The low-budget film is based on a semi-autobiographical novel by popular Taiwanese author Giddens Ko and is set in his hometown of Chanhua County in central Taiwan.
It beat four other Taiwanese and Chinese blockbusters -- The Flowers of War, If You Are the One 2, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale and Starry Starry Night -- to win the newly introduced Best Film of Mainland and Taiwan award.
Lead actors Ko Chen-tung and Michelle Chen, along with the rest of the main cast, attended the glitzy award presentation ceremony at the harbor-front Hong Kong Cultural Center.
The film tells the story of five high school boys striving to win the heart of classmate Shen Chia-yi, played by Michelle Chen.
The retro coming-of-age drama emerged as an instant box-office success in Taiwan upon its release last year, appealing to audiences of all ages.
It was the third best-selling film in Taiwan`s history, with NT$460 million (about US$16 million) in ticket sales. It broke four box-office records on its opening days in Hong Kong and has since become the best-selling Mandarin film ever screened there.
The movie has also generated a buzz in the rest of the Chinese-speaking world, including several Southeast Asian countries.
Noted Taiwanese singer Jam Hsiao, who rose to stardom through a TV reality show, won the award for best new performer for his role in "The Killer Who Never Kills", which is also based on a popular novel by Giddens Ko.
(T.A045/H-AK)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
