Taiwanese baseball film Kano was on Friday named both the audience’s and critics’ favorite on the eve of the 51st Golden Horse Awards, one of the most prestigious film awards ceremonies in Asia.
Kano won the non-competition Golden Horse Audience Choice Award, as well as the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival’s FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Prize, at a ceremony in Taipei.
The actual Golden Horse Awards ceremony was held last night in Taipei, with 38 films nominated for awards.
Photo: CNA
Directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Umin Boya, Kano was nominated for six Golden Horse awards: best feature film, best lead actor, best new director, best new performer, best makeup and costume design, and best original film song.
The film’s coproducer Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖) said he was surprised and delighted that the film won the audience award.
“We will cherish this award. We care very much about this award because the audience choice award is an affirmation from the public,” Wei said.
Japanese actor Masatoshi Nagase, who played a coach in Kano, thanked the audience for their support of the film.
Set in 1931, when Taiwan was a Japanese colony, Kano tells the story of the unsung baseball team from Kagi (Chiayi) Agriculture and Forestry Public School, called Kano in Japanese.
The film chronicles the rigorous training that the team underwent as they prepared to travel to Japan for the Koshien, Japan’s most prestigious high-school baseball tourney at the time, and their incredible run in the tournament against all odds.
The FIPRESCI Prize is awarded to encourage outstanding Chinese-language cinema and new and young filmmakers.
The International Federation of Film Critics is an international NGO consisting of professional film critics and journalists.
It has members in 60 nations.
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