The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

The 4th Beijing Film Festival opened on April 16, showcasing over 360 films. French director Luc Besson served as the president of the international jury, and Marco Müller served as the chief advisor.

The "Focus on the Future" section, established for the first time at this year's film festival, has attracted much attention. The requirement for nomination is that the director submits his first or second film, with the main purpose of selecting outstanding young directors and actors.

This sub-section is hosted by Beijing Film Academy and China Film Culture Research Institute. The awards established for the first time include: Most Watched Film Award, Most Watched Director Award, Most Watched Screenwriter Award, Most Watched Actor Award, and Most Watched Actress Award.

The most anticipated actor and actress awards are actually called the Best Newcomer Awards at the Beijing Film Festival, so they are mostly attended by new generation actors who have been released in the past year and their fans.

Mohen submitted two works: one is "Brotherhood of Blades" directed by Lu Yang, and the other is "Take My Brother Away" directed by Zheng Fenfen.

The closing ceremony and awards ceremony were officially held on the evening of April 23.

When Shen Mo walked the red carpet with three young actresses from the "Take My Brother Away" cast, they immediately became the focus of attention.

Tian Xiwei wore a pink tulle short dress, looking lively and sweet; Wang Churan wore a simple long dress, looking cool and dashing; Li Lin wore a white evening gown, looking bright and lovely.

The three stood on either side of Shen Mo: one with a bright smile, one dignified and poised, and one with a calm and composed demeanor.

The ceremony was attended by a host of celebrities.

In addition to key figures from the Beijing film circle such as Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Guoli, nearly a hundred well-known domestic actors and directors, including Wu Mengda, Sun Yi, Ming Dao, Chen Qiaoen, and Da Peng, gathered together, along with nearly a thousand filmmakers from more than fifty countries and regions around the world, making it a grand event.

Shen Mo and his group were seated in the third row.

To his left were Li Lin and others from the "Brotherhood of Blades" crew, and to his right were Tian Xiwei, Wang Churan, and the director and producer of "Take My Brother Away".

Despite the warm heating and bright lights inside, Tian Xiwei, sitting next to Shen Mo, trembled slightly, her fingers tightly clasped together, her fingertips turning white.

It wasn't because of the cold, but because of nervousness, or rather, a dizzying feeling mixed with immense anticipation and trepidation.

Just before setting off today, Shen Mo casually said something to her.

"Xiao Tian, ​​tonight we're focusing on the Best New Actress award. We have a pretty good chance of winning. You can prepare a few words of acceptance speech, just in case."

These words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly creating a stormy sea within her heart.

What is this? A surprise? Or a shock?

From then on, she felt her soul floating, as if suspended in the air, mechanically going through the motions of the red carpet, signing autographs, and smiling, repeatedly rehearsing a few words that she might never need to use, and the smile she maintained on her lips almost became a stiff mask.

"Next up is the Most Promising Actress Award in the Focus on the Future category!"

The host's voice was broadcast throughout the venue via the sound system.

The nominees' video clips began playing on the big screen, with a fleeting glimpse of Tian Xiwei's delicate and moving performance in "Take My Brother Away".

Her heart was pounding in her throat; she could only hear her own heart pounding like a drum. When she turned her head, she saw Shen Mo's confident smile.

The award presenters were two veteran filmmakers.

They opened the envelope, smiled at each other, and then read it aloud clearly.

"The Most Watched Actress in the Future Focus Section of the 5th Beijing International Film Festival is—"

"Take My Brother Away, Tian Xiwei! Congratulations!"

"boom--"

Tian Xiwei felt her mind go blank, followed by a wave of immense joy and an unbelievable shock.

She instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes widening instantly and quickly filling with tears of excitement.

Wang Churan, who was standing next to her, immediately gave her a tight hug, and the rest of the crew also stood up to congratulate her.

Shen Mo turned to the side, smiled, and gently patted her back.

"Go, Xiao Tian, ​​you deserve it."

She remained seated for a few seconds before she finally came to her senses.

At the tender age of 17, winning the Best New Actress award at such a prestigious international film festival was an incredible stroke of luck for her.

Her slender legs, hidden beneath the short skirt, almost trembled as she stood up.

She had never even received an award on the school stage before, but now she had won such a big award under the spotlight, so it was impossible for her not to be nervous.

Tian Xi took a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling hands and excited emotions. As she passed Shen Mo, she hugged him tightly, as if only this embrace could give her enough confidence.

Then, under the spotlight and with the eyes of the entire audience, she walked step by step onto the stage.

Gradually, her steps quickened, the pink hem of her skirt swaying gently with each step, a youthful energy rising within her, her steps radiating a confident glow.

However, not everyone is happy about this.

In a certain area of ​​the audience, the representatives from the Beijing elite circle, led by Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Guoli, seemed rather indifferent.

Feng Xiaogang merely glanced at the stage expressionlessly, his lips twitching almost imperceptibly downwards. He then whispered something to Zhang Guoli beside him, his face displaying a mixture of scrutiny and indifference.

Wu Fanfan shook her head dismissively, but her gaze did not linger on Tian Xiwei on the stage. Instead, she turned to look at Shen Mo with extreme displeasure in her eyes.

A second-rate international film festival, with a newly established award, gave it to a teenage girl in a teen commercial film.

In their view, only someone like Shen Mo, who doesn't know anything about the industry, would waste his energy trying to win this award, which would be beneath him.

Meanwhile, viewers watching the live stream went wild, with the barrage of comments increasing instantly.

[Holy crap! It really is Tian Xiwei! Although there aren't many young actresses in this segment, I still can't believe it was given to her!]

[Is "Kuai Ge" really that good? He won the Best Newcomer Award?!]

[This girl is amazing! A billion-dollar box office star plus film festival recognition! Her starting point is unbeatable!]

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be the Best Newcomer Award? I thought it would be for a more art-house film... But the younger sister's performance was truly excellent, I cried so much!

[Director Feng's expression...that's something else! [eating popcorn]]

[Mohen has gone on a killing spree this year! The people Shen Mo has trained are all incredibly powerful!]

[Little Tian, ​​don't cry! You deserve it! The future is bright!]

Inside the venue, many actors of similar age or slightly older looked at Tian Xiwei with much more complex expressions.

There was genuine applause and congratulations, but also barely concealed envy and even a hint of jealousy.

Although this award is named "Focus on the Future" and is only a nominal newcomer award, it is, after all, an award from an international film festival. Its significance and the potential it represents are something everyone wants.

Especially with Shen Mo and the rising star Mohen standing behind Tian Xiwei, it means that her future resources and development path may far exceed the norm.

Wang Churan clapped enthusiastically from below the stage, her eyes bright. While happy for her friend, she also turned to look at Shen Mo, secretly reaffirming her resolve.

Li Lin gave Shen Mo a knowing and gratified smile. Having experienced the early days of a newcomer, she understood even more the significance of this award for Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xiwei winning this award is not particularly groundbreaking. Compared to Zhang Zifeng, who beat her to win the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Newcomer at the age of 11, this is nothing.

On stage, Tian Xiwei received the heavy trophy from the award presenter.

The cool touch finally calmed her down a little.

She walked to the microphone, looked at the dazzling stars and countless eyes below the stage, and her gaze found the figure that calmed her down.

She took another deep breath and revealed her first truly relaxed and radiant smile of the night. Her large almond-shaped eyes were glistening with tears, and her right cheek dimples spread wide.

"Thank you, thank you to the organizing committee, thank you to the Beijing Film Festival, thank you to the director and crew of the film."

"This award, to me, is like its name, a light gazing upon my future."

"It gives me more courage and confidence to go further and do better in the future, and to bring more wonderful roles to everyone."

"Of course, I also want to thank someone who led me down this path, who gave me the opportunity to play this role, and who taught me how to play this role well on set."

"Thank you, Shen Mo, Brother Mo. You are my biggest source of confidence in winning this award."

Her voice was initially choked with emotion, but quickly became clear and firm.

With the sincerity and youthful vigor unique to this age, the message traveled through the microphone to every corner of the ceremony venue and to countless viewers watching the live broadcast.

Most importantly, on stage, she fully expressed her feelings to her beloved Mo Ge.

[I, Tian Xiwei, will always shine for you!]

The film festival has just ended, and the online world is already ablaze with conflict.

Inkmark's public relations department immediately released the pre-prepared press releases across the entire internet.

Press releases, posters, retouched photos, high-definition video clips of award-winning moments, media interviews...

[Rising Star's Strength Recognized! Tian Xiwei Wins Most Watched Actress Award at Beijing Film Festival for "Take My Brother Away"]

[Following a billion-yuan box office, Tian Xiwei receives another major award, recognizing her acting skills at a mainstream film festival]

[From "A Little Reunion" to "Take My Brother Away": Actress Tian Xiwei's Dazzling Transformation]

……

The effect is also immediate.

Tian Xiwei's personal Weibo followers surged at a visible rate, with countless fans attracted by her box office success and awards flooding in.

Her fan page was also filled with jubilation, with cheers such as "My sister is amazing!", "Well deserved!", and "A future Best Actress!"

The fan club quickly organized a neat congratulatory matrix, and the comment sections of various marketing accounts were also filled with enthusiastic fans, creating an atmosphere of pride and joy everywhere.

However, voices of doubt and congratulations emerged simultaneously and came on strong.

Some self-proclaimed seasoned film buffs, art-house film enthusiasts, film critics, self-media personalities, and fans of some competitors dissatisfied with the award results began to raise sharp questions.

Does high box office numbers necessarily equate to good acting skills for a female lead in a commercial youth film? Is "most watched" perhaps more accurately described as "most sought-after by investors"?

[Between so many art-house film actors nominated at the same time, were the judges' criteria based on popularity and box office success? Are film festivals starting to bow to capital?]

Tian Xiwei has only done one TV series and one movie, and the movie was a commercial youth film. While her performance in that movie was decent, isn't she still a bit far from winning an award?

She's only 17, isn't winning an award a bit too early? Is it really a good thing for her future?

[Mohen's PR skills are indeed impressive, but the prestige of the awards is questionable. Promoting newcomers to such high status so early risks being a case of overpraise.]

Even worse, some directly attacked Tian Xiwei herself, questioning the depth and sustainability of her acting skills, attributing her award to Shen Mo's support and Mohen's capital operations.

Some people even compared her performance with clips from art films, implying that her award was undeserved.

These questions are not entirely without merit, especially among some fans of rival companies and other circles of companies with grudges against Mohen, where they have resonated to a considerable extent.

They even organized a number of marketing accounts to start questioning, and for a time, "Was Tian Xiwei's award rigged?" became a hot topic, with voices of support and opposition clashing fiercely.

Faced with the overwhelming doubts, Tian Xiwei's fans, who had just been overjoyed by winning the award and were now eager to fight, quickly switched from celebration mode to protection mode.

Data enthusiasts among the fans quickly compiled real ratings and box office analysis for "Take My Brother Away" on various platforms, as well as screenshots of specific positive reviews of Tian Xiwei's personal performance from professional film critics and film and television public accounts, using facts to refute the argument that "it's all due to marketing".

Some fans with a certain level of film appreciation skills spontaneously created long articles or videos, analyzing frame by frame Tian Xiwei's micro-expressions, body language and emotional shifts in several key emotional scenes in the film, demonstrating the subtlety and empathy of her performance, and pointing out that "commercial films do not mean a lack of acting skills", and that "emotional resonance that moves ordinary viewers is also an important standard for a successful performance".

Fans also actively quoted interview responses from film festival judges, especially several foreign judges, to demonstrate that their selection process was fair and unaffected by external factors.

Meanwhile, some industry insiders who hold a friendly and cooperative attitude towards Mohen expressed their blessings to Tian Xiwei and gave positive reviews of her performance. These comments were also screenshotted and quoted by fans in an attempt to build broader recognition and endorsement.

At the same time, under Yang Tianzhen's guidance, the big fans and core members of the support group took the lead in changing the direction, emphasizing "accepting all well-intentioned criticism and thanking everyone for their attention," but firmly opposing "unfounded denigration and personal attacks," and calling on fans to "focus on promoting the work and respond to everything with Tian Xiwei's future progress."

They transformed the controversy into promoting the film and publicizing the professionalism of the awards, striving to steer the discussion in a positive direction.

This sudden battle of public opinion reached its climax within 48 hours of the awards ceremony.

In cyberspace, praise and criticism fly side by side, and data and verbal attacks dance together.

Tian Xiwei's name, while receiving honors, was also thrust into the spotlight and garnered countless attention.

Only a few industry insiders, even if they were a step behind, still managed to react.

This might just be a trick orchestrated by Mohen himself.

Who else besides themselves would have known in advance that Tian Xiwei would win the award, let alone raise questions about it beforehand?

Even during these several days of questioning, not a single piece of dirt was leaked; the questions were purely about her acting skills and the awards she received.

The repeated questioning and fans' repeated responses kept the buzz high, and even many people who don't follow the entertainment industry were forced to know that Tian Xiwei had won the Best Newcomer Award at the Beijing Film Festival.

Mohen's move was brilliant!

They even demonstrated the high quality of Tian Xiwei's fans during this process, refraining from resorting to insults and instead calmly protecting her, humbly accepting criticism, and focusing on promoting the artist.

This undoubtedly raised Tian Xiwei's fame to a new level.

In Mohen's office, just as they had guessed, Lin Wei was calmly monitoring the flow of all public opinion data.

"Pay attention to guiding the direction of doubt and defense, maintain a ratio of gradually decreasing doubt and gradually increasing defense and promotion, so that the hype presents the appearance that the market has been conquered by Tian Xiwei's strength."

"At the same time, we are preparing a second wave of materials, including behind-the-scenes footage of Tian Xiwei diligently studying on set, and professional evaluations of her performance from many collaborating artists and directors."

"If nothing unexpected happens, it will be after the art exam rankings are announced tomorrow."

"The news that Tian Xiwei ranked first in both her majors at Beijing Film Academy and Central Academy of Drama spread across the entire internet."