Taipei hosted the glittering 62nd annual Golden Horse Awards Saturday evening, celebrating the zenith of Chinese-language cinema, where the somber drama ‘The Great Fog’ (大濛) emerged as the night’s biggest winner, taking home multiple top honors including Best Feature Film. The ceremony underscored a powerful year for independent and artistic filmmaking, recognizing both established talents and promising newcomers across performance, directorial, and technical categories.
The top prizes were distributed among several acclaimed productions. ‘The Great Fog’ secured the coveted Best Feature Film award, complementing victories for its original screenplay, art direction, and costume design, marking it as the definitive critical success of the year. Director Stanley Li, for his work on ‘A Study of Living Beings’ (眾生相), was honored with the Best Director award, recognizing his nuanced storytelling and guidance of performance.
Veterans and Newcomers Share Spotlight
Performance categories saw significant acclaim for seasoned actors. Esteemed veteran Fan Bingbing captured the Best Leading Actress trophy for her compelling role in ‘Earth Mother’ (地母), a film that also earned a win for Best Cinematography and Best Original Film Song, “Bu Yang” (布秧), performed by Penny Tai. Meanwhile, the revered actor Chang Chen took Best Leading Actor for his performance in ‘The Road to Happiness’ (幸福之路).
The supporting roles were claimed by younger generations: Tseng Ching-Hua secured Best Supporting Actor for ‘My Family’s Affairs’ (我家的事), and Chen Shueh-Chen won Best Supporting Actress for ‘Life is Like the Sea’ (人生海海).
Crucially, the awards highlight the infusion of new creative voices. Lloyd Lee Choi received the Best New Director honor for ‘The Road to Happiness,’ signaling a strong debut. The prize for Best New Performer went to Ma Shih-Yuan for her impactful role in ‘Left-Handed Girl’ (左撇子女孩), demonstrating the depth of emerging talent.
Technical Prowess and Documentary Excellence
Beyond the main accolades, the Golden Horse Awards celebrated the technical mastery essential to filmmaking. ‘The Road to Happiness’ also secured Best Original Film Score by Charles Humenry.
In the genre categories, documentation of critical societal themes was celebrated. ‘The Book of Tracks: Rewriting Self’ (隱蹟之書：重寫自我) earned recognition as both Best Documentary Feature and Best Editing (Hsieh Mei-Lien). Animated feature ‘The Outsider’ (世外) and the short animation ‘Mantis’ (螳螂) were honored for their artistic ambition. Action choreography was recognized with Huang Tai-Wei and Chen Chia-Ling winning for ‘The Counterattack of the Hateful Woman’ (恨女的逆襲).
The ceremony also paid tribute to cinematic legends. Veteran actress Chen Shu-Fang received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for her indelible contributions to cinema over decades. Furthermore, Chung Chiung-Ting was honored as the Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker of the Year, recognizing vital behind-the-scenes work supporting the industry’s continuous growth.
The Golden Horse Awards, often regarded as the “Oscars of Chinese-language cinema,” serve not merely as a celebration of past achievements but as a critical forecast for Asian film trends. The recognition of deeply artistic, thematic films like ‘The Great Fog’ suggests a preference among critics for complex narrative structures and high production value. The strong presence of Taiwanese productions, alongside entries from across the region, affirms the enduring reputation and cultural importance of the Taipei-based ceremony in global cinema.