Family drama 'A Sun' to represent Taiwan at 2021 Oscars

Taipei, Sept. 28 (CNA) The award-winning family drama "A Sun" (陽光普照) has been selected as Taiwan's entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 93rd Academy Awards, the Ministry of Culture announced in a statement Monday.

The film was selected from among 18 candidates by a panel convened by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development under the Culture Ministry, which praised the film for its "memorable and moving portrayal of parent-child relations," the statement said.

Directed by Chung Mong-hong (鍾孟宏), "A Sun" revolves around the struggles of a troubled family of four.

The father, A-wen, works as a driving instructor, while the mother, Qin, is a hairdresser. Their eldest son, A-Hao, is a high school senior preparing for his medical school entrance exam.

However, the family's lives are thrown into disarray when the younger son, A-Ho, is sent into juvenile detention.

The film won Best Director at the 2019 Golden Horse Awards, which awards excellence in Chinese-language cinema and is often described as "Taiwan's Oscars."

It also came away with Best Feature Film, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing and the Audience Choice Award at the awards that year.

Internationally, the film was included in the official selection of several film festivals in 2019, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Busan International Film Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival, according to the Culture Ministry.

The 93rd Academy Awards, originally scheduled for Feb. 28 next year, have been delayed until April 25, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.