As the first Chinese actor to win the Silver Bear for Best Actor at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, Liao Fan can take credit for the success of Black Coal, Thin Ice after news of his surprise win swamped social media.

The blockbuster, in which Liao plays the lead, attracted audiences previously unheard of for a film noir. It led Chinese films showcased at foreign film festivals by raking in more than 100 million yuan ($16.1 million) at the box office since it opened on March 21.

The number was beyond expectations of many industry insiders.