KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — Malaysian-Taiwanese film Sayang Sayang, which has five nominations at the 63rd Golden Horse Awards, opens in cinemas nationwide tomorrow, after premiering in Taiwan last month.

The film was directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Tang Hsiang-Chu and produced by Malaysian filmmaker Jin Ong, whose earlier work includes Abang Adik (2023).

“We started working on the script in 2022, and I am glad that Malaysian audiences will get to experience a different kind of Malaysian film,” Ong said at the film’s gala premiere at TGV Suria KLCC yesterday.

Ong said the film has commercial appeal but also carries a message about love.

Tang said love is a universal feeling found across different cultures and communities, which reflects one of the film’s central messages.

Sayang Sayang is nominated for Best Original Screenplay (Tang), Best New Performer (Malaysian actor Nandagopall Mohan), Best Sound Effects (Wu Shu-Yao, Hsu Chiao-Han and Liu Pei-Min), Best Visual Effects (Tomi Kuo, Ivan Lin and Hannah Han) and Best Supporting Actress (Malaysian actress Mhia Firdaus).

Mhia’s nomination makes her the first Malay actress to be nominated in the category at the awards.

The winners will be announced at the Golden Horse Awards ceremony in Taipei on November 22.

Shot in Kelantan and Terengganu on Malaysia’s East Coast, the film centres on love, identity, family acceptance and inclusion.

Its dialogue is in Malay, Mandarin and Tamil, alongside sign language, and the film includes the deaf community in its storytelling.

The cast includes Mhia Firdaus, Nandagopall Mohan, Sasha Tang, Amir Ahnaf, Jo Kukathas, Khir Rahman, Farah Ahmad, Ong Ai Leng, Lee Lee-Zen, Vemanna Appannah, Mia Tan Shu Man and Tan Li Yang.

The film is produced by More Entertainment Sdn Bhd and IS Entertainment Co Ltd.