The San Diego Asian Film Festival, a major platform for Asian-American cinema, will showcase the latest Taiwanese films at the University of California, San Diego this November.
For five consecutive years, the film festival has introduced films that highlight Taiwan's cultural diversity, languages, and perspectives. This year, "Taiwan Film Showcase” will screen ten films, encompassing features, documentaries, and short films selected for American audiences.
The program will kick off on Nov. 4 with the Taiwanese submission to the 89th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film - "Hang In There, Kids (只要我長大)” by Laha Mebow (陳潔瑤). The film presents a coming-of-age story of three aboriginal boys who embark upon a journey to Taipei with an audio tape after discovering their teacher's talent for singing.
Nov. 5 will screen "Cheerful Wind (風兒踢踏踩),” "Maverick (菜鳥),” and "White Lies, Black Lies (失控謊言),” respectively presenting a classic romantic comedy by Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢), a police drama about corruption and morality by Cheng Wen-tang (鄭文堂), and a thriller that is based on a real murder case by Lou Yi-an (樓一安).
Next to be screened on Nov. 6 are two documentaries that feature Taiwanese immigrants to Japan and poets during the Japanese colonial era - Huang Yin-yu's (黃胤毓) "After Spring, The Tamaki Family (海的彼端)” and Huang Ya-li's (黃亞歷) "Le Moulin (日曜日式散步者).”
On the same day, the "Shorts: Taiwan Adrift” segment will showcase four Taiwanese short films, including "Coin Boy (銅板少年)” by Li Chuan-yang (李權洋), "Arnie (阿尼)” by Rina B. Tsou (鄒隆娜), "Anchorage Prohibited (禁止下錨)” by Chiang Wei-liang (曾威量), and "Single Belief (一念)” by Lee Kang-sheng (李康生).
Director Laha Mebow will also fly to San Diego to join a Nov. 4 forum to share her filming experiences and inspiration for making "Hang In There, Kids.”
Co-organized by the Taiwan Academy in L.A., UCSD Taiwan Studies Lecture Series, and USCD Chuan Lyu Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies, "Taiwan Film Showcase @ UCSD” has become one of the contemporary platforms for showcasing Taiwanese films in western America.
Taiwan Film Showcase @ UCSD
