Taiwan’s ‘Left-Handed Girl’ makes Oscar shortlist

Taiwan’s Left-Handed Girl Makes Historic Oscar Shortlist with First Female Director

Taiwan’s film industry achieved a historic milestone as “Left-Handed Girl” secured a spot on the Oscar shortlist for Best International Feature Film, with director Tsou Shih-ching becoming the first female Taiwanese filmmaker to reach this stage of the Academy Awards competition. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 15-film shortlist early Tuesday morning, narrowed from submissions by 86 countries.focustaiwan

The coming-of-age drama, co-written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sean Baker, centers on a left-handed girl navigating clashes with traditional patriarchal expectations in Taipei’s bustling night markets. The film is adapted from Tsou’s personal life story and has been screened at over 15 international film festivals, including Cannes, Zurich, Toronto, and Busan.tvbs

Award-Winning Journey to Oscar Recognition

“Left-Handed Girl” has accumulated accolades throughout its festival run, winning Best Film at the Rome Film Festival in October. Actress Ma Shih-yuan won Best Actress at the Stockholm International Film Festival, while the film received the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution at Cannes, where it premiered in the Critics’ Week section in May.focustaiwan

Baker, who won four Oscars for “Anora” at the 2025 Academy Awards, serves as co-writer, co-producer, and editor on “Left-Handed Girl”. The film was shot using an iPhone and released on Netflix on November 28.wikipedia

Taiwan Eyes Second Oscar Victory

Culture Minister Li Yuan praised the shortlist selection as a demonstration of Taiwan’s soft power and expressed confidence the film would advance to the final five nominees. The Ministry of Culture pledged continued marketing support for the film’s North American promotional efforts during the crucial voting period leading to the January 22 nomination announcement.focustaiwan

The only Taiwanese film to win the Oscar for Best International Feature Film was “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” directed by Ang Lee, which captured the award at the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001. That film won four Oscars total and received 10 nominations, then a record for a non-English language film.oscars

Other East Asian films on the 2026 shortlist include Japan’s “Kokuho” and South Korea’s “No Other Choice”. The final five nominees will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the 98th Academy Awards ceremony scheduled for March 15, 2026.oscars