by Nathaniel R
Despite all the amazing advances in diversity in film over the past few years one group that remains extremely underrepresented in American cinema is people of Asian descent. Even when an Asian-centered film breaks through to major success, awards are compartmentalized. You've probably noticed that even if said film wins Best Picture (Parasite, Slumdog Millionaire, The Last Emperor) no actors are nominated in the acting categories. Only three actors of Asian descent have ever won Oscars: Miyoshi Umeki for Sayonara (1957), Ben Kingsley for Gandhi (1982), and Dr Haing S Ngor for The Killing Fields (1984). We hope Parasite's Oscar win at the start of 2020 was a fine omen of changes to come considering that the year that followed was actually a strong one for Asians in movies.
CAPE (Coalitions of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Gold House have teamed up for a first, we hope annual, group of awards called the "Gold List" honoring Asian Achievements in (mostly) English language cinema. Please note that is not a critics group, but an industry-group (creatives, executives, and "other entertainment leaders"). Their list of ten categories (with two winners in each) is after the jump...
Best Picture MINARI and SOUND OF METAL
Honorable Mentions: The Half of It, The White Tiger, Yellow Rose
Best Director Lee Isaac Chung for Minari, and Chloe Zhao for Nomadland
Honorable Mentions: Ramin Bahrani (The White Tiger), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Alice Wu (The Half of It), Alan Yang (Tigertail)
Best Actor Riz Ahmed for Sound of Metal and Steven Yeun for Minari
Honorable Mentions: Adarsh Gourav (The White Tiger), Dev Patel (The Personal History of David Copperfield), Harry Shum Jr. (All My Life)
Best Actress Yeri Han for Minari and Leah Lewis for The Half of It
Honorable Mentions: Hong Chau (Driveways), Tsai Chin (Lucky Grandma), Eva Noblezada (Yellow Rose)
Best Supporting Actor Alan Kim for Minari and Orion Lee for First Cow
Honorable Mentions: Lucas Jaye (Driveways), Tzi Ma (Mulan), Rajkummar Rao (The White Tiger)
Best Supporting Actress Phillipa Soo for Hamilton and Yuh-Jung Youn for Minari
Honorable Mentions: Priyanka Chopra Jonas (The White Tiger), Gong Li (Mulan), Lea Salonga (Yellow Rose)
Best Original Screenplay Lee Isaac Chung for Minari and Alice Wu The Half of it
Honorable Mentions: Mong-Hong Chung and Yao-Sheng Chang (A Sun), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Isabel Sandoval (Lingua Franca), Alan Yang (Tigertail)
Best Adapted Screenplay Ramin Bahrani for The White Tiger and Chloe Zhao for Nomadland
Best Documentary Feature Be Water and A Thousand Cuts
Honorable Mentions: 76 Days, The Donut King, The Social Dilemma
Best Animated Feature Bombay Rose and Over the Moon
Honorable Mentions: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, On-Gaku: Our Sound, A Whisker Away