Inaugural Taiwanese Film Biennial kicks off in Los Angeles

2017/10/23

The inaugural Taiwanese Film Biennial kicks off Oct. 20 in Los Angeles, presenting 14 classic and contemporary works spanning such genres as art house, documentary, drama and suspense.
 
 Jointly organized by the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles and the Film and Television Archive of the University of California, Los Angeles, the event runs until Nov. 19 at the Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater. The lineup features iconic movies such as 1968 action film “Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters” by filmmaker Chen Hung-min and 1978 drama “Moon Fascinating, Bird Sweet” by Chen Yao-chi as well as modern productions including coming-of-age tale “The Gangster’s Daughter” by Chen Mei-juin and Huang Ya-li’s “Le Moulin,” an experimental documentary examining 1930s Taiwan poets.
 
 Chen Mei-juin and Huang will hold audience discussions following the screenings of their works, scheduled for Oct. 20 and Nov. 5, respectively. A panel will also be staged after the Oct. 22 showing of “Face Taiwan: Power of Taiwan Cinema,” a documentary by Hsiao Chu-chen exploring the nation’s contemporary cinematic landscape and the enduring impact of the new Taiwan cinema movement of the 1980s.
 
 The industry panel, titled Taiwan in the Global Cinema Marketplace, will feature industry experts including Hollywood writer and producer Robert Cain, “The Gangster’s Daughter” director Chen as well as “Face Taiwan: Power of Taiwan Cinema” producer Jane H. C. Yu.
 
 In addition, the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles is holding a special exhibition in conjunction with the film festival titled “Our Time: Taiwan New Cinema.” Running through Nov. 18, the event focuses on the careers and impact of five pivotal filmmakers from the new Taiwan cinema movement, Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Mark Lee Ping-bing, Tsai Ming-liang and Wu Nien-jen.
 
 The new Taiwan cinema movement comprised a wave of socially conscious movies characterized by their slow pace and realistic depictions of contemporary life. According to the academy, the film festival and exhibition aim to foster appreciation of Taiwan’s cinematic culture and the unique artistic and stylistic innovations of its leading lights.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=123517)