SINGAPORE: Nine-year-old Singaporean Ong Xuan Jing has clinched the Best Actress title at the Malaysia Golden Global Awards, presented during the closing ceremony of the 9th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) on July 25.
The win, for local coming-of age drama Ah Girl (2026), marks the second international acting accolade for the Primary 4 student in 2026.
At the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) in April, she took home the Firebird Award for Best Actress in the Chinese-language Young Cinema Competition, making her the youngest Best Actress recipient in HKIFF history, surpassing high-profile contenders including Golden Horse Best Supporting Actress winner Hao Lei and Taiwanese star Ariel Lin.
For the MIFFest Best Actress title, Xuan Jing - who makes her acting debut in Ah Girl and was just seven during production - tied with 21-year-old Swiss actress Lila Gueneau for historical French drama Silent Rebellion (2025).
The other nominees in their category included Taiwan’s singer-actress 9m88, Sudanese model-actress Buliana Simon and Czech actress Katerina Falbrova.
Speaking after the award ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, the child star expressed surprise at the historic joint win, describing the moment to local Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao as feeling “like a dream”.
She credited her co-stars – Mediacorp artistes Carrie Wong and James Seah, who portray her parents in Ah Girl – for their patience and guidance on set.
“They shared their acting experience, which helped me get into character,” Xuan Jing said, adding that she maintains discipline to balance her schoolwork and acting career.
Ah Girl also emerged as a standout favourite at MIFFest, becoming the most-nominated Chinese-language feature at the event, which was held from July 18 to 25, across major categories including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Singaporean director Ang Geck Geck, 38, was awarded the festival’s New Hope Award, which recognises films that celebrate exceptional storytelling on the theme of humanity. Ah Girl is her first feature-length film.
“I’m incredibly grateful and humbled. I spent more than 10 years trying to make this film, and there were many moments when I was told that the story was too simple,” Ang told The Straits Times.
“What makes this moment even more special is seeing Xuan Jing recognised with Best Actress. She carried Ah Girl with so much honesty and courage, and I could not be more proud of her,” she added.
According to Ah Girl’s production team, five to six Chinese distributors are currently vying for theatrical release rights, with a China release slated for the second half of 2026, reported Zaobao.
Ang, who spent 10 years developing the project before selecting Xuan Jing from among hundreds of young hopefuls across Singapore and Malaysia, noted that the film’s strong reception across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Malaysia demonstrates the universal resonance of its nostalgic story.
Drawing directly from Ang’s personal childhood memories, Ah Girl is a bittersweet tale set in 1994 Singapore.
The story centres on seven-year-old Swee Swee, affectionately known as Ah Girl, and her five-year-old sister Ah Tian (Sydney Wong) as they navigate the turmoil of their parents’ painful divorce and separation. Shuttle-cocked between two strained homes, Ah Girl is forced to grow up far too quickly while observing the confusing, broken adult world around her.
Ah Girl previously won the Youth Jury Award at the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam, which ran from Jan 29 to Feb 8 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
It was also part of the film festival’s Bright Future section, which spotlights original feature-length debuts that champion contemporary film-making.
The 99-minute Mandarin and English-language film will be heading to the Melbourne International Film Festival next, which runs from Aug 6 to 23.
Ah Girl is slated to be released in Singapore later in 2026. - The Straits Times/ANN
