The 2026 Busan International Film Festival held an awards ceremony today (15th). Zhou Xun and Ji Yehuashun won the Best Actor Award. "Useful Man" starring Yang Yizhan and Zhang Siying received good news. Director Li Yunchan won the Best Director Award in the main competition. Last year's Best Director winner Shu Qi presented the award to Li Yunchan. The scene was quite touching. After receiving the message, Minister of Culture Li Yuan immediately expressed his congratulations to the winning team and thanked Taiwanese filmmakers for stunning the international judges with their outstanding creativity and profound humanistic care, allowing the world to see the profound heritage and unlimited potential of Taiwanese film and television.
"Useful Man", starring Yang Yizhan, Zhang Shiying, Xie Zhanrong and Chen Pinkuang, received 10 million yuan in the 114th Annual Feature Film Tutoring Grant from the Ministry of Culture and investment support from the National Development Fund of the Cultural Content Planning Institute. It delicately depicts the struggle and warmth of individuals in contemporary life and family relationships. It has attracted the attention of international film critics since it was shortlisted for the main competition, and today it successfully took home the Best Director Award. This is also the second consecutive year that a Taiwanese director has won the award after Shu Qi won the Best Director Award for "Girls" last year.
When Shu Qi awarded the trophy to Li Yunchan, she even made a cheering gesture, and the interaction was quite cute. Li Yunchan gave her acceptance speech: "I am wearing the dress that I came to the Busan Film Festival to participate in the New Trend Competition 20 years ago. Thank you very much to the Busan Film Festival for choosing my film as a competition film after so many years. Thank you to the jury for giving us this award. I really want it."
"Thank you to every working partner, and thank you to my leading actors Yang Yizhan, Zhang Shiying, Xie Zhanrong, and Chen Pinchan for their meticulous performances. Without you, it would not have been successful," Li Yunchan said. She said that there are many classic family-themed movies in Taiwan, and "Useful Man" hopes to use a contemporary perspective and under the current cultural background to show the humanity and tolerance shown by this family when they face the vagaries of life.
"I like the Busan Film Festival very much. I will continue to make movies. I will come back soon. Thank you all." Li Yunchan choked with tears and said with a smile.
In addition, in the "Super Wide Angle Short Film Competition", the benchmark unit for discovering emerging Asian video talents, two Taiwanese short films were shortlisted, and were favored by the film festival to showcase Taiwan's cutting-edge creative capabilities. "When the Wind Rises" is directed by Chen Hao and received support from the Ministry of Culture's 113 Domestic Short Film Tutoring Fund of 1.7 million yuan. The work is rich in atmospheric image language and poetic shots. "Animal Party" was produced by Lieri Image Production Co., Ltd. and directed by Zhang Tingwei. It won the Ministry of Culture's 112th Annual Domestic Short Film Tutoring Fund of 1 million yuan. The film explores interpersonal and institutional tensions with precise rhythm.
In addition to its repeated success in the competition section, "Mote" directed by Tsai Ming-liang was selected in the "Film Masters" section, "Daylight" directed by Lu Pak-hun and "Happy Days" directed by Ruan Fengyi were selected in the "Window on Asia" section, and Wang Yifan's "Colored Cat: The Way of Asura" and the animated feature "Welcome to Dolly's House" were selected in the "Midnight Fever" section. From masterpieces, cutting-edge plots to commercial genres and animations, it demonstrates the sound and diverse creative capabilities of Taiwanese film and television.
Minister of Culture Li Yuan said that the fact that Taiwanese film and television works have won awards at Asia's iconic Busan International Film Festival is the culmination of all Taiwanese film workers' persistence in creation and professional accumulation. The Ministry of Culture will continue to support Taiwanese film and television, including various policies such as supporting original scripts, diversifying themes, and cultivating emerging directors, to accompany filmmakers in expanding their international footprint, and let the world continue to see Taiwan's amazing creativity and strength.
