paying the highest tribute to this artistically exquisite and emotionally sincere work.

Unlike the original timeline, when "Postmen in the Mountains" won the Best Feature Film award at this year's Golden Rooster Awards and was met with much skepticism, now everyone feels that it was well-deserved.

Although "Postmen in the Mountains" has not yet been released in China, it has already become a box office hit in Japan. Since its release last year, it has not yet been taken off the screens, and its total box office has reached an astonishing 30 million US dollars, which is equivalent to billions of yen.

With both commercial and artistic achievements, it's no surprise that it beat "Not One Less".

Zhang Yimou sensed a change in wind direction.

The country is actively promoting its accession to the WTO...

(End of this chapter)