Taipei: “A Foggy Tale” has been named best narrative feature at the Golden Horse Awards, with the film taking four honors to become the biggest winner at the 62nd edition of the most prestigious cinema awards in the Chinese-speaking world. The film, directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Chen Yu-hsun, emerged victorious Saturday as it edged out “Queerpanorama” by a vote of 8-7, according to the judging panel.
According to Focus Taiwan, the other nominees were “The Waves Will Carry Us,” “Left-handed Girl,” and “Mother Bhumi.” Co-producer Yeh Ju-feng expressed her gratitude at the award ceremony in Taipei, stating, “We are very honored to have produced this story.” She recalled the skepticism faced during the film’s production, “Earlier on, all of my investors told me: ‘You’re all insane — how is it possible to make a film set in the 1950s?'” Yeh emphasized the film’s message, “Our first thought was that people in every era face different hardships. We believe people can still maintain a kind heart despite everythin
g, and that’s what we want to convey in this film.”
Citing renowned Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Yeh added, “Film must become the answer to the changing times.” She further elaborated, “We must believe with conviction that cinema can change the world, even if nothing changes in the end — that is what it means to be a creator of film.”
“A Foggy Tale” depicts the lives of ordinary citizens during the White Terror era, when the then-Kuomintang government persecuted perceived political dissidents as part of efforts to prevent infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party. The story follows a girl who travels to northern Taiwan to retrieve the body of her executed brother, forming a bond with a former soldier and rickshaw driver along the way.
Chen Yu-hsun, the director, has said he conceived the story through the eyes of a victim’s family after researching the White Terror period, which spanned from 1949 to 1992. The film’s victory in the best narrative feature category closed out the 62nd Go
lden Horse Awards, where it won four of the 24 major honors presented.
“A Foggy Tale” entered this year’s awards with 11 nominations — the most of any film — and claimed major wins including best original screenplay, best makeup and costume design, and best art direction. Meanwhile, “Lucky Lu” and “Mother Bhumi” each won three honors, tying as the second-biggest winners by taking home best actor and best actress, respectively.
“Left-handed Girl,” selected to represent Taiwan in the 2026 Academy Awards for best international feature film, had the second most nominations with nine and finished with one honor — best new performer for Ma Shih-yuan. “Family Matters” and “Palimpsest: The Story of a Name” each won two awards, adding to the diversity of winners at the event.