Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture has officially selected A Foggy Tale as the island’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. Chosen by majority vote from a competitive field of seven domestic submissions, the historical drama will look to secure Taiwan’s first Oscar nomination in the category since Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won the statuette in 2000.
The selection committee commended the film for its balance of historical gravity and accessible human warmth. In a formal statement, the ministry noted that the committee praised the work for its “vivid characters, smooth narrative and portrayal of the era through a lively, diverse perspective of ordinary people, reflecting Taiwan’s unique character while maintaining universal humanistic care.”
Finding Hope in a Heavy Mist
Set in 1953, A Foggy Tale follows a teenage girl from Chiayi City who travels to Taipei to retrieve the body of her brother, who was executed by the Kuomintang government during the White Terror era. Along the way, she befriends an impoverished former soldier who helps her raise the steep bureaucratic ransom required by authorities to release her brother’s remains.
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The title serves as an overt metaphor for the atmosphere of political uncertainty that defined Taiwan’s authoritarian period between 1949 and 1992. Director Chen Yu-hsun weaves subtle everyday humour into the grim historical backdrop, leaning heavily on regional linguistic roots. The dialogue relies predominantly on Taiwanese Hokkien alongside the Beijing dialect of Mandarin, using the varied speech patterns to anchor the emotional lives of ordinary citizens caught in historical upheaval.
The production features a cast led by Caitlin Fang, Will Or, singer-songwriter 9m88, and Tseng Jing-hua. Experienced producers Yeh Jufeng and Lee Lieh oversaw the project under the Mandarin Vision banner.
Critical Acclaim and Commercial Success
The drama arrives in the international awards conversation with immense commercial momentum and festival accolades. Since premiering as the opening film at the 2025 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, A Foggy Tale has grossed over NT$1.192 billion (roughly 36.9 million US dollars) domestically, drawing more than 4.4 million cinemagoers to local theatres.
The film dominated the 62nd Golden Horse Awards with eleven nominations, converting four wins including Best Narrative Feature, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup and Costume Design, and Best Original Screenplay for Chen. It followed that triumph by winning five trophies at the 28th Taipei Film Awards.
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On the international festival circuit, the film competed in the main section at Italy’s Udine Far East Film Festival and screened for audiences in Hong Kong, Singapore, and San Diego.
Taiwanese cinema has a long history with the Academy’s international category, submitting entries continuously since 1957. While Ang Lee remains the sole director to achieve final nominations for the island—including nods for The Wedding Banquet in 1993 and Eat Drink Man Woman in 1994—recent entries such as Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, A Sun, and Left-Handed Girl have advanced to the competitive shortlist stage.
The 99th Academy Awards ceremony will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on 14 March 2027.
