The 27th Taipei Film Festival today (May 15) announced the nominees for the 2025 Taipei Film Awards during a press conference. The nominations were led by Dead Talents Society with 14 nods. Yen and Ai-Lee and Mongrel followed closely with 12 and 10 nominations respectively. Also revealed were the nominees for the Taiwan Film Marketing Awards, which recognize outstanding marketing efforts, and the contents of this year’s exclusive celebrity gift bags, filled with refined and practical goodies to thank the filmmaking community.
Known for its million-dollar grand prize, the Taipei Film Awards is Taiwan’s most prestigious competition dedicated to local cinema. This year, a total of 274 entries were submitted: 46 narrative features, 57 documentaries, 138 short films, and 33 animations. After an intense second-round jury deliberation, 32 works were selected for the final nomination list: 15 narrative features, 6 documentaries, 6 short films, and 5 animations. Dead Talents Society emerged as the frontrunner with nominations including Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress.
The acting categories are packed with star power and fresh faces. Best Actor nominees include Wanlop Rungkumjad (Mongrel), Lan Wei-Hua (Family Matters), Devin Pan (EEL), Bo-Lin Chen (Dead Talents Society), and Akira Huang (Silent Sparks). Best Actress nominees feature Sylvia Chang (Daughter’s Daughter), Kimi Hsia (Yen and Ai-Lee), Chi Chiang (Lovesick), Alexia Kao (Family Matters), and Sandrine Pinna (Dead Talents Society).
The final jury will be chaired by veteran Hong Kong director Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung, joined by Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun and 11 second-round jurors to select this year’s winners. The awards will be announced during the ceremony on July 5. Cheung made his directorial debut in 1986 with Lai Shi, China’s Last Eunuch and is renowned for his humanistic and socially-conscious works. He won Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Cageman and twice claimed Best Screenplay for Beyond the Sunset and Cageman. One of his signature works, Beyond the Sunset, will screen at this year’s festival. The film subtly portrays generational tension and family ties through the lens of a late-life romance.
Two unofficial awards—the Audience Award, voted by the public, and the Press Award, judged by professional journalists—will be presented at the Nominee Reception held the night before the ceremony.
The Taiwan Film Marketing Awards, a parallel competition spotlighting film promotion efforts, also announced its nominees today. Best Film Marketing contenders include Doubles Match, GATAO: Like Father Like Son, and I Am the Secret in Your Heart. For Best Poster, the nominees are Exchange Gifts (designed by Amper Design), I Am the Secret in Your Heart (Connie Chuang), and After the Snowmelt (Ray Huang). Best Trailer nominees include Daughter’s Daughter (Ian Lin), GATAO: Like Father Like Son (Howard C.), and I Am the Secret in Your Heart (Hans Wu).
The 2025 Taipei Film Festival runs from June 20 to July 5 at Zhongshan Hall, VieShow Cinemas Xinyi, and SPOT Huashan Cinema. The Film Guide will be released on June 8, with ticket sales also beginning that day via OPENTIX. More exciting film selections and event details will be revealed soon. Stay updated via the official website (https://www.taipeiff.taipei/en/), Instagram (https://instagram.com/taipeiff), or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TaipeiFilmFestival).
