‘A Foggy Tale’ Wins Four Prizes Including Best Film At Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards

Taiwanese drama A Foggy Tale, directed by Chen Yu-hsu and produced by Yeh Jufeng and Lee Lieh, was awarded best feature and three other prizes at this year’s Golden Horse Awards (November 22) in Taiwan.

Set during Taiwan’s White Terror era, the film follows a girl who travels to northern Taiwan to retrieve the body of her executed brother where she forms a bond with a former soldier helping her with the task.

The film was also awarded best original screenplay for Chen’s script, best art direction (Wang Chih-cheng and You Li-wun) and best makeup & costume design (Hsu Li-wen). It also picked up the Audience Award.

Lucky Lu, directed by Lloyd Lee Choi, and Mother Bhumi, from Malaysia’s Chong Keat-aun, were also multiple award winners, taking three prizes apiece. Lucky Lu, about Taiwanese immigrants in New York, picked up best actor for Chang Chen’s performance, along with best new director for Choi and best original film score (Charles Humenry).

Mother Bhumi took best actress for Fan Bingbing; best cinematography for the work of Hong Kong DoP Leung Ming-kai, and best original film song (lyrics by Chong Keat-aun and performed and composed by Penny Tai). The film revolves around a widowed farmer and ritual healer struggling to protect her family in a multi-ethnic community. As expected Fan did not attend the awards, which have been boycotted by mainland China since 2018.

Hong Kong productions and co-productions featured prominently at the awards, with Hong Kong filmmaker Jun Li taking best director for Queerpanorama, while Mary Stephen’s Palimpsest: The Story Of A Name won best documentary feature and Tommy Ng Kai-chung’s Another World took best animated feature. Palimpsest: The Story Of A Name also won best film editing.

Best supporting actor went to Tseng Jing-hu for Pan Ke-yin’s Family Matters, which was also awarded best adapted screenplay, while Vera Chen took best supporting actress for Lau Kek-huat’s The Waves Will Carry Us. Ma Shih-yuan won best new performer for Left-Handed Girl, which is also Taiwan’s submission for the Best International Feature category of the Oscars

In the technical categories, action thriller 96 Minutes took the award for best visual effects, Marching Boys was awarded best action choreography and animation A Mighty Adventure won best sound effects. Tan Siyou’s Amoeba was presented with the FIPRESCI award (see below for full list of winners).

Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards took place at the Taipei Music Center on November 22, towards the end of Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, which ran November 6-23.

GOLDEN HORSE AWARDS 2025:  

Best Feature: A Foggy Tale, dir: Chen Yu-hsun

Best Documentary Feature: Palimpsest: The Story Of A Name, dir: Mary Stephen

Best Animated Feature: Another World, dir: Tommy Ng Kai-Chung

Best Director: Jun Li, Queerpanorama

Best Leading Actor: Chang Chen, Lucky Lu

Best Leading Actress: Fan Bingbing, Mother Bhumi

Best Supporting Actor: Tseng Jing-Hua, Family Matters

Best Supporting Actress: Vera Chen, The Waves Will Carry Us

Best Original Screenplay: Chen Yu-Hsun, A Foggy Tale

Best Adapted Screenplay: Pan Ke-Yin, Family Matters

Best New Director: Lloyd Lee Choi, Lucky Lu

Best New Performer: Ma Shih-Yuan, Left-Handed Girl

Best Live-Action Short: Pile On, Hu Lu

Best Documentary Short: Fragments Of Herstory, Hsu Hui-Ju

Best Animated Short: Praying Mantis, Joe Hsieh

Best Cinematography: Leung Ming-Kai, Mother Bhumi

Best Film Editing: Mary Stephen, Palimpsest: The Story Of A Name

Best Visual Effects: 96 Minutes (Evan Wen, Lin Wei-Hung, Hu Hong-Yu, Fu Wan-Ting)

Best Art Direction: A Foggy Tale (Wang Chih-Cheng, You Li-Wun)

Best Makeup & Costume Design: A Foggy Tale (Hsu Li-Wen)

Best Action Choreography: Marching Boys (Hung Shih-Hao, Damien Fan)

Best Original Film Score: Charles Humenry, Lucky Lu

Best Original Film Song: Bhujanga, Mother Bhumi
Lyricist: Chong Keat-Aun, Composer: Penny Tai, Performer: Penny Tai

Best Sound Effects: A Mighty Adventure (R.T Kao, Dave Cheung, Sammi Lin)

Outstanding Taiwanese Filmmaker Of The Year: Joy Chung

Lifetime Achievement Award: Chen Shu-Fang