Leading Hong Kong film maker Johnnie To has dropped out of the Golden Horse Awards, where he was set to be president of the jury deciding the prize winners.
The awards, which take place and are organized from Taiwan, have long been considered the most prestigious prized in Chinese-language cinema. However they are currently under sustained pressure from mainland Chinese authorities, which have ordered a boycott by mainland films and talent.
The Golden Horse Awards announced To’s resignation on its website and its Facebook page. It blamed To’s other work commitments and said that Taiwanese director and designer Wang Toon would take his place as jury head.
“Johnnie To has resigned as the Jury President for the 56th Golden Horse Awards, due to previously signed film production contractual obligations. To expresses his regret and apology for the inconvenience, while the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee and the Chair Ang Lee show their understanding and wish the best to him,” said the awards organizers in Chinese and English.
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The Awards last year attracted the opprobrium of mainland authorities when documentary award winner Fu Yue used her acceptance speech to campaign for Taiwan’s independence. The island is currently democratic and has been self-governed for 70 years. But China considers it to be a rebel province with which it will one day be reunited – by force if necessary.
Fu’s independence speech was quickly greeted with condemnation by mainland Chinese actors in attendance, including last year’s jury president Gong Li, and from China’s National Film Administration which ordered Chinese talent to immediately skip the post-awards dinner. In August this year the National Film Administration ordered a ban on Chinese participation this year and announced that China’s own Golden Rooster Awards will take place in Xiamen (directly across the Taiwan Strait from Taipei) on Nov. 23.
Since then there have been unconfirmed reports that any films taking part in this year’s Golden Horse Awards will be barred from releasing in mainland China and that stars attending the Awards ceremony will be placed on a mainland Chinese blacklist.
While Hong Kong is not directly a part of the tussle between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, its own political unrest of the past three months has made the Golden Horse Awards yet another source of friction. Numerous Hong Kong stars and films have withdrawn.
The Awards’ Facebook post attracted hundreds of user comments, to encourage the embattled festival. Many of them simply read “Golden Horse, add oil!” That is a Cantonese phrase that has become a common slogan of the Hong Kong protesters.
Another comment read: “We cherish the present, when creators can all freely express their creativity, speak their minds and not be controlled. After we’re unified [with the mainland] there’ll be no end of opportunities to create what’s politically correct.”
