Xiao Zhan arrives in Australia to compete for six nominations for Golden Haiyan's Best Actor's "Be Free and Strictly Made" to lead the Asian Art Film Festival

Jiuzhi Network News Macau, May 21, 2026-Today, the 2nd Asian Art Film Festival (AAFF) Awards Ceremony kicked off grandly at the Wynn Palace in Macau. Actor Xiao Zhan made a big appearance with his word-of-mouth masterpiece "Get Free and Careful", competing strongly for the Golden Haiyan Award for Best Actor, winning his first international film festival award as a movie star and becoming one of the most eye-catching focuses of this event.

With the theme of "Tree of Streams", this Asian Art Film Festival brings together high-quality art films from many countries in Asia. The jury is composed of Oscar-winning director Ke Wensi, powerful actor Duan Yihong and other international senior filmmakers. The professional gold content is highly recognized by the industry. "Xian Xian Jing" starring Xiao Zhan performed brilliantly, winning six nominations for Best Feature Film, Best Director (Kong Sheng), Best Screenwriter (Lan Xiaolong), Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (Yin Zheng), Best Art, becoming the most nominated film this year, leading the competition for major awards.
In order to accurately portray the role of "Mo Dexian", the bottom-level fitter during the Anti-Japanese War, Xiao Zhan completely shed his idol aura and polished the details of his role with an extremely dedicated attitude. He lost 15 pounds in advance, deliberately tanned his skin and left a cut head, practiced hard in Nanjing dialect to an accuracy rate of 92%, and also learned fitter skills two months in advance. He practiced with bare hands and injured his palms. He used "physiological acting skills" to delicately interpret the cowardice, struggle and awakening of small people in troubled times, the trembling attitude in the face of the Japanese army, and the interweaving of tears and mud in the sacrifice scene were praised as a "textbook-level performance" in the industry.
On May 20, Xiao Zhan set out low-key from the set of Qingdao's new drama "The End of Ten Days" and arrived in Macau via Shenzhen. He was dressed in a relaxed casual manner, which attracted enthusiastic attention from fans and the media. This is the first time that he has been shortlisted for the International Film Festival Best Actor Award. He will compete on the same stage with powerful actors such as Jackie Chan, Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Songwen, and Zhu Yilong. This nomination is not only an authoritative recognition of his acting skills, but also marks his transformation from a top-notch idol to a powerful actor.

Previously, Xiao Zhan had already won the "Most Popular Male Actor of the Year for College Students" at the 33rd Beijing University Student Film Festival for his role as "Mo Dexian", becoming the first post-90s actor to receive this honor; if he can win the Golden Haiyan Award for Best Actor this time, he will achieve the achievement of "double emperors in film and television" and further break the inherent prejudice of the outside world against streaming actors.
At present, the red carpet ceremony of the Wynn Palace in Macau has entered the countdown, and Xiao Zhan's red carpet style and performance in the awards session are highly expected by the entire network. This low-cost anti-Japanese war film once achieved a box office counterattack of more than 412 million yuan during the Lunar New Year holiday. Now it has been highly recognized by professional awards, which is undoubtedly the best proof of careful creation and powerful interpretation.