Eight Taiwan productions, including three feature-length movies, are to be screened at the 42nd Asian American International Film Festival running July 25 to Aug. 3 in New York.
The local lineup is headed by a 25th anniversary presentation of Shu Lea Cheang’s 80-minute debut “Fresh Kill.” Premiering in 1994 at the Berlin International Film Festival, the movie tells a story of corporate conspiracies, pollution and community activism.
Cheang is also scheduled to share her four decades of experience in filmmaking and digital arts at a panel discussion July 27.
Equally thought-provoking is Valerie Soe’s documentary “Love Boat: Taiwan,” which examines the changing identities of the country’s overseas diaspora from the perspectives of Compatriot Youth Taiwan Study Tour alumni. It scooped the Audience Choice Award at this year’s Urban Nomad Film Festival in Taipei City.
Another highlight is Malaysia-born director-writer Ho Wi-ding’s “Cities of Last Things.” Depicting events from a former police officer’s life in reverse chronological order across three nights, the movie won top honors at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform section last year and the Grand Prize at the 2019 Beaune International Thriller Film Festival.
Complementing the features are five shorts by emerging Taiwan-American directors: Clifford Miu’s “Ah Gong,” Athena Han’s “Bunny Man,” Serena Kuo’s “End of Summer,” Eugene Suen’s “Masters of Divinity” and Roxy Shih’s “The Visit.”
AAIFF is the first and longest-running film festival in the U.S. dedicated to promoting and showcasing independent Asian and Asian-American movies. (CPY-E)
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