Taiwan Film Festival in Australia

Opening Night Film: OLD FOX directed by, Hsiao Ya-Chuan

• Set in 1980s Taiwan. It depicts the idyllic nostalgia of the economic optimism during the era and the ambitious dreams of the working class. The film won four Golden Horse Awards, including Best Director, Best Original Film Score, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Makeup & Costume Design. Executive produced by the honoured Taiwanese filmmaker, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Osaka Fumiko (Seediq Bale, 2011), and Elisa Y.H. Lin (Little Big Women, 2020).

International Co-Production Projects

• Award-winning actor Lee Hong-Chi (Thanatos, Drunk, 2015) embarks on his directorial debut in a stylish neo-noir drama, LOVE IS A GUN, with elegant long takes that meander from the vibrant cityscape to the enigmatic urban countryside.

• Critically acclaimed Malaysian director Chong Keat-Aun (The Story of Southern Islet, 2020) returns with a powerful and emotional sophomore feature, SNOW IN MIDSUMMER. This poignant film delves into the tumultuous events of Malaysian history, notably the 13 May incident in 1969.

• Award-winning Japanese director Michihito Fujii (The Last 10 Years, 2022) collaborates with renowned actor Chang Chen (Happy Together, 1997) as Executive Producer to present 18x2 BEYOND YOUTHFUL DAYS, an evocative tale of young love.

• SALLI, a romantic family dramedy resonates with the timeless yearning for love within those walls—from seeking and abandonment to self-discovery. 

Starstruck Section

• BREAKING AND RE-ENTERING, directed by Wang Ding-Lid, is a riotous, action-packed comedy, brimming with absurd ideas and quirky humour from start to finish.

• TALES OF TAIPEI is a dreamy romantic comedy featuring ten collective stories by internationally renowned directors, including Yin Chen-Hao (Man in Love, 2021), Wong Yee-Lam (My Prince Edward, 2019), Pawo Choyning Dorji (The Monk and The Gun, 2023), Rachid Hami (For My Country, 2021), and many more.

• FISH MEMORIES, director Chen Hung-I returns with yet another creative and poetic masterpiece that redefines the essence of Taiwanese cinema and storytelling.

Documentary and First Nations Section 

• FREE BEATS: THE MUSICAL JOURNEY OF CHEN MING CHANG, directed by Lin Cheng-Sheng, documented a legend you must know is Chen Ming-Chang whose work spans various movie soundtracks, including Dust in the Wind (1986), The Puppetmaster (1993), Hirokazu Koreeda's first feature film Maborosi (1995).

• BRAVING THE PEAK, directed by Lin Cheng-Sheng, is the first documentary in history to comprehensively present the entirety of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

• AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP, reconstructs, through police body camera footage, media reports, and firsthand interviews with family members, the profound structural shadows obscured by bullets and authority.

• THE WOMAN CARRYING THE PREY, directed by Rngrang Hungul, this documentary follows Heydi Mijung, a Truku woman who is the only female hunter in her tribe. Screening with TAYAL FOREST CLUB (Laha Mebow, 2023), DUNGKU ASANG (Tommaso MuzzI, 2023), and KIPUAPUTR (Lil Ku, 2023), as part of the First Nations Selection.

Check out the full program now: https://www.taiwanfilmfestival.org.au/