With support from Ministry of Culture (MOC), Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles partners with Frameline45 San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival to virtually present "Focus on Taiwan (聚焦臺灣)" from June 17 to 27, showcasing the creative abundance of Taiwan, the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
The program comprises 3 feature films, 1 shorts block entitled "Taiwan Shorts," and a "Taiwan Focus" panel discussion. The lineup includes Golden Horse Awards winner "Dear Tenant (親愛的房客)," directed by Cheng Yu-chieh (鄭有傑), which portrays unconditional love and family relationship; another feature film "As We Like It(皆大歡喜)," co-directed by Chen Hung-i (陳宏一) and Muni Wei (魏瑛娟), depicts the love fairytales of four couples. "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (明天記得愛上我)" reflects modern people’s confusion over love, marriage, and life.
The short films includes "Unnamed (未命名)" and "Hidden (迷藏)," both films discuss the issues of confusion of sexuality and self-identity. "Undercurrent (宵禁)," sets against the backdrop of the martial art period. Moreover, director Su Hui-yu's (蘇匯宇) new work "The Women’s Revenge (女性的復仇)" will be screened under the category of "Dark Twisted Fantasies.”
To shed light on the development of Taiwan's LGBT-themed cinema, a panel discussion will be available for worldwide viewing on YouTube and the festival's Facebook page on June 23.
Founded in 1977 by media arts nonprofit Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival has become the longest-running and largest LGBTQ film festival in the United States. In compliance with the COVID-19 policies, the festival extends the duration of the festival which will be held in both online and offline format.