The Belt and Road Film Week of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) rounded off with a closing ceremony at the Museum of Art Pudong on Tuesday.

Filmmakers from countries along the "Belt and Road" came together to witness the announcement of several prestigious honors, including "Media Choice Award for Filmmaker," "Media Choice Award for Film," and "Audience Choice Award."

Chinese director Wu Lang's film "Absence" and Croatian director Juraj Lerotić's film "Safe Place" stood out among the films selected for the Belt and Road Film Week, both earning the honor of "Media Choice Award for Film."

Katalin Román, a Hungarian actress who starred in the film "Six Weeks," was selected as the recipient of a "Media Choice Award for Filmmaker" honor. Media reviewers described her performance as the “true driving force” of the film.

Another recipient of the "Media Choice Award for Filmmaker" honor was Israeli screenwriter and director Michal Vinik. Her film "Valeria Is Getting Married" was mostly shot indoors, but its concise and gripping script captivated audiences. The film also won the honor of "Audience Choice Award."

Actor Lei Jiayin and director Su Lun, who presented the "Audience Choice Award," both have a strong link with the Belt and Road Film Week.

Their previous collaboration, the film "Five Hundred Miles," was promoted through an edition of the Belt and Road Film Week after its release during the Spring Festival season and had its international premiere at the 45th Moscow International Film Festival.

Another actress, Zhao Tao, who presented the award for "Media Choice Award for Film," was invited by the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa in July last year to serve as a judge for its feature film section.

Through the film screenings of the Belt and Road Film Week, film enthusiasts were able to experience the local customs, cultural art, and more from countries along the Belt and Road.

After five years of development, this section of the SIFF has achieved tremendous results, with increasing cooperation levels between film festivals of various countries and expanding cooperation in film exchanges.

Since its establishment in 2018, the Belt and Road Film Festival Alliance has established mechanisms for information sharing and mutual recommendation of films and filmmakers. It has grown from an initial 29 countries and 31 member institutions to 55 member institutions from 48 countries within a span of five years.