Works by two Taiwan directors have been selected to screen at the 30th edition of the Geneva International Film Festival, underscoring the country’s vibrant art sphere.
Director Chou Tung-yen’s extended reality work “Free UR Head” will have eight showings in the festival’s Virtual Territories program Nov. 7-10, held with support from the Ministry of Culture and Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris. Additionally, Director Hsieh Wen-yee’s virtual reality piece “Limbophobia” was shortlisted in the International Immersive Experience Competition, contending against other eight works, the MOC said.
According to the ministry, “Free UR Head” was previously shortlisted in the Venice Immersive July 9-Aug. 28. The 30-minute work allows the audience to interact with live dancers via virtual reality headsets in an exploration of the boundary between performer and viewer.
“Limbophobia” utilizes construction and deconstruction imagery to portray the loss of insight in collective society, the MOC said, adding that with his background in architectural design, Hsieh is unique in his manipulation of image structure and spatial tension.
TCC in Paris Director Hu Ching-fang said GIFF has increasingly focused on new media and digital art in recent years, and the festival has grown in global influence.
Founded in 1995, GIFF is one of the pioneers in the selection and introduction of television drama and new media works. This year, a total of 93 creations from 15 countries have been selected to screen at the festival, including 44 feature films, 26 TV dramas and 23 XR pieces, the MOC said. (POC-E)
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