The Golden Horse Awards

/　photos Cheng Yuan-ching

December 1983

中文

1. Lu Hsiao-fen was queen of this year's Golden Horse Awards Ceremony after she captured best actress honors for her role in A Flower in the Raining Night.

This year is the Golden Horse Award's twentieth birthday, and according to Chinese custom, it is the age of majority. The Government Information Office, which has acted as nurse maid, has helped the Golden Horse Awards to grow from childhood to maturity. This year's award ceremony also marked the last time the GIO will appear front stage, as it will take on only an advisory role in the future. The horse, which symbolizes the local film industry's highest honor, will now run its own course.

The awards are now the annual highlight of the Taiwan and Hong Kong cinema industries. And all winners see them as a confirmation of their high achievement. Chung Ch'u-hung, a Hong Kong star both nominated for the best-actress Golden Horse and chosen in a poll of Hong Kong moviegoers as their favorite actress, commented, "It is one thing for fans to choose you as their favorite, but to have one's acting abilities confirmed by professionals is another thing altogether."

When the Golden Horse Awards were first established in 1962, they attracted very little attention from either the public in general or from the film industry. Professionals considered that judging stressed theme and overlooked a film's artistic value. Then in 1978, with the fifteenth awards ceremony, big changes started to take place. That year winners were not announced beforehand. Although more people were interested by the suspense, the awards' influence on the industry was still not great. For the sixteenth Golden Horse Awards however, GIO Director-General Dr. James Soong got together with the cinema industry and presented a new look.

Starting in 1979 there were no more government representatives on the panel of judges, which was composed exclusively of cinema professionals. That year foreign movie stars, like Elizabeth Taylor and James Mason, were invited for the first time, lending an international flavor to the ceremony. In 1980 a Golden Horse Awards International Movie Festival was initiated, featuring award-winning films from around the world in an attempt to promote higher standards for the local movie industry. By 1983 the film festival had become so popular that people lined up hours before tickets went on sale to be sure of a seat.

Last year the Government Information Office invited English film critic Derek Elley to come to Taiwan to participate in the Golden Horse Awards Film Festival and Awards Presentation. Upon returning home, Elley helped three Chinese films to enter the London Film Festival. Clearly the Golden Horse Awards have helped Chinese films to gradually gain world recognition and approach the goals of "professionalism, artistry, and internationalism."

Each year one of the Republic of China's three television networks runs the extravaganza. This year it was Taiwan Television's turn. In preparation for the event they even sent a team to study Hollywood's Academy Awards.

This year's stage was special; for the first time the Golden Horse Awards Ceremony was held in Taipei's new Social Education Hall. Special attention was paid to the sets. The hall had a total of forty-seven. Ten major sets were used, along with twenty-seven secondary sets so that there was a different one for each award. Added to this was the hall's computer-controlled lighting system, creating a new spectacle for this gala event.

Hosts for this year's Golden Horse Awards were actress T'ien Niu and actor Sun Yueh. They were well chosen. The beautiful, youthful T'ien and the mature Sun offered a pleasant and lively air to the ceremony.

The night of November 16, the Social Education Hall was all aglitter as film stars gathered for the awards. Outside throngs of young fans struggled for a glimpse of their favorites. As each star arrived a cry went up from the assembled masses. In addition, delegates to this year's Asian-Pacific Film Festival, many in their native dress, arrived adding an international atmosphere.

Those who were invited to present awards at the Twentieth Golden Horse Awards all said a few words explaining each award and set the stage for the announcement of the winner. For instance, in presenting the editing award, Yuan Ho-p'ing spoke from a director's stand point in explaining what an editor is and does: "When editing, to cut too much is stupid, to cut too little is foolish. To cut just the right amount is genius."

Last year's winner of the Best Supporting Actor Award, Ku Feng, followed up by winning again this year. He congratulated himself for not being trampled by the prancing golden stallion and kept on saying, "I am so happy, so happy!" Actress Ying Ying, who has been in films since the era of Taiwanese-language movies, finally won best supporting actress at the age of sixty-four. Wearing a green cheongsam, she accepted her award, saying in Taiwanese, "I really never thought at this age I would ever receive a Golden Horse."

Shih An-ni, who just entered Taipei First Girls' Senior High School, won best child actor for her performance in Magic Wheel. Tearfully she exclaimed, "I don't know where to begin. I love everyone so much!" Only after leaving the stage did she remember all the people she had wanted to thank.

Director of Growing Up, Ch'en K'un-ho, won this year's best director. He started as a cinematographer and won best cinematography at the Fifteenth Golden Horse Awards. He has come a long way since then, which he attributes to studying whatever and wherever he could. Ch'en summed it up upon receiving the award, "I worked hard for over twenty years and finally, today, I got it."

MC Sun Yueh was also 1983's best actor. Chang Hsiao-yen exaggerated a little when she introduced him, saying, "My mother loved to watch him perform when she was young." For thirty-four years Sun has been in the entertainment business, and finally won an award this year for his role as a mute in the movie Moonlight. Sun commented, "At fifty-one I cut a record album; at fifty-two I sold coffee (Sun is seen in advertisements for one brand of coffee); and at fifty-three, for the first time, I got the leading role in a film and then got this horse." These few comic lines illustrate the long road to success that must be travelled by those who follow a career in the performing arts.

In contrast to Sun, this year's best actress, Lu Hsiao-fen, has only been in films for three years. She has been typecast as a "bad girl." Lu has been trying to break out of this mold and won her award for a serious role in the film A Flower in the Raining Night. She hopes that this will mark a new beginning in her career.

On occasion special awards are presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the Chinese film industry over the years. This year's special award was truly "special" as the recipient was someone not directly involved in cinema, GIO Director-General Dr. James Soong. The award was kept "top secret" so that he would have no choice but to accept. And when he went on stage he was greeted by a standing ovation. In his acceptance speech, Dr. Soong announced that starting next year the GIO will step backstage and let the Republic of China Film Association sponsor the awards.

Truly the Golden Horse has come of age.

[Picture Caption]

1. Lu Hsiao-fen was queen of this year's Golden Horse Awards Ceremony after she captured best actress honors for her role in A Flower in the Raining Night. 2. Director-General of the Government Information Office Dr. James C. Y. Soong was greeted with a standing ovation when he went on stage to receive this year's special award. 3. Dr. Soong presents calligraphy done by the late Chang Dai-chien especially for the Golden Horse Awards to Ming Chi as a symbol of sponsorship being transferred from government to private hands. 4. The awards presentation was kept smooth and lively by MCs T'ien Niu and Sun Yueh.

1. This year's Golden Horse Awards Ceremony was held in Taipei's Social Education Hall. 2. Leading Hong Kong actor and actress, Wan Chih-liang and Chung Ch'u-hung respectively, enter with the head of the Hong Kong delegation, Sir Run-Run Shaw. 3. An American movie star. 4. Candidates for best supporting actress from left to right: Chiang Hsia, Li Tai-ling, and Ying Ying. 5. All performances were carefully planned. Here, a dance number with a kung fu theme.

1. Mime Chin Shih-chieh on stage. 2. Songstress Ch'i Yu singing one of the songs nominated for an award. 3. Sun Yueh won best actor award. 4. Best supporting actor and actress Ku Feng and Ying Ying. 5. Former child star Chang Hsiao-yen presented this year's best child star, Shih An-ni, with her award.

1.2. Tradition and modernity were captured in performances. 3. Best costume design winners King Hu and Wang T'ung. 4. Li Shou-ch'uan won two awards for best theme song and best original score. 5. Best director, Ch'en K'un-ho, won for his direction of the movie Growing Up. 6. Best editing award went to Ts'ai Chi-kuang for his work on the movie Hong Kong, Hong Kong. 7. Sets were sensational. To present the best cinematography award Hong Kong stars Miao K'o-hsiu and Hsu K'uan-wen entered through this eye.

Left, Su Jui performs this year's best theme song. Right, The close of the 1983 Golden Horse Awards Ceremony.

2. Director-General of the Government Information Office Dr. James C. Y. Soong was greeted with a standing ovation when he went on stage to receive this year's special award.

3. Dr. Soong presents calligraphy done by the late Chang Dai-chien especially for the Golden Horse Awards to Ming Chi as a symbol of sponsorship being transferred from government to private hands.

4. The awards presentation was kept smooth and lively by MCs T'ien Niu and Sun Yueh.

1. This year's Golden Horse Awards Ceremony was held in Taipei's Social Education Hall.

2. Leading Hong Kong actor and actress, Wan Chih-liang and Chung Ch'u-hung respectively, enter with the head of the Hong Kong delegation, Sir Run-Run Shaw.