Her Story, Yihui Shao’s feature dramedy that became something of a feminist phenomenon in China, scored another big win by securing the top prize at the 27th Far East Film Festival (FEFF), which concluded Friday night in the northern Italian city of Udine. The film, which grossed almost $100 million at China’s box office and inspired a thousand think pieces about its radical and refreshing themes, received FEFF’s Golden Mulberry Audience Award. Her Story stars Song Jia and Zhong Chuxi, and tells the story of two single women who become neighbors, and despite their contrasting personalities and circumstances, become fast friends.
FEFF’s second most coveted audience award, the Silver Mulberry, went to Anselm Chan’s Hong Kong family drama The Last Dance. Like Her Story, The Last Dance was a box office phenomenon in its domestic market, and is currently the highest grossing Hong Kong film of all time. Set during the pandemic, Chan’s film tells the story of a wedding planner who switches careers and gets involved in the funeral business and opens himself up to questions about the meaning of life. The Last Dance, which stars Dayo Wong, Michael Hui, Michelle Wai and Chu Pak Hong, also took home FEFF’s Black Dragon critics prize.
‘The Last Dance’
Courtesy of Emperor Motion Pictures
The third place Crystal Mulberry went to China’s Like a Rolling Stone by director Yin Lichuan, securing a 1-2-3 for Greater China at this year’s FEFF. As with Her Story, Like a Rolling Stone is another strongly feminist, female-directed Chinese drama that tells the story of a middle-aged woman (Mei Yong) who escapes an abusive relationship and goes on a life-affirming road trip.
Elsewhere, the jury-decided White Mulberry prize, given to the best debut film, was awarded Diamonds in the Sand by Filipino director Janus Victoria. The Mulberry for best screenplay award went to the Japanese psychological thriller Welcome to the Village by Jojo Hideo.
FEFF’s Golden Mulberry Award for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Taiwanese actress and singer Sylvia Chang and Hong Kong auteur Tsui Hark this year.
The awards ceremony closed the 27th edition of FEFF, which saw 77 films screened in Udine this year, including 12 world premieres, 22 international premieres, 23 European premieres and 19 Italian premieres from 12 countries. The festival says a whopping 65,000 people attended the various FEFF events in 2025.
“Never before have we so strongly felt the affection and closeness of the people of Udine and the city’s pride in the festival,” said FEFF founders Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche in a statement. “Yes, if we add up the number of audience members at the Teatro Nuovo and the Visionario, we come up with a figure of 65,000 – but it would be truly impossible to count all the people actually affected by the Asian mood!”
‘Like a Rolling Stone’
FEFF
