Yeo Yann Yann, the Malaysian actress, won the award for Best Leading Actress during the 56th Golden Horse Awards, called as Chinese language 'Oscars', held in Taipei.
Yeo Yann Yann won for her performance in Wet Season
She was given the coveted award, for her outstanding performance in Anthony Chen's Wet Season. In her acceptance speech, a visibly emotional actress said, "I'd like to thank the crew of Wet Season for allowing me to step into the darkness as well as the light of Ling. It's not easy being an actor in Singapore and Malaysia, but I learnt from my mentor Kuo Pao Kun, who never gave up."
This is the second Golden Horse for the Singapore based actress, who had earlier won the Best Supporting Actress award in 2013 for Ilo Ilo, a film directed by Chen.
Later, addressing the media, backstage, Yann who received rave reviews for her performance in 2009 movie Singapore Dreaming thanked her family for all the support she had received from them and urged Singapore moviegoers to watch her film at the cinemas.
Wet Season is Chen's second feature film
The movie, Wet Season, that was Chen's highly awaited second feature film, revolves around the life of a Chinese teacher who struggles with his issues related to infertility, a loveless marriage and workplace problems.
The movie was nominated in six categories including Best Director, Best Narrative Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best Leading Actress. It featured as the opening film of Singapore International Film Festival.
The 34-year-old Yeo Siew Hua became the second filmmaker from Singapore to win the Best Original Screenplay award for his film, A Land Imagined. The movie, that is Singapore's entry to the Academy Awards' Best International Feature Film category, is based on the life of a police investigator who is trying to uncover the disappearance of a Chinese construction worker at a land repossession site.
Post the victory, Hua said: "I am so thrilled because I have watched the Golden Horse Awards since I was little and to receive this award is a great recognition for me and all those who have made this film possible."
The rest of the winners included: A Sun (Best Narrative Feature), Chung Mong-hong (Best Director, A Sun), Chen Yi-wen (Best Leading Actor, A Sun), Winnie Chang (Best Supporting Actress, The Teacher), Liu Kuan-ting (Best Supporting Actor, A Sun), Lai Hsiu-hsiung (Best Film Editing, A Sun), Teo Wei Yong (Best Original Film Score, A Land Imagined), Li Danfeng, Chou Cheng and Morgan Yen (Best Sound Effects, Nina Wu).
