Now that gay marriage is legal in the country, it looks like Taiwan is doubling down with LGBTQ people. This time, in film.
Taiwan’s Motion Picture and Drama Association has selected gay drama Dear Ex as its submission for the international feature film category at the 2020 Oscars, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
As the Hollywood Reporter writes:
“Co-directed by veteran TV writer Mag Hsu and newcomer Hsu Chih-yen, Dear Ex follows a recently bereaved widow who discovers that her late husband left his inheritance to a gay lover. The widow and the lover are drawn into a dispute — with a son torn between the sides. The film stars Roy Chiu, Ying-Xuan Hsieh, Spark Chen and Joseph Huang.”
The film premiered at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy this past April. It then made the rounds at other film festivals in Taipei, Busan, and Macau. It then had its theatrical release in Tawain through Warner Bros. The film also received a few awards such as the best actress award for Hsieh at the Golden Horse Awards and best director for Mag Hsu and Chih-Yen Hsu at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. Then finally, it won best feature film, best actor, and best actress at the Taipei Film Awards.
With all of these accolades, high reviews, and continued showings, it’s no surprise that Taipai chose the film as its submission for the Oscars this year. But will the gay-themed movie win? We’ll see when the 92nd Academy Awards take place on February 9, 2020.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
