On the evening of December 7, the closing ceremony of the 20th China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Festival was hosted by the State Administration of Radio and Television and the People's Government of Guangdong Province, hosted by the Guangzhou Municipal People's Government and the Guangdong Provincial Radio and Television Bureau, and executed by the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau. The press conference for the results of the Golden Red Cotton Excellent Documentary Selection was held. The "Golden Cotton" award for this documentary festival was announced at the meeting, and 17 outstanding documentary works won the "Golden Cotton".

A total of 7,280 documentaries from 156 countries and regions participated in this documentary festival, and the number of participating films reached 50 times that of the festival’s inception in 2003. Among them, 45 documentary works from all over the world entered the final evaluation stage, and finally 17 outstanding works were awarded the Golden Cotton Outstanding Documentary Award.

"Spirited Away" directed by Chinese-American director Zhang Weimin won the "Outstanding Documentary Feature Film on Chinese Stories" award

"Spirited Away" directed by Chinese-American director Zhang Weimin won the "Outstanding Documentary Feature Film on Chinese Stories" award. Previously, the film had been awarded "Best International Documentary" at the 47th Sao Paulo International Film Festival. "Thousands of Miles Away" reflects Zhang Daqian's overseas career after leaving mainland China in 1949, and traces Zhang Daqian's life experience and artistic creation in bringing Chinese aesthetics to the West.

In addition, "Drawing Ten Years", "Me and My New Era", "Yellow River Anlan", "Ten Years of Dreaming" and "Come on!" Five documentaries including "New Era" stood out from the 45 documentary works that entered the final evaluation stage, and were finally awarded the special recommendation of outstanding documentaries by the organizing committee.

This year, a total of 235 proposals from 37 countries/regions were collected, and 22 proposals were shortlisted for the final evaluation stage. After more than 40 domestic and foreign decision-makers voted, the final selections were "Eternal Love", "Ever", "Copy Lovers", "Family Fairy Tales", "Where to Settlement", "Unreasonable Joy", "We Live Here" and "Where Will I Stay" , "A Place" and "A Turn of the Key" won the top ten projects.

"The God of Eternal Love" won GZDOC & N Video's most market potential proposal and Taskovski's preferred proposal.

"Self-Rescue Guide in the AI Era" was selected as the preferred documentary proposal by Bilibili.

"Joy for No Reason" won the Youku documentary selection proposal.

"Copy Lovers" was selected as Cat&Docs' preferred proposal and Outlook's preferred proposal.

"We Live Here" won the Split Screen selection proposal.

[List of outstanding documentaries of the 20th China (Guangzhou) International Documentary Festival Golden Red Cotton]

The organizing committee specially recommends outstanding documentaries: "Drawing Ten Years" ("Leader International Edition"), "Me and My New Era", "Yellow River Anlan", "Ten Years of Dreaming" and "Come on!" New Era"

Outstanding Documentary Feature Film: "Lynx Watch" (Juha Sompafinland)

Outstanding Director Documentary: "Balcony Movie" (Pawel Lozinski, Poland)

Outstanding Documentary Short Film: "Why Don't You Stay for Me?" 》(Milou Gevers Netherlands)

Excellent Documentary Series: "Second Life" (Qin Bo China)

Outstanding Micro-Documentary: "Aphasia" (Jakob Laszowsky, Poland)

Outstanding First Documentary: "The Love of a Lifetime" (Marta Romero Spain)

Excellent documentary feature film about Chinese stories: "Qianxun" (Zhang Weimin China/USA)

Excellent documentary short film on Chinese stories: "My AI Lover" (Liang Chouwa China/Australia)

Excellent Documentary Series on China Stories: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Future" (David Briggs China)

Outstanding Chinese Documentary for International Communication: "Family Tree" (Su Yuting, Taiwan, China)

Outstanding Sino-foreign co-produced documentary: "Eating Hardships" (Sun Ningyi/Pascal Apolla Gicanti USA/Central African Republic/Canada/Netherlands/Kenya/South Africa): The jury specially recommended outstanding documentaries: "Close to Vermeer" (Suzanne Reis Holland)