The nominations for the 61st Golden Horse Awards were announced last week. Considered the “Chinese-language Oscars,” the awards showcase films made in Mandarin, Cantonese, or other Chinese dialects. This year’s nominations included a diverse range of movies from Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, and Singapore.
John Hsu’s supernatural comedy “Dead Talents Society” topped the nominations with eleven total nods. The film tells the story of ghosts competing to haunt humans in an imagined afterlife. It received nominations for Best Feature Film, Best Director for John Hsu, and Best Original Screenplay. “Dead Talents Society” has already won audience awards at festivals like Toronto International Film Festival, where it was the runner-up in the Midnight Madness category.
Two other films, Tom Lin’s “Yen And Ai-Lee” and Geng Jun’s “Bel Ami,” followed closely behind with eight nominations each. These movies, along with Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well” and Yeo Siew-hua’s “Stranger Eyes,” were nominated for Best Feature Film. Their directors also received Best Director nods.
This year’s nominations showed greater representation of directors from mainland China. Films like Lou Ye’s “An Unfinished Film” and Wang Xiaoshuai’s “Above The Dust” received recognition. Hong Kong cinema also featured strongly with nominations for movies like the LGBTQ+ family drama “All Shall Be Well” and “The Way We Talk.”
There was also increased participation from Southeast Asian countries and international co-productions. “Stranger Eyes,” a co-production from Taiwan, Singapore, and France, earned six nominations including one for Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad for Best Actor.
The acting categories highlighted both established stars and new talents. Chang Chen and Yau Hawk-sau were nominated for Best Actor for “The Embers” and “The Way We Talk” respectively. Sylvia Chang and Sandra Ng received Best Actress nods for “Daughter’s Daughter” and “Love Lies.”
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This year’s Golden Horse Awards saw a record 718 total submissions across categories, showing the strength of Chinese-language cinema. The nominations celebrated the strength of Taiwan’s filmmaking alongside greater connectivity in Asian movies.
The 61st Golden Horse Awards ceremony will take place on November 23 in Taipei. Nominated films will screen at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival from November 7-24. Viewers will see if “Dead Talents Society” can convert its multiple nominations into wins at the highest honors for Chinese-language cinema.
