We begin right here in the Chinese capital where the 8th Beijing International Film Festival wrapped up yesterday at the scenic Yanqi Lake. In spite of the misty chill, celebrities strutted down the red carpet in full glamor. The evening culminated with Georgian-Estonian film "Scary Mother" taking home both gongs for Best Feature Film AND Best Actress. CGTN's Julian Waghann has the story from Beijing's Yanqi Lake Exhibition & Convention Center.

China's tinsel town lit up once again. After a week of intensive screenings and judging, the jury members led by jury president, Wong Kar-Wai, met the public again. Filmmakers and actors gathered from around the world to cheer on their fellow artists. Actress Isabelle Hupert flew in from France to present the Tiantan Award for Best Actress.

ISABELLE HUPPERT, ACTRESS "This is the first time I've attended the Beijing International Film Festival. I've heard a lot about it. I was invited here in China to do a reading of Marguerite Duras' work and I was very touched and moved by the fervor of the Chinese public and knew I wanted to come back more!" Chinese blockbuster "Operation Red Sea," one of two Chinese films in competition this year, picked up the award for Best Special Effects. Actor Du Jiang also had a dramatic transformation in his physique having spent 8 hours a day at the gym preparing for his first combat role.

DU JIANG, ACTOR "The biggest challenge making this film was that we had to keep ourselves in tip-top shape. In the story, we all worked very closely in units, so much so that if one of us gets injured while filming, then we would surely be cut out of the movie."

JULIAN WAGHANN, BEIJING "The closing ceremony of the Beijing International Film Festival doesn't feel like an end. Rather, it marks the beginning of a new year in the world of cinema, one that is celebrated with much song and dance."

Grammy Award winning artist and Silk Road Ensemble musician Wu Tong gave a virtuoso performance on the Sheng. It was the perfect celebration of a fulfilling and arduous week.

WONG KAR-WAI, JURY PRESIDENT, BJIFF "I would like to extend my gratitude to my fellow jury members who have been working 10-hour days for the past week. One hundred years ago, Mr. Liu Ban'nong invented the pronoun character "She." This is an important cornerstone in women's narrative history in China. One hundred years later at this year's film festival, 5 out of 15 films are about the strength of women and directed by women. I hope more women and more people will tell stories about women through film."

Georgian-Estonian film "Scary Mother," about a mother who's caught in a dilemma between her family and her writing, went home with the coveted Tiantan Award for Best Feature Film. Director Ana Urushadze received the award on behalf of the film's producer.

Coincidentally, "Scary Mother" also snatched the Tiantan award for Best Actress. Urushadze received the award in the place of winner Nata Murvanidze.

The Best Actor award went to Joe Cole for his performance in "Eye on Juliet." Fellow actor Brent Andrew Skagford received the honor on his behalf. 15 films from 19 countries and regions competed for the Tiantan Awards this year. JW, CGTN.