Singapore films earn record 15 Golden Horse nominations
Singapore films have earned a record 15 nominations at the 63rd Golden Horse Awards, with five local productions recognised across major film and short-film categories.
The films are We Are All Strangers, The Violinist, Ah Girl, Buah, and She Said.
The nominations, announced on Thursday (1 Oct), surpass Singapore’s previous record of 14 nominations in 2024. That haul came from the three films: Mongrel, Stranger Eyes and short film Four Sundays In September.
The Golden Horse Awards is among the most prestigious awards in Chinese-language cinema.
It is also commonly described as the “Oscars of Chinese-language cinema”.
We Are All Strangers has seven nominations
Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers leads the Singapore contingent with seven nominations.
The film is nominated for:
- Best Narrative Feature
- Best Director: Anthony Chen
- Best Leading Actress: Yeo Yann Yann
- Best Supporting Actor: Andi Lim WeiWen
- Best Makeup & Costume Design: Irin Lee and Red Ngoh
- Best Original Film Score: Kin Leonn and Thomas Foguenne
- Best Film Editing: Chen Ho-ping
The film is the final instalment of Chen’s Growing Up trilogy, which began with Ilo Ilo and continued with Wet Season.
Picture courtesy of We Are All Strangers
We Are All Strangers had its world premiere in competition at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.
It was also recently selected as Singapore’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards.
The Golden Horse recognition marks another milestone for Chen’s trilogy.
Ilo Ilo won four Golden Horse awards in 2013, including Best Feature Film and Best New Director for Chen. Yeo Yann Yann also won Best Supporting Actress for the film.
Yeo subsequently won Best Leading Actress for Wet Season in 2019.
Picture courtesy of HKIFF
The Violinist and Ah Girl earn three nominations each
Two other Singapore productions, The Violinist and Ah Girl, earned three nominations each.
The Violinist, a Singapore-led animated feature co-directed by Singaporean filmmaker Ervin Han and Spanish filmmaker Raúl García, is nominated for:
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Film Score
The film is set in Singapore and Malaya before and during the Japanese Occupation.
Source: @ervination on Instagram
It follows two childhood friends whose lives and dreams are disrupted by World War II and their enduring connection to music.
Earlier this year, The Violinist won the top feature prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
It also marks composer Ricky Ho’s return to Golden Horse contention, after he won Best Original Film Score in 2011.
Meanwhile, Ah Girl is nominated for:
- Best New Director: Ang Geck Geck Priscilla
- Best New Performer: Ong Xuan Jing
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Ang Geck Geck Priscilla
The debut feature follows seven-year-old Ah Girl as she starts primary school while navigating the fragmented family life created by her parents’ separation.
Picture courtesy of Aggregate Films, IFA Media and Kusu Films
The film has been selected for major international festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam.
It will open in Singapore cinemas on 19 Nov.
Buah and She Said also nominated
Singapore short films Buah and She Said each received one nomination.
Buah, written and directed by Jen Nee Lim and produced by Lee Ke Ning, is nominated for Best Live Action Short Film.
Picture courtesy of Jen Nee Lim website
The film follows a pregnant woman who repeatedly attempts to end her pregnancy at a time when abortion is illegal.
She Said, directed by Ivan Tan, is also nominated for Best Live Action Short Film.
It stars Chinese actress Fan Bingbing as a woman recounting her past in a scam compound on the day she is proposed to.
Picture courtesy of Ivan Tan website
15 nominations surpass Singapore’s previous record
The five films’ nominations add up to 15, making 2026 a record year for Singapore at the Golden Horse Awards.
This year’s five films will also be screened at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, which runs from 6 to 22 Nov.
The 63rd Golden Horse Awards ceremony will take place at the Taipei Music Center on 22 Nov.
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Featured image adapted from @ervination on Instagram, courtesy of Aggregate Films, IFA Media and Kusu Films and courtesy of We Are All Strangers.
