Chinese Mainland Film Panorama 2026: "Nobody"

Director: Yu Shui Screenwriters: Yu Shui, Liu Jia Produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio Co., Ltd., Film Infinity (Shanghai) Culture and Technology Development Co., Ltd., Shanghai Blossom Film Entertainment Co., Ltd. 2025 | Colour | 119′ In Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles Short Film after the Feature Official Selection, In Competition – Feature Films, The 50th Annecy International Animation Film Festival Animated Film of Media Focus, China Movie Channel Media Focus Unit, The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival Most Favourite Screenwriter, The 33rd Beijing College Student Film Festival Without extraordinary powers, yet everyone might dream of stepping out of their comfort zone. Reuniting the original creative team behind Yao-Chinese Folktales, the film brings the mythological imagination of Journey to the West to life through a refined and distinctly Chinese aesthetic. A group of nameless little monsters accidentally bands together and set off on an adventure filled with both laughter and tears. Facing endless setbacks and an uncertain future, they find the courage to chase their dreams. This film is for every ordinary soul who refuses to accept a mediocre life. Evolving from the 22-minute animated short Nobody from Yao-Chinese Folktales, the feature film Nobody achieves remarkable progress in storytelling and visual craftsmanship. While the hand-drawn, ink-wash-inspired style short is concise and tightly structured, the feature gives each of its protagonists a fuller and more developed character.