Veteran Taiwanese actors dominated both the best supporting actor and actress categories at the 45th Golden Horse Awards (金馬獎) held at the Taichung Chungshan Hall last night.
Seasoned actress Mei Fang (梅芳), a first-time nominee at the Golden Horse, ignited a big round of applause as she picked up the best supporting actress award for Orz Boyz (囧男孩). Ma Ju-long (馬如龍) bested Hong Kong’s Eason Chan (陳奕迅) and China’s Hu Jun (胡軍) to walk away with the trophy for his role in Cape No. 7.
“I have been in the business for 45 years. It is my first time being nominated and I won … I am really grateful to the director and producer who insisted on dragging me out of my retirement life in the US,” the excited Mei said backstage.
What made this year’s awards different from previous editions was the high likelihood that Taiwanese movies would win in major categories. Having broken the NT$460 million (US$13.7 million) mark to become the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie in Taiwan, Cape No. 7 (海角七號) picked up nine nominations. Yang Ya-che’s much-acclaimed children’s film Orz Boyz also made it onto the nomination list in four categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
Johnnie To’s (杜琪峰) Sparrow (文雀) gave Cheng Siu-keung (鄭兆強), the director’s long-term partner, a well-deserved moment of fame as the veteran professional picked up the honor for best cinematography.
As a surprise to many, Taiwanese movies beat out big-budget epics The Warlords (投名狀) and Red Cliff (赤壁) in the technical categories. Chao Shih-hao (趙思豪) won the best art direction award for Parking (停車), while Luke Huang (黃育男) and Sai Com (康俊偉) picked up the Best Makeup and Costume Design for Candy Rain (花吃了那女孩) a lesbian ballad by Taiwan’s renowned musical director Chen Hung-i (陳宏一).
Cape No. 7 was already a winner early in the evening as its musical talent took home the best original film score and best original film song.
This year’s FIPRESCI prize went to Parking by seasoned TV commercial director and cinematographer Chung Mong-hong (鍾孟宏).
Taiwanese cinema reigned over short films, with female director Chiang Hsiu-chiung (姜秀瓊) taking home the trophy for Hopscotch (跳格子), a tale about a tow truck driver and an art teacher.
Local talent lost the best documentary award to Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang (張僑勇), awarded for his exploration on the destructive impact of the Three Gorges Dam in Up the Yangtze (沿江而上).
The Lifetime Achievement Award this year went to 85-year-old Chang Feng (常楓), who began performing on stage when serving in the military in 1940’s China. During his 60-year acting career, Chang was given the best leading and supporting actor accolades at the Golden Horse for his performances in Fragrant Flower Versus Noxious Grass (香花與毒草, 1976) and The Warmth of an Old House (頤園飄香, 1984) respectively.
A Special Contribution Award was handed to veteran film historian and critic Huang Jen (黃仁). Born in 1925, Huang has devoted himself to bringing new ideas to the country’s film circle and has been highly esteemed for his contributions as chief editor and author behinds countless film magazines, periodicals and publications.
The red-carpet parade saw a troupe of international stars and celebrities that included Ang Lee (李安), Shu Qi (舒淇), Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) and three-time Cesar Award-winning French actor and director Mathieu Amalric.
Taiwan yesterday condemned the recent increase in Chinese coast guard-escorted fishing vessels operating illegally in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. Unusually large groupings of Chinese fishing vessels began to appear around the islands on Feb. 15, when at least six motherships and 29 smaller boats were sighted, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a news release. While CGA vessels were dispatched to expel the Chinese boats, Chinese coast guard ships trespassed into Taiwan’s restricted waters and unsuccessfully attempted to interfere, the CGA said. Due to the provocation, the CGA initiated an operation to increase
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
RSS