It's reasonable for me to be a three-time Golden Horse Award-winning director and an all-around

Chapter 16: Winning the Grand Prize!

The awards ceremony took place as scheduled.

On the closing ceremony red carpet, Lü Rui was wearing the same suit he wore on the opening ceremony red carpet, but he stood tall and proud, exuding more confidence than when he first arrived in Berlin!
Jiang Wen and Han Sanping, who were standing nearby, both keenly noticed his change.

At that moment, the two murmured to themselves in unspoken agreement:

"A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it will transform into a dragon once it encounters wind and clouds!"

As you enter the venue, a cacophony of noise immediately surrounds you from all directions.

Lu Rui nodded and greeted the people around him with a calm expression, showing no sign of timidity.

He is never intimidated by such grand occasions.

We all have two eyes and one mouth, so who is more noble than whom?

He can respect and admire his seniors, but he would never fawn over foreigners like Feng Xiaogang; that's not his style.

Jiang Wen clearly disapproved of Feng Xiaogang's obsequious manner, so after glancing at him, he went around to the other side.

After greeting some familiar people, Jiang Wen led Lü Rui to sit down in the front row.

"Let me tell you, no matter when or who you're facing, you can't speak while kneeling, understand? If I find out you're behaving like Feng Xiaogang, I'll kick you to death right now!"

Lu Rui nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "As the great man said, the Chinese people have stood up, and I will never kneel!"

"Hahaha! Good!"

Jiang Wen, who greatly admired that person, was very satisfied with Lü Rui's attitude.

After laughing, he turned back to look at Feng Xiaogang, who was smiling obsequiously in the crowd, and a hint of disdain appeared on his face. "You knelt down to Wang Shuo and then to a foreigner? Are your knees that weak? Or are you just used to kneeling?"

Lu Rui's ears twitched, but he could only pretend he hadn't heard.

After all, this kind of topic is not something he can participate in right now.

As time went by, all the invited guests and media were soon in place.

Lu Rui sat with Jiang Wen, Feng Yuanzheng, and Mei Ting.

Han Sanping was sitting in the middle of a group of film distributors, chatting enthusiastically with a foreigner.

This man's name is Dennis Smith, and he is from Warner Bros.

He is very interested in "Gone Girl"!

According to Han Sanping, he has offered the highest price among all film companies so far.

If Gone Girl wins a major award tonight, the ticket price could at least triple!
If it's a golden bear...

I dare not even think about it. Nobody dares to dream of this award, nor is there any need to.

After all, the Golden Bear is not something a completely new director can win. There is no such precedent in the three major European film festivals. Only directors with mature directing or cinematography experience have a chance to win it.

……

Golden Camera Award, Golden Bear for Best Short Film, Silver Bear for Outstanding Contribution to Film, Silver Bear for Best Original Score...

One big prize after another was awarded.

To date, the most impressive work is "Eight Beauties," which won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Contribution.

Eight European and American actresses took to the stage together to accept an award, creating quite a spectacle!
It's only in a place like Berlin that these eight people can be kept in check; in other places, a chaotic battle would probably have already broken out.

"Silver Bear for Best Actress - Halle Berry, The Ballad of the Dead."

"call--"

Mei Ting let out a long sigh, her expression somewhat forlorn.

It's inevitable to feel a little regretful to only be nominated and not win an award.

Feng Yuanzheng, who was standing next to her, gently comforted her, "If you can't get it here, you can get it after you return to China."

Films that make it into the main competition of the Berlin International Film Festival are definitely the "darlings" of domestic film festivals such as the Golden Horse, Golden Rooster, Hundred Flowers, and Huabiao Film Festivals.

Furthermore, with China Film Group as the main producer, this film is almost guaranteed to win a major award.

"Ah."

Mei Ting nodded, forcing a smile.

"Silver Bear for Best Actor – Jacques Gamblin for *Security Pass*!"

This time it was Mei Ting's turn to comfort Feng Yuanzheng.

However, at this moment, Jiang Wen and Han Sanping, who was sitting in the distance, subconsciously exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock!
As of now, the awards are almost all given out. Apart from the "consolation prize" like the Alfred Bauer Silver Bear, the rest are all major awards!

"Could this kid actually make a fortune?"

Jiang Wen glanced at Lü Rui, muttering to himself, when he heard the host on stage announce: "Alfred Bauer Silver Bear Award—Christopher Roth's 'Baader'!"

Damn it?

There are really big ones!

Jiang Wen's eyes widened suddenly, his gaze fixed on the stage. On the other side, Han Sanping, who was still whispering with Dennis Smith, was equally stunned, his pupils dilating wildly, his anticipation reaching its peak!

Another foreigner walked off the stage with the trophy in his hand.

The host stepped onto the stage, opened the envelope containing the award cards, glanced at them, forced a smile, and slowly began to speak:
"The Silver Bear for Best Director at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival goes to 'Gone Girl.' Congratulations, director RuiLv."

Rumble!
At that moment, Lü Rui felt as if he had been struck by a muffled thunderbolt, his head buzzing.

RuiLv?

This is your own name, right?
While he was still in a daze, Feng Yuanzheng and Mei Ting next to him started clapping. Jiang Wen blushed with excitement and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Good lad! Awesome!"

In the distance, Han Sanping and the rest of the China Film Group staff stood up to offer their congratulations.

Dennis Smith, the copyright manager from Warner Bros. standing next to him, also looked at Lü Rui with a complicated expression.

The Silver Bear for Best Director is an absolutely well-deserved award!

But this also means that if he wants to acquire "Gone Girl", he will have to pay more.

On the other side, Wang Zhonglei also laughed and clapped.

It's worth noting that Huayike also had a 10% share in the movie "Gone Girl," they really made a killing!

But at that moment, he didn't notice that Feng Xiaogang, who was sitting next to him, looked rather unpleasant.

A newcomer actually won the Silver Bear for Best Director?

And this veteran director, who has been in the industry for many years, doesn't even have a director's award. Where can you find any justice in this?
The award was presented by a member of the judging panel.

As highlights from "Gone Girl" began playing on the big screen, he also started introducing the film.

"The reason why 'Gone Girl' stands out among many excellent works is largely due to the innovation and breakthroughs of director Lü Rui."

He broke the conventional narrative framework of suspense films, using a non-linear narrative technique to weave the suspicion, lies, and manipulation in marriage into a suffocating yet irresistible web.

Just when people thought they were close to the truth, Lü Rui cleverly threw out new clues, subverting their expectations time and time again. This precise control of rhythm and suspense demonstrated a maturity and experience beyond that of a new director…

Amidst enthusiastic applause, Lü Rui stepped onto the stage and accepted the Silver Bear trophy with both hands.

This is the first award he has won in his directing career!
The material is bright silver, and the workmanship is very exquisite. The title "Gone Girl" and Lü Rui's name are engraved on it in both Chinese and English.

"Thank you."

He first thanked the presenter, and then turned to face the venue.

Stage fright?

nonexistent.

Taking a deep breath, he said earnestly and excitedly, "I am very grateful to the Berlin Film Festival organizing committee for their support and recognition."

As a new director, it is an honor for me to receive such a valuable award in Berlin with my debut film. It is also a motivation for me to continue to grow!
Here, I would like to thank Director Jiang Wen for his guidance, Chairman Han for his support, my alma mater Beijing Film Academy and Huayi Brothers for their support, and my teachers Feng Yuanzheng and Mei Ting for their trust in me.

And my parents, I regret that I can't go home to have New Year's Eve dinner with them this year. I want to say! I love them! I miss them! I haven't let them down!

Thunderous applause once again echoed through the venue, and the flashes from the stage on both sides almost turned the space into daylight.

Jiang Wen clicked his tongue in admiration: "That acceptance speech was quite something! It covered every single detail, haha."

Feng Yuanzheng chimed in, "He does possess a maturity beyond his years."

20 years old!
Silver Bear for Best Director!

The youngest recipient in the country's history!
"That's terrifying! I can't even imagine how high he'll go in the future."

Mei Ting murmured, her words filled with shock!

Lu Rui, holding the trophy, returned to his seat.

It wasn't until Jiang Wen saw the silly grin on his face that he snapped out of his daze.

"20 years old, that's right, he's only 20 years old. Have I really unearthed a top-notch talent?"

The jury's grand prize, the Silver Bear, and the Golden Bear for Best Film have already been awarded on stage.

The latter produced a double winner, with "Spirited Away" and "Bloody Sunday" winning the Palme d'Or at the same time, just like in 1993 when "Farewell My Concubine" and "The Piano" both won the Palme d'Or at the 46th Cannes Film Festival.

Double yolk eggs are rare, but they do exist.

Holding the silver bear in his arms, Lü Rui looked at the golden bear on the stage with some envy, and murmured softly, "One day! I want to get a gold one too!"

Jiang Wen, sitting next to him, was like: "???"

I don't even have a silver one, and you're already thinking about gold?

At the same time, the system notification sound that had been absent from Lü Rui's mind for a long time rang out!
[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have successfully completed four processes for "Gone Girl": post-production editing, submission to film festivals, and theatrical distribution. A release date has also been set.]

[S-level talent: Screenwriting and adaptation skills for suspense/thriller/crime/horror genres, successfully issued.]

[Ding - New mission issued...]

(End of this chapter)