Aranya Waves Film Festival honors classics, new talent and AI films

The 2026 Aranya Waves Film Festival (AWFF) concluded Sept. 7 in Aranya, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, wrapping up a seven-day event themed "At First Light, the World Begins Again."

The sunrise screening of "Dune" at a beach in Aranya, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, on the morning of Sept. 6, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Table Film]

The closing ceremony presented 12 awards across four categories. In the AI competition section, "Let the Dog Decide" won the Shotlab Infinite Worlds championship, while "FPV" took first prize in the second AWFF AI Film Hackathon.

Organizers said the winning works demonstrated that while AI can be used as a filmmaking tool, emotional storytelling remains rooted in human creativity.

In the festival's returning "Shoot the Books" section, "Crows Cawing Wildly" received a special jury prize in the Shoot the Books short film section. Chen Muyang won best actor for "Qiu You," and "The Sixth Day of the First Lunar Month" was named the short film with the most market potential.

Three projects won recognition in the newly established Tide Incubator program: "All Returned," "Fresh Bones" and "Before Tomorrow Comes."

The festival's three main programs focused on story development, project support and emerging technology. Shoot the Books connected literary works with the screen, while the Tide Incubator provided emerging directors with funding and industry access to develop feature projects. The AI Film Hackathon explored what AI can do for creators.

Organizers said short films are the first step toward features, while practical experience remains a creator's most valuable asset. They said the Tide Incubator and Shoot the Books provide different forms of support to young filmmakers and expressed hope that the recognized projects would go on to reach wider audiences.

Nearly 50 industry guests walked the red carpet, including actors Tony Leung Ka-fai, Huang Bo and Duan Yihong, and directors Cao Baoping, Guan Hu and Wen Muyu. Wen, whose new film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" was both a commercial and critical success, chaired the festival's art committee.

The festival featured 40 domestic and foreign films, 73 screenings and 11 premieres across five venues and six screens.

Five special events anchored the program. They included the China premiere of Quentin Tarantino's special cut of his "Kill Bill" films, "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair"; a screening of Wen's "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East"; a screening of Frank Darabont's "The Shawshank Redemption"; a 10th-anniversary screening of Bi Gan's "Kaili Blues"; and back-to-back screenings of Denis Villeneuve's two "Dune" films.

Several Chinese films, including "Atlantic Rhapsody," "Her First Taste" and "The Romance of the Western Chamber," also screened, each followed by a Q&A session.

Sunrise screenings, a signature feature of the festival, included "Interstellar" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," reflecting the event's theme.

"All Returned" creator Yu Hang (center) receives the Tide Incubator program's jury prize from director Wen Muyu (left) and actor Tony Leung Ka-fai in Aranya, Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, Sept. 7, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the Organizing Committee of the 2026 Aranya Waves Film Festival]

The festival also held 20 dialogue panels with filmmakers including Cao Baoping, Anthony Chen, Christopher Doyle, Guan Hu and Peggy Chiao, alongside guests from literature, history and art. Topics included human history, the idea of "hometown" in film and literature, how cinema makes everyday life visible, and the filmmaking process seen through screenwriting, cinematography, art direction and sound.

Launched in 2023, the Aranya Waves Film Festival focuses on genre films and combines cinema with outdoor and lifestyle events. It aims to identify emerging talent with fresh ideas and commercial potential, while connecting young creators with the industry through events such as beach and sunrise screenings.