Winners of the Trending Taiwan Short Film Competition, an annual competition organized by the Department of International Information Services under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were awarded at a ceremony Nov. 6 in Taipei City.
The fifth edition of the event, which seeks to share eye-catching and heartwarming aspects of Taiwan and its society with the world, saw 12 submissions selected from a 115-strong field. The winner’s rostrum comprised one first place-getter collecting NT$200,000 (US$6,522); two seconds, NT$60,000 apiece; three thirds, NT$30,000; and six honorable mentions, NT$20,000.
“Mom’s Way,” a tale of three mothers in rural Taiwan attempting to maintain close emotional bonds with children living and working in other parts of the country, took top honors. Chen Ching-ho, one of six competition judges and vice president of Taipei’s Shih Hsin University, said the short won out on the strength of its complete narrative structure, high production values and moving storyline.
DIIS Director-General Henry M. J. Chen said the competition is a blue-ribbon platform for spotlighting celluloid creativity while raising global awareness of Taiwan and its 23 million people.
The department is working tirelessly to promote Taiwan via a comprehensive social media-centered digital diplomacy strategy, Chen said. The smorgasbord of films on offer this year also demonstrates the success of the initiative and its effectiveness in advancing Taiwan’s soft power, he added.
Trending Taiwan’s YouTube channel plays a front-line role in this process, Chen said, adding that since its launch in 2015, more than 1,000 cultural- and tourism-focused videos have been uploaded to date.
According to DIIS, all of the awarded submissions are available on Trending Taiwan’s YouTube channel with English subtitles. (Ray-E)
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