(AFP) - Taiwanese director Ang Lee's erotic spy thriller "Lust, Caution" swept the top honours at the Golden Horse Film Awards, seen as the Chinese-language Oscars.
"Lust, Caution," took home seven awards, including the coveted best film, best director, and best actor accolades.
Lee was also recognised as the outstanding Taiwanese filmmaker of the year at the 44th edition of the awards in a glittering ceremony in the Taipei Arena.
"I am really moved by the audience's overwhelming support (of the film) in Taiwan and in Asia. I feel like I am sharing a joint effort with them," Lee said.
The film, called "Se, Jie " in Chinese, also bagged best make-up and costume design, best original film score, best screenplay adaptation for Lee's long-time filmmaking partner James Schamus and best new performer for Chinese actress Tang Wei .
"Lust, Caution" in September picked up the Golden Lion for best picture at the Venice Film Festival.
Lee, noted for blending elements from East and West to depict characters struggling to fit into society and live up to family pressure, won the best director Oscar for his groundbreaking gay cowboy drama " Brokeback Mountain" in 2006.
He last won a Golden Horse for directing in 1993 for family drama "The Wedding Banquet" about a gay man faking marriage to meet cultural demands.
Hong Kong star Tony Leung Chiu- wei garnered an unprecedented third best actor title for his performance as a powerful Japanese collaborator in "Lust, Caution," which is set in World War II Shanghai.
He defeated fellow Hong Konger Aaron Kwok, who was also seeking a third best actor gong.
Leung, who was absent from the ceremony, won best actor in 2003 for the hit police thriller "Infernal Affairs" and in 1994 for the love story " Chungking Express."
Chinese-American veteran Joan Chen beat top rival Tang Wei to take her second best actress crown for her performance in "The Home Song Stories."
"I am overwhelmed by the award because there are fewer good roles to choose for a middle-aged (actress) and this award is much more important to me than the previous one" received in 1994, Chen said.
The film depicts the troubled love life of Chen's character after moving to Australia from Shanghai with her two children. It is competing for a best foreign language film Oscar representing Australia next year.
Chinese starlet Fan Bingbing took best supporting actress for her role in the ghost movie "The Matrimony."
Hong Kong's Tong Leung Ka- fai won best supporting actor in "The Drummer," a story about a renegade gangster inspired by Chinese Zen drumming while in hiding.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese pop prince Jay Chou's directorial debut "Secret," depicting a mysterious romance, won best original song and best visual effects awards and was named as outstanding Taiwanese film of the year.
Some 36 films were nominated at this year's Golden Horse Film Awards, which are styled on the US Academy Awards but decided by a jury, as at the Cannes film festival.