The Golden Horse Awards were founded by Taiwan’s government in 1962 to encourage the development of the local film industry. The name “Golden Horse”, or jinma, comes from the names of the outlying islands of Kinmen and Matsu, which were the frontline military bases in Taiwan’s defense against Communist China during the Cold War.
Since the 1970s, the Golden Horse Awards have been the most prominent Chinese-language film awards. Sometimes, people refer to the Golden Horse Awards as the Chinese-language Oscars. The Awards are open to Chinese-language submissions from Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and elsewhere.
The biggest winner this year was “The Assassin” by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien. The film was critically acclaimed upon release and helped Hou earn a best director award earlier this year at the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival. At the Golden Horse Awards, it garnered 11 nominations and won in five categories, including best film, best director, best cinematography, best costume design, and best sound effects.
The best actress awards went to Hong Kong actress Karena Lam for her portrayal of a woman who lost her fiancé. The best actor went to Xiaogang Feng for his role as a retired father. Feng is a Chinese film director and this is his first ever performance in a leading role.
As part of its tradition, this year’s awards ceremony featured several memorable moments. Hong Kong singer Eason Chan and Taiwanese actress Rainie Yang paid homage to classic Chinese-language movies by singing their theme songs. The hosts for the night, Taiwanese model Lin Chi-ling and TV personality Michey Huang also re-enacted popular moments from this years’ nominated movies.