The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee announced today (Dec. 17) that Golden Horse Awards–winning actor CHANG Chen has been elected as its new Chairperson, succeeding Mark LEE Ping-bing upon the conclusion of his four-year term. The Chair serves a two-year term and may be re-elected once.

Mark LEE Ping-bing noted, “Since I was elected Chair of the Committee in 2021, I have always kept in mind my responsibility to keep the Golden Horse unfettered, impartial, and open, setting a role model for the film industry. At the same time, we have sought to build on past achievements while ushering younger filmmakers onto the international stage. None of these goals could have been achieved without the dedication and support of the Committee staff, to whom I extend my sincere gratitude.

Another, more challenging task entrusted to me when I assumed the post from former Chair Ang LEE was to identify the next Chairperson who could carry the Golden Horse forward. After years of reflection and observation, I believe that the Golden Horse must stay innovative and energetic, and so must its Chair. The candidate who came to my mind was CHANG Chen, whose cinematic achievements speak for themselves and whose ability to evolve with the times is especially rare. Ang strongly supported this choice, and I would also like to thank MPFROC President Kevin CHU and the Board of Directors for their approval. The responsibilities of the Golden Horse are considerable, and I am delighted that CHANG Chen has agreed to take on this challenge. With my heartfelt blessings, I wish him and the Golden Horse continued progress in the years to come.”

CHANG Chen debuted as an actor in Edward YANG’s A Brighter Summer Day (1991). He has since been nominated six times for Best Leading Actor at the Golden Horse Awards, winning twice for The Soul (2021) and Lucky Lu (2025), the latter of which also earned him a nomination for Best Lead Performance at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards. Known for his collaborations with HOU Hsiao-hsien, Edward YANG, Ang LEE, WONG Kar Wai, TIAN Zhuang-zhuang, John WOO, and CHUNG Mong-hong, CHANG Chen has also expanded into international productions in recent years, including Dune: Part One (2021), Mr. Long (2017), and Breath (2007).

Upon accepting the invitation, CHANG Chen stated, “This summer, I attended a stage play directed by Sylvia CHANG, a culmination of her many years of dedication to the Gosh Foundation. I deeply admire her unwavering passion and commitment to performance and visual arts over the decades. When Mark invited me to take on the role of Chair, I was genuinely surprised, having never imagined myself in such a position or fully understood what the responsibilities entailed. Through Mark’s explanations and those of CEO WEN Tien-hsiang, I began to reflect: beyond acting, what more could I contribute to cinema? With the professional Golden Horse team in place, I felt reassured in accepting this entirely new challenge. At that moment, a classic line from Forrest Gump came to mind: “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” I realized I should not turn it down. Perhaps, like Forrest Gump, I should simply keep running. I hope the next Golden Horse will remain true to its spirit, as it has always been, and together we will keep running toward an even brighter day.”