Film talent shines as awards honor galaxy of stars

"In this richly developed role, as an actor, I merely bring it to life. Audiences can see the subtle glimmers of ordinary individuals in the struggle for survival and justice," he adds.

The award for Best Documentary was presented to The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, a film depicting the courageous rescue of British prisoners of war by Chinese fishermen during World War II.

In October 1942, while transporting approximately 1,800 British POWs from Hong Kong to Japan, the ship was torpedoed by a United States submarine off the coast of China's Zhejiang province.

The prisoners were trapped in the holds and left to perish, with some managing to escape only to be met with gunfire from Japanese soldiers.

Hearing of the tragedy from the shore, Chinese fishermen from nearby Dongji Island rushed to save 384 British soldiers. Tragically, the ship sank, resulting in the loss of 828 POWs who were either shot or drowned.

Inspired by this story, filmmaker Fang Li decided to locate the shipwreck in 2014 and search for survivors and the victim's relatives to share this heroic and heartbreaking story with a wider audience.