| Year | Director | Film | Other nominees |
|---|
| 1962 | Doe Ching | Les Belles | |
| 1963 | Li Han-hsiang | The Love Eterne | |
| 1965 | Li Hsing | Beautiful Duckling | |
| 1966 | Li Han-hsiang | | |
| 1967 | Lee Chia | Orchids and My Love | |
| 1968 | Pai Ching-jui | Lonely Seventeen | |
| 1969 | Pai Ching-jui | The Bride and I | |
| 1970 | Chang Tseng-chai | From the Highway | |
| 1971 | Ting Shan-hsi | The Ammunition Hunter | |
| 1972 | Li Hsing | Execution in Autumn | |
| 1973 | Cheng Kang | The 14 Amazons | |
| 1975 | Liu Yi | Long Way from Home | |
| 1976 | Chang Pei-cheng | The Venturer | |
| 1977 | Chang Tseng-chai | Heroes in the Eastern Sky | |
| 1978 | Li Hsing | He Never Gives Up | Chen Yao-chi - The Diary of Di Di
Michael Hui - The Contract |
| 1979 | King Hu | Legend of the Mountain | Li Hsing - The Story of a Small Town
Tu Chung-hsun - A Special Smile |
| 1980 | Wang Chu-chin | The Legend of the Six Dynasty | Ann Hui - The Secret
Ting Shan-hsi - Magnificent 72 |
| 1981 | Tsui Hark | All the Wrong Clues for the Right Solution | - Tong Ban Tong Xue
Patrick Tam - Love Massacre |
| 1982 | Alex Cheung | Man on the Brink | Hou Hsiao-hsien - The Green, Green Grass of Home
Peter Yung - Life After Life |
| 1983 | Chen Kun-hou | Growing Up | Choi Kai-kwong - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Edward Yang - That Day, on the Beach |
| 1984 | Johnny Mak | Long Arm of the Law | Chang Yi - Jade Love
Hou Hsiao-hsien - The Boys from Fengkuei |
| 1985 | Chang Yi | Kuei-Mei, a Woman | Chen Kun-hou - His Matrimony
Hou Hsiao-hsien - The Time to Live and the Time to Die |
| 1986 | John Woo | A Better Tomorrow | Sylvia Chang - Passion
Li Hsing - The Heroic Pioneers |
| 1987 | Wang Toon | Strawman | Jackie Chan - Project A II
Mabel Cheung - An Autumn's Tale |
| 1988 | Alex Law | Painted Faces | Ann Hui - Starry is the Night
Wong Kar-wai - As Tears Go By |
| 1989 | Hou Hsiao-hsien | City of Sadness | Stanley Kwan - Full Moon in New York
Yang Li-kuo - The Dull-Ice Flower |
| 1990 | Yim Ho | Red Dust | Clara Law - Farewell, China
Yeh Hung-wei - The Story of a Gangster |
| 1991 | Wong Kar-wai | Days of Being Wild | Stanley Kwan - Centre Stage
Ang Lee - Pushing Hands
Edward Yang - A Brighter Summer Day |
| 1992 | Wang Toon | Hill of No Return | Evans Chan - To Liv(e)
Chou Tan - The Noblest Way to Die
Tsai Ming-liang - Rebels of the Neon God |
| 1993 | Ang Lee | The Wedding Banquet | Jacob Cheung - Cageman
Clara Law - Autumn Moon
Derek Yee - C'est la vie, mon chéri |
| 1994 | Tsai Ming-liang | Vive L'Amour | Stanley Kwan - Red Rose, White Rose
Wong Kar-wai - Chungking Express
Edward Yang - A Confucian Confusion |
| 1995 | Hou Hsiao-hsien | Good Men, Good Women | Chen Yu-hsun - Tropical Fish
Ann Hui - Summer Snow
Wan Jen - Super Citizen Ko |
| 1996 | Jiang Wen | In the Heat of the Sun | Clara Law - Floating Life
Wang Toon - Red Persimmon
Derek Yee and Lo Chi-leung - Viva Erotica |
| 1997 | Fruit Chan | Made in Hong Kong | Ho Ping - Wolves Cry Under the Moon
Clifton Ko - The Mad Phoenix
Wong Kar-wai - Happy Together |
| 1998 | Joan Chen | | Chen Kuo-fu - The Personals
Mabel Cheung - City of Glass
Hou Hsiao-hsien - Flowers of Shanghai |
| 1999 | Ann Hui | Ordinary Heroes | Chang Tso-chi - Darkness and Light
Teddy Chan - Purple Storm
Ringo Lam - Victim |
| 2000 | Johnnie To | The Mission | Ann Hu - Shadow Magic
Ang Lee - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Wong Kar-wai - In the Mood for Love |
| 2001 | Stanley Kwan | Lan Yu | Fruit Chan - Durian Durian
Tsai Ming-liang - What Time Is It There?
Wang Xiaoshuai - Beijing Bicycle |
| 2002 | Fruit Chan | Hollywood Hong Kong | Peter Chan - Three: Going Home
Chang Tso-chi - The Best of Times
Lam Wah-tsuen - The Runaway Pistol |
| 2003 | Andrew Lau and Alan Mak | Infernal Affairs | Pang Ho-cheung - Men Suddenly in Black
Johnnie To - PTU
Tsai Ming-liang - Goodbye, Dragon Inn |
| 2004 | Johnnie To | Breaking News | Fruit Chan - Three...Extremes: Dumplings
Lu Chuan -
Derek Yee - One Nite in Mongkok |
| 2005 | Stephen Chow | Kung Fu Hustle | Hou Hsiao-hsien - Three Times
Johnnie To - Election
Tsai Ming-liang - The Wayward Cloud |
| 2006 | Peter Chan | Perhaps Love | Ning Hao - Crazy Stone
Su Chao-pin - Silk
Johnnie To - Exiled |
| 2007 | Ang Lee | Lust, Caution | Jiang Wen - The Sun Also Rises
Yau Nai-hoi - Eye in the Sky
Derek Yee - Protégé |
| 2008 | Peter Chan | The Warlords | Sylvia Chang - Run Papa Run
Pang Ho-cheung - Trivial Matters
Wei Te-sheng - Cape No. 7 |
| 2009 | Leon Dai | No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti | Guan Hu - Cow
Clara Law - Like a Dream
Tsai Ming-liang - Face |
| 2010 | Chung Mong-hong | The Fourth Portrait | Teddy Chan - Bodyguards and Assassins
Chang Tso-chi - When Love Comes
Liu Jie - Judge |
| 2011 | Ann Hui | A Simple Life | Jiang Wen - Let the Bullets Fly
Wei Te-sheng - Seediq Bale
Zhang Meng - The Piano in a Factory |
| 2012 | Johnnie To | Life Without Principle | Gao Qunshu - Beijing Blues
Lou Ye - Mystery
Doze Niu - Love
Yang Ya-che - Girlfriend, Boyfriend |
| 2013 | Tsai Ming-liang | Stray Dogs | Chung Mong-hong - Soul
Jia Zhangke - A Touch of Sin
Johnnie To - Drug War
Wong Kar-wai - The Grandmaster |
| 2014 | Ann Hui | The Golden Era | Diao Yinan - Black Coal, Thin Ice
Lou Ye - Blind Massage
Wang Xiaoshuai - Red Amnesia
Midi Z - Ice Poison |
| 2015 | | The Assassin | Chang Tso-chi - Thanatos, Drunk
Jia Zhangke - Mountains May Depart
Pema Tseden - Tharlo
Tsui Hark - The Taking of Tiger Mountain |
| 2016 | | I Am Not Madame Bovary | Chung Mong-hong - Godspeed
Johnnie To - Three
Derek Tsang - Soul Mate
Midi Z - The Road to Mandalay |
| 2017 | Vivian Qu | Angels Wear White | Geng Jun — Free and Easy
Sylvia Chang — Love Education
Ann Hui — Our Time Will Come
Yang Ya-che — The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful |
| 2018 | Zhang Yimou | Shadow | Jiang Wen — Hidden Man
Lou Ye — A Rain Cloud in the Sky
Bi Gan — Long Day's Journey into Night
Pema Tseden — Jinpa |
| 2019 | Chung Mong-hong | A Sun |
|
| 2020 | Chen Yu-Hsun | My Missing Valentine |
|
| 2021 | Clara Law | Drifting Petals |
|
| 2022 | Laha Mebow | Gaga |
|
| 2023 | Hsiao Ya-chuan | Old Fox |
|
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