A screen capture from Underground Fragrance. [Photo/Mtime]

Zhang Ling, a student who is working for her PhD diploma in film studies at the University of Chicago, said she was very touched by the film after attending a screening of the documentary at the Festival.

Zhang mentioned a particular scene in which the miners were eating food delivered underground. The low space barely gave them enough room to sit, and the closeup of their darkened faces, though not showing any emotion, was extremely powerful.

"The camaraderie among the miners is so well presented," said Zhang. "I cried watching the film at the theater." "I was not the only person being moved into tears at the theater," Zhang stressed.

This year's Chicago International Film Festival received more than 4,500 applications but only fewer than 200 films from more than 15 countries were selected for international competitions, including four Chinese films, said Mimi Plauche, Programming Director at the Festival.

The four Chinese films were Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Assassin and Jia Zhangke's Mountains May Depart, Underground Fragrance by Song Pengfei and In the Underground by Song Zhantao.

Awards at Chicago International Film Festival this year are divided into categories such as: International Feature Film Competition, New Directors Competition, Documentary Competition, Roger Ebert Award, Chicago Award, Q-Hugo Award, and Short Films.

"The 16 films competing for the Gold Hugo are strong and diverse," said Founder & Artistic Director Michael Kutza.

A Childhood by French director Philippe Claudel won the Gold Hugo for Best Film in the International Film Competition. Paulina from Argentina and Brazil, with Santiago Mitre as director, won the Silver Hugo, Special Jury Prize, and The Club from Chile by director Pablo Larrain won the Silver Hugo, Best Director award.

The film festival will run on Oct 15-29 at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago.