Five movies and 24 filmmakers will represent Taiwan at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, Chu Wen-ching, head of the Ministry of Culture’s Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, said May 6.
“The Taiwan Pavilion will help market the country’s motion pictures and make them better known on the world stage,” Chu said.
“Rescue,” by Chi Po-chou and Yang Dow-ning, Chiang Wei-liang’s “When the Cold Wind Blows,” Hung Chia-li’s “The City” and Maurice Lai’s “Rite of City–Reminisce” have been nominated in the event’s Short Film Corner category, while trailers for “Battle Spirit” by Golden Bell Award-winning director Tang Chen-yu will also be screened.
One of the highlights of the festival is the premiere of Taipei Factory, a joint project aiming to bring young directors onto the international stage, launched by the Taipei Film Commission and Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight.
Taiwan directors Chang Jung-chi, Singing Chen, Shen Ko-shang and Midi Zhao have paired up with Iranian Alireza Khatami, South Korean Jero Yun, Chilean Luis Cifuentes and Joana Preiss of France, respectively, to shoot 15-minute films.
Their movies, exploring shared concerns regarding home and identity, have been combined into an hour-long work to be screened on the opening day of the Directors’ Fortnight May 16.
Separately, Liou Wei-gong, commissioner of Taipei City Government Department of Cultural Affairs, said an increasing number of directors from home and abroad have chosen to make films in Taiwan.
Since its establishment in 2008, the TFC has assisted in the production of 1,495 movies and telenovelas, among which 175 were transnational cooperative projects, Liou said, adding that the city government is mulling the launch of an audiovisual and music park in hopes of bolstering the industry. (THN)
Write to Grace Kuo at mlkuo@mofa.gov.tw