On the night of May 21 in Macau, the 2026 Asian Art Film Festival wrapped up with a dominant victory for the film Gezhi Town. Directed by Kong Sheng, the movie became one of the biggest winners of the night, taking home 3 major awards: Best Leading Actor, Best Screenplay, and Best Director.

The most talked-about moment was Xiao Zhan being announced as Best Leading Actor, the highest acting honor for male performers in the main Golden Haiyan competition.

This win is especially meaningful because it marks Xiao Zhan’s first nomination at an international film festival as a leading film actor, and also his first Best Actor title at a regional Asian awards event.

The Role That Changed Everything

In Gezhi Town, Xiao Zhan plays Mo De Xian, a working-class fitter living in Nanjing during wartime. Unlike glamorous idol-style characters, Mo De Xian is not written as a perfect hero. He is ordinary, timid, focused on survival, and only wants to protect his family during a chaotic era. That simplicity became the hardest part of the role.

To portray Mo De Xian, Xiao Zhan reportedly had to restrain his expressions, rely heavily on internal acting, and use body language to show the character’s fear, hesitation, and gradual awakening in the face of historical turmoil.

Many viewers who watched the film described it as Xiao Zhan’s most mature performance since he began acting. He was also said to have lost weight for the role, appeared with a nearly bare face for much of the film, and practiced the Nanjing dialect to make the character more realistic.

Several close-up scenes reportedly left strong impressions because of how quietly but powerfully Xiao Zhan handled the emotions, especially when Mo De Xian was forced to choose between personal survival and responsibility toward others.

A 75-Day Awards Streak

Xiao Zhan’s Golden Haiyan win also closes what Chinese media have described as a 75-day “harvest season” for the actor. In March, he won a Best Actor award in television at the SMG TV Series Quality Awards for his role as Zang Hai in The Legend of Zang Hai.

By late April, he was honored again at the Beijing College Student Film Festival, winning Most Popular Actor Among Students for Gezhi Town. Now, with his Golden Haiyan Best Leading Actor award, Xiao Zhan has collected 3 major acting honors in a short period of time. Chinese media are calling this a full-level breakthrough from television to film for the post-90s actor.

The victory was not only about Xiao Zhan. Gezhi Town also proved the strength of its creative team. Director Kong Sheng was praised for his deep, humanistic storytelling, while screenwriter Lan Xiaolong received recognition for a script that explores war through the eyes of ordinary people rather than traditional heroic spectacle.

The film avoids a typical commercial war-film formula. Instead, it uses a slower pace, layered psychology, and realistic details to create emotional weight. According to Chinese media reports cited in the source, the film earned more than 412 million yuan despite not being released during the peak Lunar New Year season. It also received high ratings on domestic platforms and secured 6 nominations at the Golden Haiyan Awards before winning 3 major prizes.

Weibo Explodes Over Xiao Zhan’s Win

After the ceremony, keywords related to Xiao Zhan and De Xian Jin Zhi quickly climbed Weibo’s search rankings. His red carpet appearance in Macau also went viral. Wearing an all-black Saint Laurent look, Xiao Zhan caught attention with a smile as he turned back toward fans.

Entertainment media noted that Xiao Zhan’s continued influence is no longer based only on his massive fandom. Instead, he is beginning to build stronger professional credibility through deeper and more challenging roles.

In his acceptance speech, Xiao Zhan said he wanted to thank “the persistence that belongs only to Mo De Xian,” explaining that the character made his efforts feel rewarded. He also expressed gratitude to director Kong Sheng, screenwriter Lan Xiaolong, and the entire production team.

Sources: Saostar