In 2025, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) was named Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards (金馬獎) in Taipei for her role in the Malaysian film Mother Bhumi. Yet, Fan wasn't there to accept her trophy, only participating via phone call.

Since her 2018 tax-evasion controversy, Fan has worked almost exclusively outside China. Meanwhile, Beijing continues its years-long boycott of the Golden Horse Awards—once the undisputed "Oscars" of the Chinese-speaking world.

If you look at the official photos of the Golden Horse Awards from a decade ago, you’ll see a bunch of A-list stars from China. Today, those seats are often filled by different faces, including independent directors from Kuala Lumpur, documentary filmmakers from Hong Kong, and local Taiwanese creators.

This is the first episode of the A Screen for All series, in which we examine the resilience and freedom of Taiwan's film industry and how Taiwan is becoming a creative hub for Chinese-speaking films in Asia. 

This week, we start with how China’s boycott is reshaping the Golden Horse Awards, and why the Taiwan market remains a vital safe room for filmmakers across Asia. Wanson explains the context of China's boycott, and is joined by Wonder Weng (翁煌德), a film critic and festival programmer, to discuss the aftermath.