54th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival – Awards 2017

By Asian Film Festival on November 25, 2017 • ( 1 Comment )

We present the list of winner of the 54th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival that took place from November 3rd – 24th, in Taipei (Taiwan).

Best Feature Film

The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful by Yang Ya Che – Taiwan | 2017 – 112 min.

The film centres on Madame Tang, who colludes and mediates between the government and the private businesses for the benefits of her family. One case does not go according to plan, and an entire family close to Madame Tang fall victim to a gruesome murder. Ambition, desire and lust eventually change Tang’s relationships with her family.

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Best Documentary

Inmates by Ma Li – China | 2017 – 287 min.

In a confined section of a psychiatric ward in Northeast China, patients of schizophrenia, mania, depression, compulsive sexual behaviour and alcohol addition receive the mandatory treatment. As soon as their heads are cleared, they try to break free but always fail. Under the control of drugs and unquestionable discipline, they begin to reflect on their souls, will, desire and thoughts.

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Best Animation Feature

Have a Nice Day by Liu Jian – China | 2017 – 74 min.

In a desperate attempt to find money to save his fiancée’s failed plastic surgery, Xiao Zhang, a driver, steals a bag containing one million dollars from his boss. News of the robbery spreads fast throughout the town, and over the course of one night everyone starts looking for Xiao Zhang and the money.

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Best Live Action Short Film

Babes’ Not Alone by Lee Yi-shan – Taiwan | 2017 – 29 min.

Little Pen is the baby that Liang’s brother has with his ex-girlfriend. Since he can’t look after it, he leaves it to their mother. But it’s the 18-year-old Liang that takes care of the baby, and she’s not happy about it.

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Best Animation Short Film

Losing Sight of a Longed Place by Shek Ka Chun, Wong Chun Long, Wong Tsz Ying
Hong Kong | 2017 – 8 min.

Adam Wan, a young gay man who grew up in Hong Kong, fights for the rights of the LGBT and realises that the difficulties include the conflicts with his father. Frustrated, he begins to re-examine the society, his family and himself.

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Best Director

Vivian Qu for Angels Wear White – China | 2017 – 107 min.

Teenager Mia works at a seaside motel. One night she happens to witness a crime that takes place in the motel. For the fear of losing her job, she says nothing. Meanwhile, one of the victims finds that her troubles have only just begun. The two girls do not know that their fate will be re-written by each other.

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Best Leading Actress

Kara Wai for her role in The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful (directed by Yang Ya Che)
Taiwan | 2017 – 112 min.

Best Leading Actor

Tu Men for his role in Old Beast (directed by Zhou Ziyang) – China | 2017 – 111 min.

Lao Yang went bankrupt years ago due to the local economic decline. One day, he steals and spends the money that his children have raised for his wife’s surgery. When he comes home, his children tie him up, asking him to pay the money back. He gets so outraged that he takes them to court, kicking off a family tragedy.

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Best Supporting Actress

Vicky Chen for her role in The Bold, The Corrupt and The Beautiful (directed by Yang Ya Che)
Taiwan | 2017 – 112 min.

Best Supporting Actor

Bamboo Chen for his role in Alifu, The Prince/ss (Directed by by Wang Yu-lin)
Taiwan | 2017 – 97 min.

Alifu, a young hairdresser from Paiwan tribe, struggles between having a sex-change surgery and inheriting his father’s title as the chief. Pei-zhen, a lesbian, is his best friend. Sherry, a trans woman, owns a drag queen bar. Chris keeps his drug use secret from his girlfriend. Between different genders and problems, the only common ground is love.

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Best New Director

Huang Hsin-yao for The Great Buddha+ – Taiwan | 2017 – 103 min.

Pickle works as night security guard at a statue factory. One day when the television in the control room is broken, Pickle and his colleague Belly Button watch the footage recorded on their boss’s dashcam, and accidentally discover the boss’s secret. It triggers a ridiculous chain reaction, and even the statue of Buddha is dragged into it.

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Best New Performer

Rima Zeidan for her role in Missing Johnny (directed by Huang Xi)
Taiwan | 2017 – 105 min.

Hsu Zi Qi is a young woman living alone. Lee is the son of Zi Qi’s landlady. Feng is a young builder. One morning, these three people accidentally meet. Through the interconnecting characters, the film explores the moments of loneliness and regret that punctuate lives in a modern metropolis, emphasising the importance and necessity of simple human contact.

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Best Original Screenplay

Zhou Ziyang for Old Beast – China | 2017 – 111 min.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Huang Hsin-yao for The Great Buddha+ – Taiwan | 2017 – 103 min.

Best Cinematography

Nakashima Nagao for The Great Buddha+ (directed by Huang Hsin-yao)
Taiwan | 2017 – 103 min.

Best Film Editing

Jean Tsien, Bob Lee for Plastic China (directed by Wang Jiu-liang)
Taiwan | 2016 – 82 min.

11-year-old Yijie works alongside her parents in a recycling facility. Through Yijie’s story, the film explores how the wastes are recycled by the workers’ bare hands and their dilemma. Through their eyes and hands, the film looks into the impact of the global consumption of plastics on these workers’ lives and the environment.

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Best Visual Effects

Johnny Lin, Perry Kain, Thomas Reppen for See You Tomorrow (directed by Zhang Jiajia)
China | 2016 – 128 min.

The story follows Chen Mo, the bar owner and ‘ferryman’, as he is slowly facing his own traumatic past, whilst helping the people around him, including his partner Guan Chun, the singer Ma Li and theneighbour Xiao Yu.

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Best Art Direction

Alfred Yay for See You Tomorrow (directed by Zhang Jiajia)
China | 2016 – 128 min.

Best Makeup & Costume Design

William Chang and Cheung Siu Hong for See You Tomorrow (directed by Zhang Jiajia)
China | 2016 – 128 min.

Best Action Choreography

Sang Lin for Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield (directed by Lu Yang)
China | 2017 – 120 min.

The film is set in the late Ming Dynasty when the emperor is seriously ill and the eunuch Wei Zhongxian is in power. Shen Lian is a loyal warrior from the Imperial Assassin, a secret police force at the palace. Shen witnesses his colleague and best friend Yin Chen commit suicide as a result of the persecution.

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Best Original Film Score

Lin Sheng-xiang for The Great Buddha+ (directed by Huang Hsin-yao)
Taiwan | 2017 – 103 min.

Best Original Film Song

To Have, or Not to Have from The Great Buddha+ (directed by Huang Hsin-yao)
Taiwan | 2017 – 103 min.

Best Sound Effects

Tu Duo-chih, Wu Shu-yao, Tu Chun-tang for Mon Mon Mon Monsters! (directed by Giddens Ko)
Taiwan | 2017 – 112 min.

One night, four high school boys decide to steal a safe and unexpectedly capture a little monster. Meanwhile, the little creature’s monster companion has been searching for it since they get separated. As the monster approaches, the boys’ minds become twisted and their friendship put to the test. In the end, everyone turns into a monster…

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