Tiantan Award
A Grand Slam Winner of Chinese Acting Awards Zhang Yi Joins the 16th BJIFF Tiantan Award Jury
The 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) has officially announced that acclaimed Chinese actor Zhang Yi will serve as a member of the International Jury for this year's Tiantan Award Competition Section.
Zhang Yi,
Tiantan Award Jury Member
In 2014, Zhang Yi starred in the film Dearest, directed by Peter Chan. His portrayal of Han Dezhong, a father searching for his lost child, earned him the Best Supporting Actor award at the 30th China Golden Rooster Awards. That same year, the film was screened in the Out of Competition section at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. The festival's closing film was also a Chinese production—The Golden Era—in which Zhang Yi played the role of Jiang Xijin.
A Still from Dearest
In 2015, Mountains May Depart, directed by Jia Zhangke and starring Zhang Yi, was selected for the Main Competition at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.
Poster of Mountains May Depart
That same year, The Promised Land, in which he played the leading role, was nominated for the "Platform" program at the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
In 2016, Zhang Yi won the Best Actor of the Year award at the 8th China Film Directors' Guild Awards for his performance in Cock and Bull, directed by Cao Baoping.
In 2021, for his role in Zhang Yimou's Cliff Walkers, Zhang Yi was honored with the Best Actor award at the 34th China Golden Rooster Awards. The following year, he received the Best Actor award at the 36th People's Hundred Flowers Awards for the same performance.
Poster of Cliff Walkers
In 2023, Zhang Yi won the Outstanding Actor award at the 18th China Huabiao Film Awards for his performance in the My People, My Country "Passing by" Segment.
In 2025, he secured his second Huabiao Film Award for Outstanding Actor with his performance in Endless Journey.
Poster of Endless Journey
While garnering critical acclaim at major film festivals, Zhang Yi has also achieved remarkable success in the realm of commercial cinema. In 2018, the blockbuster Operation Red Sea, in which he starred, grossed 3.652 billion RMB, becoming the box office champion of that year's Spring Festival season. To date, the cumulative box office of films starring Zhang Yi has exceeded 23 billion yuan. Whether in auteur cinema or commercial genre films, Zhang Yi has carved out a rare dual-track career path. With a core character defined by the courage to break boundaries and constantly challenge diverse, complex roles, his screen presence covers the vast majority of facets in contemporary Chinese narratives. He has become a multifaceted, high-value actor in Chinese cinema, commanding critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and immense box office appeal.
"Huairou—The Northernmost and Most Beautiful of Beijing." This year's Tiantan Award Jury will embark on a journey of cinematic evaluation in Huairou, Beijing. In joining the jury, Zhang Yi brings with him not just the weight of numerous trophies, but the most grounded and profound understanding of acting from the perspective of a pure artist. Together with Jury President Juliette Binoche and fellow international jurors, he will select truly soul-stirring masterpieces from the exceptional films submitted globally. Let us look forward to the birth of the next Tiantan Award winners!
