Georgian film wins Best Picture award at 6th HIIFF in Sanya

The 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) came to a grand conclusion on the evening of December 10 in Sanya, China, with the Golden Coconut Awards ceremony unveiling this year's winners.

The Georgian film "Holy Electricity" won the Best Picture award, while the Serbian entry "78 Days" received the Grand Jury Prize. Laetitia Dosch earned the Best Director award for her work on "Dog on Trial."

Other major honors included Best Actor, awarded to Alberth Merma for his performance in "Through Rocks and Clouds," and Best Actress, which went to Preeti Panigrahi for her role in "Girls Will Be Girls." Ruth Becquart and Leonardo Van Dijl shared the Best Scriptwriter award for their film "Julie Keeps Quiet."

Chinese director Dong Zijian made a splash with his debut feature film, "My Friend An Delie," which won both the Best Visual Effect award and the Best Chinese Contribution of the Year. The Best Documentary Film award went to "An Oscillating Shadow," while "Vox Humana" was honored as Best Short Film.

The jury, chaired by renowned French filmmaker Luc Besson, highlighted the exceptional quality of this year's entries. According to the panel, the most important consideration for selecting the winners was the emotional resonance of the films with the audience. They emphasized the importance of compelling storytelling, strong performances by actors, and the director’s ability to present a powerful vision in creating a meaningful connection with viewers.