Golden Horse Awards 2020: My Missing Valentine Named Best Narrative Feature; Number 1 Wins Best Makeup & Costume Design

Chen Yu-Hsun’s bittersweet rom-com My Missing Valentine took home the Best Narrative Feature prize at the 57th Golden Horse Awards, held on Saturday (Nov 21) at Taipei’s Sun-Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

The movie, which is currently showing in cinemas here, also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Singaporean comedy Number 1, starring Mark Lee as a retrenched manager working as a drag queen, picked up Best Makeup & Costume Design for Raymond Kuek and Azni Samdin.

In his acceptance speech, Kuek, a Malaysian, thanked his parents for giving birth to “a short but exceptional man”. Number 1 director Ong Kuo-Sin, who received the award on behalf of Azni who didn’t attend the ceremony, said, “We're going to take this award and what it means back to Singapore and Malaysia and tell the film-makers there: ‘If we can do it, so can you!’”

Ong told 8days.sg later that he was supposed to read out a message Azni had texted him but when he went on up on stage, his mind went blank. “When we both up there, we forgot what we wanted to relay for Azni, very sorry about that,” says Kuo. “[My] speech was totally made up on the spot.”

Take a bow: On stage to receive the Best Makeup & Costume Design for 'Number 1' are Raymond Kuek and director Ong Kuo-Sin, who accepted the award on behalf of Azni Samdin. Post-Golden Horse Awards, Ong said he’ll be back in Singapore working remotely on a TV series while serving his seven-day quarantine. “Maybe I’ll order in some nasi lemak,” he told 8days.sg. “After spending so much time in Taiwan, I really need my chilli. I really need my sambal!”

Lee was also vying for Best Actor but lost to Mo Tzu-Yi of Dear Tenant, a drama about a gay man taking care for his dead lover’s family.

Making his mark: Mark Lee leads the 'Number 1' team down the red carpet.

Elsewhere, Singaporean lawyer-cum-musician Tan Boon Wah won Best Original Song for the LGBTQ drama Your Name Engraved Herein. He shared the award with fellow lyricists and composers Keon Chia and Hooi Yuan-Teng and performers Crowd Lu and Edward Chen.

The corporate real estate lawyer, 44, said, “I’ve watched the Golden Horse Awards ceremony since I was a kid. I never thought I’ll be up here one day, making my country proud.”

He also thanked his law firm for “allowing me to fulfil my dream of being a lawyer while giving me the space to pursue my passion in music.”

Precious is the Night, a Taiwan-Singapore production starring model-photographer Chuando Tan, went home empty-handed. The erotic thriller, directed by veteran ads-maker Wayne Peng, was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Makeup & Costume Design.

Turn on the night: Chuando Tan (centre) with his 'Precious is the Night' co-stars Nanyeli and Chang Tsu-Lei.

Elsewhere, 81-year-old Chen Shu-fang, nominated first time in her 63-year career, wins Best Supporting Actress for Dear Tenant and Best Actress for Little Big Women, a drama about an old lady who finds out that her long-lost husband had spent his last days with another woman.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Chen Yan-Fei, 20, was named Best New Performer for her stirring portrayal of a deaf and mute girl in The Silent Forest.

Click here for the full list of winners.

Number 1, My Missing Valentine and The Silent Forest are now showing in cinemas; Precious is the Night is slated to open on Dec 10.

Photos: Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee, Shaw Organisation