The Chinese language film market has entered its most intense season of the year, and was punctuated by the 46th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards ceremony held in Taipei last weekend. The awards are billed as one of the top three prizes available in Chinese film along with the Hong Kong Film Awards and the mainland's Golden Rooster. Among the three, it boasts the longest history, and still has important significance within the Chinese film industry.

The Chinese language film market has entered its most intense season of the year, and was punctuated by the 46th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards ceremony held in Taipei last weekend. (sina.com)

This year's Golden Horse attracted super stars of the industry from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, including Maggie Cheung and Ang Lee. 27 films competed for honors, including 11 Chinese mainland productions, 12 Taiwan films, and four from Hong Kong. Small budget and art house works were the favorites.

Taiwan actor-turned-director Leon Dai clinched four trophies for Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Outstanding Film of the Year. Before the ceremony, he was also elected as the Audience Choice Award winner.

Leon Dai's award winning film, "No Pudeo Vivir Sin Ti" is based upon real-life events and characters, and is shot entirely in black-and-white. A man lives in a harbor and he doesn't have a job. So he takes risky temp-jobs on boats to earn money. When he tries to do the right thing by enrolling his daughter in a school, the government decides it's in the child's best interest to remove her from his care. He does everything he can do to get her back, leading to a desperate standoff in front of the media and society. Leon Dai says it conveys a quest of love that knows no bounds.