Left-Handed Girl Aims for Oscars After Festival Success
Taiwan’s official Oscar submission, Left-Handed Girl, blends superstition, family drama, and Taipei’s vibrant night markets in a debut that has already earned international acclaim.
Shih-Ching Tsou’s directorial debut, Left-Handed Girl, has quickly emerged as one of 2025’s most intriguing films. Produced and co-written by Academy Award winner Sean Baker, the project was filmed on an iPhone and has traveled from Cannes Critics’ Week to Toronto International Film Festival, picking up accolades along the way.
At Cannes, the film earned the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution, signaling strong global interest. It was later featured at TIFF in the Centrepiece program and has invitations to Vancouver and Busan festivals. This growing list of honors helped secure its selection by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture as the country’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
The story unfolds in Taipei’s famous night markets, where traditions clash with modern life. At its heart is the superstition surrounding left-handedness, once viewed in parts of Taiwan as a curse or taboo. Through the struggles of a single mother, played by Janel Tsai, and her daughters, portrayed by Shih-Yuan Ma and Nina Ye, the film explores themes of identity, generational conflict, and quiet resilience.
Left-Handed Girl is also notable for its creative team. Tsou, who previously collaborated with Sean Baker on projects like The Florida Project and Anora, takes the director’s chair solo for the first time. Baker contributes as co-writer, producer, and editor, continuing their long-standing partnership while lending international visibility to the project.
Visually, the film doubles as a love letter to Taipei. Shot primarily in bustling market districts, the cinematography captures the rhythm and texture of everyday life in the city. Its handheld iPhone filming approach adds intimacy, blurring the line between documentary-style realism and carefully crafted narrative.
The cast features a mix of established and rising Taiwanese actors, including Brando Huang, Akio Chen, and Xin-Yan Chao, alongside Tsai, Ma, and Ye in central roles. Their performances, especially Ye’s portrayal of the young girl confronting superstition, have been praised by early festival audiences.
Audiences worldwide will soon get a chance to watch Left-Handed Girl. The film opens in France on September 17, 2025, before premiering in Taiwan on October 31. It will arrive in select U.S. theaters on November 14, followed by a global Netflix release on November 28. With a runtime of 109 minutes, it balances personal drama with cultural commentary in a way that has resonated internationally.
The trailer, officially titled “Left-Handed Girl | Official Trailer,” emphasizes both the intimacy of the family story and the broader cultural conflicts at play. For those following the 2025 awards race, this film has positioned itself as a dark horse worth watching.
