Pingtung readies for tourism film festival

2015/11/16

The Pingtung International Tourism Film Festival is to kick off Nov.14 in southern Taiwan, hailing the courage of those who travel to unfamiliar destinations and showcasing the amazing variety of Taiwan’s tourist destinations.

Featuring eight movies made in Taiwan and abroad, the screenings will take place at the Pingtung Performing Arts Center and six other venues across the county. The films to be shown are “Island Etude,” “Blue Gold: World Water Wars,” “Due Date,” “Eat, Pray, Love,” “Guilt Trip,” “Wild,” “Land Ho!” and “You Won’t Get to Live Life Twice.”

One highlight is the locally produced 2007 hit picture “Island Etude.” Depicting a hearing-impaired young man cycling around Taiwan, the film is noted for its cinematography capturing the nation’s stunning landscapes. Social and philosophical issues are addressed as the protagonist encounters local residents and learns about their daily lives.

One of the most famous movies showing at the festival is the Hollywood box-office success “Eat, Pray, Love” starring Julia Roberts. The film records the spiritual journey of a divorced woman searching for her true self. After travelling through Italy, India and Indonesia for several months, she finds her wounds healed and becomes happy again.

The other part of the event is a short-film competition. A total of 20 movie production teams are staying for a week in 16 townships in the northern area of Pingtung County to shoot their pieces.

Themed Legends of the Sun’s Homeland, the shorts are required to take a deep look into the culture and surroundings of southernmost Taiwan, which is known for its abundant year-round sunshine. The teams are expected to explore historical events and unearth ancient myths of the area in order to film compelling stories.

“In addition to Kenting National Park, magnificent natural scenery and abundant culture are out there, just waiting for people to discover,” Pingtung County Magistrate Pan Meng-an said at a Nov. 12 promotional event.

“We hope to promote the amazing attributes of local tourist attractions to bring in more visitors via the contest,” he said. “This first-ever festival also serves as an incentive to encourage more production teams to film in Pingtung.”

The top winners for best short film and best screenplay are to be revealed Nov. 21, and will earn cash prizes of NT$300,000 (US$9,118) and NT$150,000, respectively, according to lead judge Tsai Kuo-jung, the screenwriter for Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=238855&ctNode=2194&mp=9)