Girlfriends (2025 film)
| Girlfriends | |
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Festival release poster | |
| Traditional Chinese | 女孩不平凡 |
| Literal meaning | Girl is extraordinary |
| Directed by | Tracy Choi |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Simmy Sin Mei Cheong |
| Edited by | Chen Ching Lei |
| Music by | Ellison Lau |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Golden Scene |
Release date |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages |
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| Budget | US$1.024 million[1] |
Girlfriends (Chinese: 女孩不平凡) is a 2025 Cantonese-language coming-of-age, LGBTQ romance film directed by Tracy Choi. The film starring Fish Liew, Jennifer Yu, Elizabeth Tang and Natalie Hsu, chronicles a woman’s growth through three love stories at ages 17, 22 and 34.[2]
The film had its world premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in the 'Visions – Asia' section on September 20, 2025.[3] Elizabeth Tang Tao was nominated for Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards to be held in Taipei on November 22, 2025.[4]
Synopsis
Lok, a 34-year-old filmmaker from Macau, faces creative block and personal pressure in Hong Kong. Her career has stalled and her girlfriend Bei urges her toward a conventional married life. Grappling with burnout and indecision, Lok revisits her past identities: "Choi" at 22 in Taiwan, caught in a fading relationship and uncertain future, and "Yan" at 17 in Macau, where a first love exposed the gap between idealism and reality.
These reflections made Lok confront the ongoing tension between artistic ambition and emotional stability, questioning whether to embrace an ordinary life or continue chasing something extraordinary.
Cast
- Fish Liew as Lok
- Jennifer Yu as Bei
- Elizabeth Tang as Choi
- Natalie Hsu as Yan
- Han Ning as Kai Ching
- Eliz Lau as Faye
- Candy Man as Mother
- Kin Tak Chan as Father
Production
The film was shortlisted for the 23rd Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum (HAF23), one of the projects of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, and the Work-in-Progress Program (WIP).[5][6]
The film was made with a production budget of US$1.024 million.[1]
Release
Girlfriends had its world premiere at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in the 'Visions – Asia' section on 20 September 2025.[7][8]
The film is expected to be released in Taiwan in 2026.[9]
Accolades
The film competed for various Vision Awards at Busan International Film Festival.
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan International Film Festival | September 26, 2025 | Vision Awards | Girlfriends | Nominated | [10] |
| Golden Horse Awards | November 22, 2025 | Best Supporting Actress | Elizabeth Tang Tao | Pending | [4] |
References
- ^ a b "女孩不平凡" [HKIFF Industry: Girl is extraordinary]. Hong Kong International Film Festival (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Girlfriends – A Coming of Age LGBTQ Romance". Serendipity Films. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Choi Young-joo (19 August 2025). "아시아의 현재와 미래 이끌 감독의 23편, 부산서 만난다" [23 films by directors leading Asia's present and future will be presented in Busan.]. Nocut News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ a b Wong, Silvia (1 October 2025). "'A Foggy Tale', 'Left-Handed Girl' lead Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards nominations". Screen Daily. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ Fu, Sing-ka (11 April 2025). "《骨妹》團隊再合作《女孩不平凡》 新一代港導徐欣羨 信逆境才有轉機" [Sisterhood's crew collaborates again on Girlfriends. New generation Hong Kong director Tracy Hsu believes that adversity can lead to a turnaround.]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Wong, Gary (18 March 2025). "【HAF專訪】《女孩不平凡》導演徐欣羡、監製廖婉虹＆陳斯婷" [[HAF Exclusive Interview] Girlfriends's Director Tracy Hsu, Producers Jacqueline Liu & Estela Valdivieso Chen]. Film Pilgrimage (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "[BIFF Press Release] Announcing the 'Vision – Korea' and 'Vision – Asia' Selections of the 30th BIFF" (Press release). Busan International Film Festival. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Naman Ramachandran (19 August 2025). "Busan Film Festival Expands Vision Section, Launches Innovation Platform". Variety. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Wang, Hsin-yu (19 August 2025). "「女孩不平凡」拍亞洲女性故事 入圍釜山展望單元" [Girlfriends, a film about Asian women, was shortlisted for the Busan Vision Project]. Central News Agency (in Chinese). Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ Kim Ji-hye (19 August 2025). "BIFF, '비전 - 한국, 아시아' 선정작 23편 공개…독립영화의 새로운 가능성" [BIFF unveils 23 films selected for its "Vision - Korea, Asia" program, showcasing new possibilities for independent films.]. SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
External links
- Girlfriends at IMDb