The 2023 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (FPP) drew to a perfect close at Taipei New Horizon today (11/22), with the final-stage jury comprising Jeffrey CHAN, CHEN Yi-wen, and Winnie TSANG presenting the TWD 1,000,000 Grand Prize to Chewing Gum, the debut feature project of Golden Horse Best Live Action Short Film winner LEE Yi-shan. The film portrays a young boxer from the lower rungs of society who redefines herself through the struggles of her spiritual journey. The three judges praised Chewing Gum for its wonderful character depictions, including their relationships, attitudes, and various aspects of their lives, which feel absurd but also very real. The female lead 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, making her a highly distinctive protagonist who evokes strong resonance.

This year’s Golden Horse FPP facilitated three intensive days of activities from November 20 to 22, attracting nearly 600 film and audiovisual industry professionals. Representatives of this year’s 64 selected projects from the FPP (film projects), WIP (work-in-progress film projects that have completed or almost completed shooting), and Series sections carried out 1,727 meetings with the representatives of 134 industry professionals from all around the world, setting yet another new record. These eye-catching projects that stood out from the pack include many international co-productions, reflecting the trend of international collaboration and thriving emergence of new talents, and moreover showcasing the creative vitality of Chinese-language film and series production. Through the efforts of the resource matching and networking mechanisms established under the Golden Horse FPP, we look forward to seeing these outstanding works shine brightly in the near future!

[2023 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion winners]

[FPP]:

Grand Prize [TWD 1,000,000 in cash]:

Chewing Gum – Director: LEE Yi-shan / Screenwriter: LEE Yi-shan / Executive Producer: HO Ping / Producer: LIN Yu-yeh, KUO Ming-jung / Production Company: The Handyman Ltd., Island X Pictures Co., Ltd.

CNC Cash Award [EUR 8,000 in cash]:

Endless Tenderness – Director: Rita HUI Nga-shu / Screenwriter: Rita HUI Nga-shu / Producer: Peter YAM / Production Company: 70 Plus Production Company Limited

Taipei Golden Creativity Award [TWD 600,000 in cash]:

That Burning House – Director: TSAI Yin-chuan / Screenwriter: TSAI Yin-chuan/ Executive Producer: Isaac LI, LEE Yi-fang / Producer: Eric YEH / Production Company: The Movie Bird Films

TAICCA Original Award  [TWD 600,000 in cash]:

Little Lover – Director: TSAI Yi-fen / Screenwriter: TSAI Yi-fen,

CHEN Cheng-yu / Executive Producer: CHANG Chia-lu, CHANG Feng-mei / Producer: Sylvia SHIH Yea-chun / Production Company: Even Pictures

My Phoenix Sister – Director: KAO Huai-ju / Screenwriter: WENG Chih-ching, KAO Huai-ju / Executive Producer: CHEN Yu-hsun / Producer: HSIEH Chun-yao, Fenda LYN / Production Company: JL 19films

Chewing Gum – Director: LEE Yi-shan / Screenwriter: LEE Yi-shan / Executive Producer: HO Ping / Producer: LIN Yu-yeh, KUO Ming-jung / Production Company: The Handyman Ltd., Island X Pictures Co., Ltd.

FPP Visionary Award [USD 12,000 in cash]:

A Woman Builds – Director: HUANG Ji, OTSUKA Ryuji / Screenwriter: HUANG Ji, OTSUKA Ryuji / Producer: OTSUKA Ryuji, KUO Ming-jung, Fran BORGIA / Production Company: Island X Pictures Co., Ltd., YGP-FILM LLC, Akanga Film Asia

Hakka Creative Award [TWD 400,000 in cash]:

Mindgration – Director: NG Ka-leung / Screenwriter: Felix TSANG / Producer: Felix TSANG / Production Company: Haven Productions Ltd.

Hua Yi Pictures Award [TWD 300,000 in cash]:

Anomalies – Director: If CHEN / Screenwriter: YEH Nai-ching / Producer: Cody HUANG, Jasmine PARK / Production Company: TYPE·WRITERS Co., Ltd.

Genesis Wave Film Creative Award [TWD 500,000 in cash and TWD 1,000,000 in-kind post-production and visual effect service]:

Grandma Loves You – Director: FAN Chung-chi / Screenwriter: FAN Chung-chi / Executive Producer: CHANG Ning / Producer: TSAI Jia-yin / Production Company: Tua-Tshut Films Ltd.

[WIP]:

Taipei New Horizon Screenplay Award [TWD 400,000 in cash]:

Pierce – Director: Nelicia LOW / Screenwriter: Nelicia LOW / Producer: Sam CHUA Weishi, Jeremy CHUA, Patrick Mao HUANG, John M LO, Izabela IGEL / Production Company: Pōtocol, Flash Forward Entertainment, Harine Films

Activator Market Potential Award [TWD 300,000 in-kind digital marketing budget]:

Hearing from the Dolphin – Director: ZHANG Hong-jie / Screenwriter: ZHANG Hong-jie / Executive Producer: HUNG Chun-hsiu / Producer: TING Chung-ying / Production Company: Ruddy Production Co., Ltd.

[Series]:

Netflix Emerging Storyteller Award [TWD 500,000 in cash]:

It's Showtime! – Producer: JIN Pai-lunn / Screenwriter: WU Yi-chien / Director: YIN Chen-hao / Production Company: Calendar Studios Co., Ltd.

MyVideo Creative Series Award [TWD 300,000 in cash]:

N.Y.E. Rhapsodies – Producer: CHEN Lin-shur, Joy CHIOU / Screenwriter: LIEN Chun-chien, Pohan LEE, Jade LIEN / Director: LIEN Chun-chien / Production Company: Dottodot Ltd.

CATCHPLAY International Spotlight Award [TWD 300,000 in cash]:

The Fixers – Producer: Benjamin LIN, Cora YIM / Screenwriter: SHIH Hong-ru / Director: HUNG Tzu-hsuan / Production Company: Calfilms Asia Ltd.

GLORY Creative Series Award [TWD 300,000 in cash]:

Before We Were Monsters – Producer: LIN Shih-ken, LIN I-ling, HSIAO Wei-hsuan / Screenwriter: LIAO Hung-hsing / Production Company: Outland Film Production

Judicial Creative Series Award [TWD 350,000 in cash]:

Before We Were Monsters – Producer: LIN Shih-ken, LIN I-ling, HSIAO Wei-hsuan / Screenwriter: LIAO Hung-hsing / Production Company: Outland Film Production