A poster for the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival. [Photo/66wz.com]

At the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, three directors from Wenzhou have made a notable impact. Held at the Shanghai Grand Theater, the festival saw the works of directors Pan Zhiqi and Zhang Xuyu shortlisted for the prestigious Golden Goblet Awards.

The Shanghai International Film Festival, established in 1993, is China's only A-category international film festival. This year's festival features five main sections: the main competition, Asian new talent, animation, documentary, and short films.

A poster for the documentary Ms Hu's Garden. [Photo/66wz.com]

Pan's documentary Ms Hu's Garden was the only Chinese mainland entry in the documentary category. Pan, an associate professor at Zhejiang Media College, has previously been nominated for the Golden Horse Award and competed at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival. His work focuses on the lives of ordinary people, and Ms Hu's Garden documents Ms Hu's creation of a vibrant garden from abandoned garbage in Chongqing, reflecting on the spiritual world and the resilience of a mother and son.

In the Asian new talent section, Zhang's film Fish Bone received five nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.

Additionally, Liu Zhihai's film The Beginning was featured in the Refreshing Chines Cinema section. Liu, deputy dean of the Film Academy at the China Academy of Art, continues the aesthetic style of his award-winning film Beyond the Skies. The Beginning is a poetic film with a unique Eastern aesthetic.