From bravery to mystery

Competition is hotting up for the China Film Directors' Guild Awards, with closely contested nominations across five categories. Xu Fan reports.

After his arthouse hit I Am Not Madame Bovary took home the highest prize at the China Film Directors' Guild Awards last year, Feng Xiaogang has again become the favorite at this year's event.

As a top honor for Chinese filmmakers, the guild's annual awards have been running since 2005. For its latest and ninth edition, the guild released its shortlist of nominations across five categories in Beijing on March 22. Prestigious filmmaker Han Sanping won the annual achievement award.