2nd Annual "Gold List" Honoring Asian Achievements in Film

by Nathaniel R

Shang-Chi

Hello, awards fans. While we have often bemoaned the ever-increasing amounts of groups giving out "best" honors here at TFE, we do love to share and champion groups that have very specific focuses since the conversation could always do with broadening rather than the narrowing that more traditional awards do. So we're pleased to share the second annual "Gold List" a joint venture between Gold House and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) recognizing outstanding work by Asian filmmakers and actors. Shang-Chi and Drive My Car both took multiple prizes this year while The Green Knight played bridesmaid with multiple honorable mentions. The full list of winners and honorable mentions is after the jump... 

Best Picture Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Honorable Mentions: Drive My Car and The Green Knight

Best Director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Honorable Mentions: Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time To Die) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car)

Best Actor in a Leading Role Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car)
Honorable Mentions: Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Dev Patel (The Green Knight)

Best Actress in a Leading Role Gemma Chan (Eternals)
Honorable Mentions: Patti Harrison (Together Together) and Maggie Q (The Protégé)

Best Supporting Actor in a Supporting Role Tony Leung (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Honorable Mentions: Benedict Wong (Nine Days) and Steven Yeun (The Humans)

Best Supporting Actress in a Supporting Role Awkwafina (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Honorable Mentions: Sarita Choudhury (The Green Knight) and Jessica Henwick (The Matrix Resurrections)

Best Original Screenplay Flee
Honorable Mentions: Nine Days and Raya and the Last Dragon 

Best Adapted Screenplay Drive My Car
Honorable Mentions: Eternals and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Best Animated Feature Raya and the Last Dragon
Honorable Mentions: Belle and Flee

Best Documentary Feature The Rescue
Honorable Mentions: Ascension and Flee

Best Animated Short Namoo
Honorable Mentions: Step Into The River and Us Again

Best Live Action Short The Long Goodbye
Honorable Mentions: Americanized and The Little Prince(ss)

Breakout Independent Film India Sweets and Spices

If you missed last year's awards they're worth a look here. 

Here's a bit more about the purpose behind this year's prizes and the List in general

While notable Asian-helmed films have reached massive commercial success (4 of the top 10 movies at the 2021 domestic box office were led by Asian writer-directors), the future of these films continuing to be greenlit also relies on creative acclaim—which has been glaringly lacking for Asian projects and their creators.

Chloé Zhao’s and Yuh-jung Youn’s historic wins at the Academy Awards last year demonstrated the long overdue need for Asian representation at major awards. Zhao was the first woman of color (and second woman ever) to win Best Director in the Academy Awards’ 93-year history. Youn was the first Asian actress to win an Academy Award in over 6 decades—and became only the fourth performer of Asian descent ever to win an acting Academy Award. Steven Yuen, who starred in Minari alongside Youn, became the first Asian American to be nominated for Best Actor. 

Yet, current awards buzz does not reflect much growing momentum coming off last year’s forward strides, especially in the “Big Five” categories (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay). A notable example is seen with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which was the 2nd highest grossing domestic release in 2021 and holds one of the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores for a superhero movie. The film was a resounding success both commercially and critically but—outside of People’s Choice Awards—has yet to be meaningfully embraced by awards voters as a serious contender.

“Many Asian-led films, particularly independent films, don’t receive budgets or backing to run expensive For Your Consideration campaigns—or benefit from certain levels of access that are essential in ensuring nominations and eventual wins. Gold List, voted on by top Asian leaders and creatives in Hollywood—celebrates our community’s most outstanding achievements in the film industry and encourages voters to Consider Gold. In another pandemic year when so much gets lost and blended together, it’s even more imperative that we help worthy art break out,” said Jeremy Tran, Executive Director of Gold House

related: film critics prizes this year

Comments

[Fadhil]

LMAO not Shang Chi winning over Drive My Car

And are you sure it’s supposed to award all Asians? Cause as I see it they mostly only circle around Hollywood movies with people from East Asian descent.

There is no YUNI mention anywhere? When the lead there delivers the best performance bar none in 2021?

[NATHANIEL R]

Fadhil -- well, it's an American organization and YUNI did not get released here. I'm excited to see YUNI but it was never accessible (loved that director's last film) . I know a grand total of one person who has seen it and I know a lot of film enthusiasts/critics.

[Fadhil]

So, this American organization did not see 'A Hero' too???
It's a Farhadi movie that I believe is way better than freaking Shang Chi, which I like, but cmon lol

[Edwin]

Raya and the Last Dragon was not directed by Asian filmmakers, so the criteria for these awards are still a bit unclear to me. And their little spiel about how there is no Best Picture buzz for any Asian-led films this year coupled with their singling out of Shang-Chi really makes me question whether or not they’re actually paying attention, because uh…Drive My Car is looking very much like a distinct possibility for multiple major nominations. I’m almost surprised they didn’t give Best Picture to Mulan last year. I don’t know. I certainly appreciate their purpose, but they seem almost aggressively populist at the expense of tons of great Asian film work they’re blatantly ignoring.

[César Gaytán]

So, asians argue that they don't have enough representation and to resolve it they invent their own awards ... rewarding just films produced in the U.S. and/or the ones are been already received awards in the U.S.

Call me pessimistic but doing that just ruins the supposed intention because are creating dependency of the Hollywood approbation to be value instead of promote more asian films made in ASIA!!!

I'm gonna paraphrising myself: if you want to watch a juicy asian film, watch more "native" asian films.

I honestly don't believe the tale of "lack of representation" because most of the countries has their own movie industry to release an enough number of films to choose favorites. The real problem is the unequal distribution of "World Cinema" VS Hollywood but USA pretends to act (again) like a hero when they are just caring about their indu$try.

The saddest and pathetic part is that looks like the other countries also prefer to believe in that story instead of save their own industries themselves.

[Lynn Lee]

Nathaniel, is there some reason this post is back in "draft" mode?