On January 10, 2024, Gold House and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) unveiled their fourth annual Gold List, which celebrates the exceptional works by API contributors from the past two years in film. This curated list not only honors cinematic excellence but also serves as a guide for voters in the upcoming awards season in hopes that more Asian films are nominated and recognized. 

The Gold List is one of the organizations’ many efforts within their #GoldOpen promotional movement to expand the reach and success of Asian cinema. Notably, last year’s Gold List honorees went on to receive Academy Awards, including the genre bending film Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) coming out on top. 

Check out this year’s Gold List below, which boasts a remarkable lineup of contenders, from rising actor Charles Melton from A24’s romance drama film Past Lives to a groundbreaking number of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander talents! 

The Golden Standard 

Voted by leaders in the industry from the Gold Open Advisory Council, Gold House Members, and CAPE Board Members and Advisors, the list of winners across 14 categories highlights the diversity and depth of talent in the API community. Among this year’s selections, Past Lives (2023) is the front runner, as it dominates across several categories including Best Picture, Best Director (Celine Song), Best Performance in a Leading Role (Greta Lee), and Best Original Screenplay. Furthermore, in a significant move towards inclusivity, the featured nominations for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander creatives hit an all-time high. Lindsay Watson secured Breakout Performance for The Wind & the Reckoning (2022), while Taika Waititi, Keanu Reeves, and Stan Walker gained significant acknowledgment. 

May December (2023)’s Charles Melton, who won Best Performance in a Supporting Role, commended the API community’s global power and hopes for the future. “It is incredible to witness the tremendous work our community continues to bring to the global stage. Let us continue to empower and uplift one another through new portrayals and experiences across artistic mediums,” he stated. With these successes in the spotlight, the hope is that they will fuel a continued drive to elevate API representation, making diverse recognition the standard in Hollywood. 

Best Picture

Winner: Past Lives (2023) 

Honorable Mentions: Monster and Perfect Days (2023) 

Best Director

Winner: Celine Song for Past Lives (2023)

Honorable Mentions: Hayao Miyazaki for The Boy and the Heron (2023) and Tran Anh Hung for The Taste of Things (2023)

Best Performance in a Leading Role

Winner: Greta Lee for Past Lives (2023) 

Honorable Mentions: Ashley Park for Joy Ride (2023), Keanu Reeves for John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), Koji Yakusho for Perfect Days (2023), Sakura Ando for Monster (2023), and Teo Yoo Past Lives (2023) 

Best Performance in a Supporting Role

Winner: Charles Melton for May December (2023) 

Honorable Mentions: Riz Ahmed for Fingernails (2023), Sabrina Wu for Joy Ride (2023), Sherry Cola for Joy Ride (2023), Simu Liu for Barbie (2023), and Stephanie Hsu for Joy Ride (2023) 

Best Original Screenplay

Winner: Celine Song for Past Lives 

Honorable Mentions: Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao for Joy Ride (2023) and Hayao Miyazaki for The Boy and The Heron (2023)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Winner: Dave Callaham, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023) 

Honorable Mentions: Adrian Tomine for Shortcomings (2023) and Taika Waititi and Iain Morris for Next Goal Wins (2023)

Best Animated Feature

Winner: Studio Ghibli’s The Boy and The Heron (2023)

Honorable Mentions: Disney’s Elemental (2023), Netflix’s Nimona (2023), and CoMix Wave Films’ Suzume (2022)

Best Documentary Feature

Winner: To Kill A Tiger (2022)

Honorable Mentions: a.k.a. Mr Chow (2023) and Liquor Store Dreams (2022)

Best Original Song

Winner: “Can’t Catch Me Now” – Olivia Rodrigo from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) 

Honorable Mentions: “I AM” by Stan Walker from Origin (2023) and “All Love Is Love” by Bowen Yang, Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp, Nathan Lane, and Megan Mullally from Dicks: The Musical (2023) 

Best Animated Short

Winner: WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (2023)

Honorable Mentions: Our Uniform and The Old Young Crow (2023)

Best Documentary Short

Winner: Between Earth and Sky (2023)

Honorable Mentions: Island in Between (2023) and Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó (2023)

Best Live Action Short

Winner: Yellow (2023) 

Honorable Mentions: Closing Dynasty (2023), Eid Mubarak (2023), and Take Me Home (2023)

Breakout Performance

Winner: Lindsay Watson for The Wind & The Reckoning (2022)

Breakout Independent Film

Winner: Polite Society (2023) 

Gold House and CAPE’s #GoldOpen initiative demonstrates their dedication to amplifying API talent. Together, they continue to reshape the industry’s landscape by ensuring that these compelling stories reach a global audience instead of being overlooked. As we anticipate the upcoming awards season, the Gold List showcases the remarkable impact of API stories in mainstream media and their invaluable contributions to cinema. 

Want more about Gold House? Check out the details on their One House Filmmakers Fund here!

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