Ang Lee, Taiwan’s best known filmmaker, was on hand to give out prizes and add a sense of occasion to the annual Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan. The awards are considered the most prestigious prizes of the year for Chinese-language films.
In the end, Lee did not give a prize to his son Mason Lee, who had been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award in Who Killed Cock Robin? The thriller, with five nominations, but no silverware, arguably received the biggest snub of the night.
The Best Film prize went to Taiwanese mystery thriller The Bold, The Corrupt, And The Beautiful, a movie about a wealthy family entangled in deadly political and business intrigues.
It also earned prizes for Best Actress (Hong Kong star Kara Wai) and Best Supporting Actress (Vicky Chen).
“I want to thank my daughters (in the film) Vicky Chen and Wu Ke-xi. I couldn’t have played the role so well without you,” Wai said after receiving the statuette from Oscar-winning Lee and Hollywood star Jessica Chastain.
Chen, 14, wept tears of joy after she saw off the two Golden Horse winners to collect the Best Supporting Actress award.
“I am very fortunate,” Chen told the crowd. “I want to thank the director … and the production crew who encouraged, supported and cared about me.”
The teenager also made history as the youngest-ever Best Actress nominee for her role in Chinese filmmaker Vivian Qu’s drama Angels Wear White, which also competed in this year’s Venice film festival.
The picture with the greatest numerical haul was Taiwanese movie The Great Buddha+, which is now busily doing the rounds at the international festivals. The story of a security guard at a factory that makes Buddha statues, has struck a chord with Taiwanese audiences as it focuses on the struggles of ordinary people against the backdrop of a widening wealth gap.
Another festival favourite, Angels Wear White, earned Qu, the prize for Best Director.
“We are ecstatic to see Vivian being recognised for her prolific cinematic style in telling a hard-hitting story of the society’s marginalised. The film was also very well-received by the Singapore audience at our gala screening two days ago,” said Yuni Hadi, executive director of the Singapore International Film Festival. — Agencies
● Best Feature Film: The Bold, The Corrupt, And The Beautiful
● Best Documentary: Inmates (director, Ma Li)
● Best Animation Feature: Have A Nice Day (director, Liu Jian)
● Best Live Action Short Film: Babes’ Not Alone (director, Lee Yi-shan)
● Best Animated Short Film: Losing Sight Of A Longed Place (directors, Shek Ka Chun, Wong Chun Long, Wong Tsz Ying)
● Best Director: Vivian Qu for Angels Wear White
● Best Leading Actor: Tu Men in Old Beast
● Best Leading Actress: Kara Wai in The Bold, The Corrupt, And The Beautiful
● Best Supporting Actor: Bamboo Chen in Alifu, The Prince/ss
● Best Supporting Actress: Vicky Chen in The Bold, The Corrupt, And The Beautiful
● Best New Director: Huang Hsin-yao for The Great Buddha+
● Best New Performer: Rima Zeidan in Missing Johnny
● Best Original Screenplay: Zhou Ziyang for Old Beast
● Best Adapted Screenplay: Huang Hsin-yao for The Great Buddha+
● Best Cinematography: Nakashima Nagao for The Great Buddha+
● Best Visual Effects: Johnny Lin, Perry Kain, Thomas Reppen for See You Tomorrow
● Best Art Direction: Alfred Yau for See You Tomorrow
● Best Makeup & Costume Design: William Chang, Cheung Siu Hong for See You Tomorrow
● Best Action Choreography: Sang Lin for Brotherhood Of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield
● Best Original Film Score: Lin Sheng-xiang for The Great Buddha+
● Best Original Film Song: To Have, Or Not To Have in The Great Buddha+ (lyrics, Ong Chiau-hoa; composer, Lin Sheng-xiang; performer, Lin Sheng-xiang)
● Best Film Editing: Jean Tsien, Bob Lee for Plastic China
● Best Sound Effects: Tu Duu-chih, Wu Shu-yao, Tu Chun-tang for Mon Mon Mon Monsters!
● Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year: Hu Ding-yi
● Lifetime Achievement Award: Hsu Feng