Taiwanese film "Day Off (本日公休)" directed by Fu Tien-yu (傅天余) has won the Mulberry Award for Best Screenplay at the 2023 Far East Film Festival (FEFF), beating out 43 films from 11 Asian countries. Members of the international jury pointed out that it was not an easy decision as there were many great submissions this year, however, "Day Off" left a strong impression.
Filmed with support from the MOC in 2020 and co-produced by Bole Film (伯樂影業公司), a joint venture of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and Good Hands Film, the story of "Day Off" was inspired by the director’s family story and it features award-winning Taiwanese actress Lu Hsiao-fen (陸小芬). The film made its debut in Italy on April 24.
At the award ceremony on April 30, Fu Tian-yu expressed her joy, stating that she is honored and delighted to receive recognition from the judges. Her film tells a story about the connections and relationships between people, and she believes it can help bridge cultural and national differences.
The Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy extended congratulations to Fu on behalf of Culture Minister Shih Che, who added that the MOC will continue to make efforts to support Taiwanese content. Minister Shih said that since taking office, he has been actively promoting several projects, such as establishing cooperation mechanisms for investment and funding, with the aim of increasing support for Taiwan’s cultural content in the capital market. In the future, MOC will continue to support and encourage the global screening and promotion of Taiwanese film and television content.
The FEFF in Udine, founded by Centro Espressioni Cinematografiche in 1999, is an annual film festival held in Udine, Italy. The festival entered its 25th edition in 2023 and has long served as an important platform for introducing Asian films to the European market.