At the last awards ceremony attended by filmmakers from China, in 2018, the Chinese indie gem An Elephant Sitting Still was named best picture ahead of films with much higher profiles.

The other films named in the best narrative feature category include Days , a meditative drama by art-house filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang which premiered at the Berlin film festival in February; the mystery drama Dear Tenant; and crime drama Hand Rolled Cigarette, the directorial debut of actor Chan Kin-long, which is nominated in seven categories, more than any other Hong Kong film in contention.

The Way We Keep Dancing, Adam Wong Sau-ping’s follow-up to his popular 2013 dance movie The Way We Dance receives six nominations. Among the other Hong Kong films nominated are the psychodrama Beyond the Dream (up for three awards); and Fruit Chan Gor’s The Abortionist, nominated for best director and best actress (for Bai Ling).

Taking back the Legislature, a 44-minute feature chronicling the storming of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council complex by protesters on July 1, 2019, is nominated for best documentary.

The winners of the 2020 Golden Horse Awards will be announced at a ceremony on November 21.

The full list of nominations is as follows:

Best narrative feature

Days, My Missing Valentine, Classmates Minus, Dear Tenant, Hand Rolled Cigarette

Best documentary

Father, Me and My Condemned Son, Chen Uen, Lost Course, Taking back the Legislature

Best animated feature

Dr. Sun, City of Lost Things

Best live-action short film

Temple of Devilbuster; See You, Sir; Night Is Young; In This Land We’re Briefly Ghosts; Sisters’ Busy Hands

Best animated short film

The Six, Grand Adventure Railroad, Little Hilly, The Weather Is Lovely, Night Bus

Best director

Tsai Ming-liang (Days), Chen Yu-hsun (My Missing Valentine), Huang Hsin-yao (Classmates Minus), Cheng Yu-chieh (Dear Tenant), Fruit Chan (The Abortionist)

Best leading actor

Mark Lee (Number 1), Liu Kuan-ting (My Missing Valentine), Austin Lin (i WEiRDO), Mo Tzu-yi (Dear Tenant), Lam Ka-tung (Hand Rolled Cigarette)

Best leading actress

Patty Lee (My Missing Valentine), Nikki Hsieh Hsin-ying (i WEiRDO), Gwei Lun-mei (A Leg), Bai Ling (The Abortionist), Chen Shu-fang (Little Big Women)

Best supporting actor

Nadow Lin (Classmates Minus), Cheng Jen-shuo (Classmates Minus), Michael Chang (A Leg), Leon Dai (Your Name Engraved Herein), Kim Hyunbin (The Silent Forest)

Best supporting actress

Francesca Kao ( Get the Hell Out ), Chang Ya-ling (Mickey on the Road), Chen Shu-fang (Dear Tenant), Hsieh Ying-xuan (Little Big Women), Vera Chen (The Rope Curse 2)

Best new director

Chong Keat-aun (The Story of Southern Islet), Liao Ming-yi (i WEiRDO), Joseph Hsu Chen-chieh (Little Big Women), Ko Chen-nien (The Silent Forest), Chan Kin-long (Hand Rolled Cigarette)

Best new performer

Wu Yi-jung (Dear Orange), Lau Chun-him (Beyond the Dream), Heyo (The Way We Keep Dancing), Edward Chen (Your Name Engraved Herein), Chen Yan-fei (The Silent Forest)

Best original screenplay

My Missing Valentine, The Story of Southern Islet, A Leg, Dear Tenant, The Silent Forest

Best adapted screenplay

Beyond the Dream, Classmates Minus, Little Big Women, The Way We Keep Dancing

Best cinematography

My Missing Valentine, Precious Is the Night, i WEiRDO, Classmates Minus, Your Name Engraved Herein

Best visual effects

My Missing Valentine, i WEiRDO, Hello! Tapir, The Rope Curse 2

Best art direction

My Missing Valentine, i WEiRDO, Classmates Minus, The Silent Forest, Hand Rolled Cigarette

Best make-up & costume design

Number 1, Precious Is the Night, A Leg, Hand Rolled Cigarette, The Rope Curse 2

Best action choreography

Get the Hell Out, A Choo , The Way We Keep Dancing, Hand Rolled Cigarette

Best original film score

Classmates Minus, Dear Tenant, Little Big Women, Your Name Engraved Herein, The Silent Forest

Best original film song

Babi, My Missing Valentine, Little Big Women, The Way We Keep Dancing, Your Name Engraved Herein

Best film editing

My Missing Valentine, Classmates Minus, The Way We Keep Dancing, The Silent Forest, Hand Rolled Cigarette

Best sound effects

Days, Beyond the Dream, My Missing Valentine, The Way We Keep Dancing, The Silent Forest

Outstanding Taiwanese filmmaker of the year

Peng Ren-meng

Lifetime achievement award

Hou Hsiao-hsien

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