Local horror film leads Golden Horse Awards nominations

Taipei, Oct. 1 (CNA) The Taiwanese psychological horror film "Detention" led the nominations for this year's Golden Horse Awards -- the Chinese-speaking world's version of the Oscars -- with a total of 12 nods Tuesday.

The movie, which features vengeful spirits and ghosts, has been nominated for the awards Best Narrative Feature, Best Leading Actress, Best New Director, Best New Performer, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction.

The film was also nominated for Best Action Choreography, Best Original Film Score, Best Original Film Song, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Effects.

The movie is set in the 1960s during the country's White Terror period and is an adaptation of a survival horror adventure video game developed by Taiwanese game developer Red Candle Games.

With a budget of around NT$95 million (US$3.065 million), the movie follows two high school students who find themselves having entered a realm of vengeful spirits in an empty school while they search for a teacher who has disappeared.

The film stars actress-writer Gingle Wang (王淨) and actor Tseng Ching-hua (曾敬驊) as the two students. Wang and Tseng have been nominated for the Best Leading Actress and Best New Performer, respectively.

John Hsu (徐漢強), the film's director, was nominated for Best New Director.

Meanwhile, family drama "A Sun" was nominated for 11 awards -- Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, Best Leading Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Film Song, Best Film Editing and two Best Leading Actors.

The film revolves around the struggles of a family that gradually falls apart due to one of the sons being sentenced to juvenile detention.

The film is directed by Chung Mong-hong (鍾孟宏), who won Best Director for "The Fourth Portrait" at the 47th Golden Horse Awards in 2010.

The 56th Golden Horse Awards ceremony will be held Nov. 23 at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Gingle Wang (王淨, left)