Taiwan film 'Left-Handed Girl' makes Oscar shortlist

台灣電影《左撇子女孩》入圍奧斯卡最佳影片獎

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s “Left-Handed Girl” (左撇子女孩) made it to the shortlist of 15 works for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, making director Tzou Shih-ching (鄒時擎) the first female Taiwanese filmmaker to reach the shortlist.

Tzou said through her production company that making the shortlist is an important milestone, per CNA. “I hope that through this film, we can push Taiwan onto the international stage and enabling the world see and understand Taiwan from different cultures and perspectives,” she said.

She also thanked everyone involved in “Left-Handed Girl,” noting that from creation to completion, the film brought together countless people’s expertise and dedication. The movie is adapted from Tzou’s own life story and has won numerous international awards.

The film has been screened at over 15 international film festivals, including Cannes, Zurich, Toronto, and Busan, receiving more than seven Best Foreign Language Film nominations. It also won Best Film at the Rome Film Fest and Ma Shih-yuan (馬士媛) won Best Actress at the Stockholm International Film Festival.

Culture Minister Lee Yuan (李遠) said that Taiwan’s cinema has again made progress in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category. He expressed confidence the film will be able to capitalize on this success and advance into the final five.

The ministry pointed out that competition for the Oscar’s Best International Feature Film is intense, with strong films from around the world vying for the award. “Left-Handed Girl” breaking into the shortlist reflects the success of international promotion and the perfect blend of a distinctly Taiwanese story with universal emotions.

The ministry said it will continue to provide marketing support, helping the team promote the film in North America during the crucial voting period and striving for a formal Oscar nomination, hoping to bring the statuette back to Taiwan for the first time since “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”