“Chewing Gum” was named winner of the NT$1 million Grand Prize, the top award at the 2023 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion production event.
Other prizes were awarded for works in progress and for TV series. The winners were announced at a ceremony on Wednesday at the New Horizon Event Space in Taipei, Taiwan.
“Chewing Gum” is the debut feature film of Lee Yi-shan, a previous winner of the Golden Horse Film Award for best short film.
The project portrays a young boxer from the lower rungs of society who redefines herself through the struggles of her spiritual journey. The female protagonist accepts the messed-up lives of the adults around her with a nonchalant attitude, not catering to political correctness but instead being true to herself.
The FPP jury, comprising Jeffrey Chan, Winnie Tsang and Chen Yi-wen, praised “Chewing Gum” for its character depictions, relationships, attitudes and aspects of the characters’ lives which felt absurd, but also very real.
The three-day event (Nov. 20-22, 2023) comprised 64 projects across the three categories. And organizers said that they facilitated over 1,700 meetings between the 134 companies and organizations and 600 visiting industry executives.
They said that many of the projects are shaping up to be cross-border co-productions, underlining an existing trend within the Asian region towards international collaborative filmmaking.
The main Golden Horse Film Festival will hold a closing ceremony on Thursday. The Golden Horse Film Awards, considered the most important prizes in Chinese-language cinema, will be announced on Saturday.
2023 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion Winners
Film Projects
Grand Prize [NT$ 1,000,000 in cash]
“Chewing Gum.” Dir. Lee Yi-shan. Screenwriter: Lee Yi-shan. Executive prod. Ho Ping. Producer: Lin Yu-yeh, Kuo Ming-jung. Production cos. The Handyman Ltd., Island X Pictures Co., Ltd.
CNC Cash Award [EUR 8,000 in cash]
“Endless Tenderness” Dir. Rita Hui Nga-shu. Screenwriter: Rita Hui Nga-shu. Producer: Peter Yam. Production co. 70 Plus Production Company Limited
Taipei Golden Creativity Award [NT$ 600,000 in cash]
“That Burning House” Dir. Tsai Yin-chuan. Screenwriter: Tsai Yin-chuan/ Executive Prod. Isaac Li, Lee Yi-fang. Producer: Eric Yeh. Production co. The Movie Bird Films
TAICCA Original Award[three winners, NT$ 600,000 in cash]
“Little Lover” Dir. Tsai Yi-fen. Screenwriter: Tsai Yi-fen,
Chen Cheng-yu. Executive prod. Chang Chia-lu, Chang Feng-mei. Prod. Sylvia Shih Yea-chun. Production co. Even Pictures.
“My Phoenix Sister” Dir. Kao Huai-ju. Screenwriter: Weng Chih-ching, Kao Huai-ju. Executive prod. Chen Yu-hsun. Prod. Hsieh Chun-yao, Fenda Lyn. Production co. JL 19films.
“Chewing Gum.” Dir. Lee Yi-shan. Screenwriter: Lee Yi-shan. Executive prod. Ho Ping. Producer: Lin Yu-yeh, Kuo Ming-jung. Production cos. The Handyman Ltd., Island X Pictures.
FPP Visionary Award [$12,000 in cash]:
“A Woman Builds” Dir. Huang Ji, Otsuka Ryuji. Screenwriter: Huang Ji, Otsuka Ryuji. Producer: Otsuka Ryuji, Kuo Ming-jung, Fran Borgia. Prod cos. Island X Pictures, YGP-Film, Akanga Film Asia.
Hakka Creative Award [NT$ 400,000 in cash]
“Mindgration” Dir. Ng Ka-leung. Screenwriter: Felix Tsang. Producer: Felix Tsang. Prod co. Haven Productions.
Hua Yi Pictures Award [NT$ 300,000 in cash]
“Anomalies” Dir. If Chen. Screenwriter: Yeh Nai-ching. Prod. Cody Huang, Jasmine Park. Prod co. Type Writers.
Genesis Wave Film Creative Award [NT$ 500,000 in cash and NT$ 1,000,000 in-kind post-production and visual effect service]
“Grandma Loves You” Dir. Fan Chung-chi. Screenwriter: Fan Chung-chi. Executive prod. Chang Ning. Producer: Tsai Jia-yin. Prod co. Tua-Tshut Films.
Works in Progress
Taipei New Horizon Screenplay Award [NT$ 400,000 in cash]:
“Pierce” – Dir. Nelicia Low. Screenwriter: Nelicia Low. Prod. Sam Chua Weishi, Jeremy Chua, Patrick Mao Huang, John M Lo, Izabela Igel. Prod cos. Potocol, Flash Forward Entertainment, Harine Films.
Activator Market Potential Award [NT$ 300,000 in-kind digital marketing support]
“Hearing From the Dolphin” Dir. Zhang Hong-jie. Screenwriter: Zhang Hong-jie. Executive prod. Hung Chun-hsiu. Prod. Ting Chung-ying. Prod co. Ruddy Production.
Series
Netflix Emerging Storyteller Award [NT$ 500,000 in cash]
It’s Showtime! – Prod. Jin Pai-lunn. Screenwriter: Wu Yi-chien. Dir. Yin Chen-hao. Prod co. Calendar Studios.
MyVideo Creative Series Award [NT$ 300,000 in cash]
“N.Y.E. Rhapsodies” Prod. Chen Lin-shur, Joy Chiou. Screenwriter. Lien Chun-chien, Pohan Lee, Jade Lien. Dir. Lien Chun-chien. Prod co. Dottodot.
Catchplay International Spotlight Award [NT$ 300,000 in cash]:
“The Fixers” Producer: Benjamin Lin, Cora Yim. Screenwriter: Shih Hong-ru. Dir. Hung Tzu-hsuan. Prod co. Calfilms Asia.
Glory Creative Series Award [NT$ 300,000 in cash]:
“Before We Were Monsters” Prod. Lin Shih-ken, Lin I-ling, Hsiao Wei-hsuan. Screenwriter: Liao Hung-hsing. Prod co. Outland Film Production.
Judicial Creative Series Award [NT$ 350,000 in cash]
“Before We Were Monsters” Prod. Lin Shih-ken, Lin I-ling, Hsiao Wei-hsuan. Screenwriter: Liao Hung-hsing. Prod co. Outland Film Production.
