From October 21 to 31, London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF), the largest Asian film festival in the UK, will return to cinemas with a breathtaking program. In collaboration with the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, the curatorial team has selected five Taiwanese films to screen in the festival.
LEAFF's "Official Selection" is a strong lineup of some of the very best films from East Asia, showing three Taiwanese films, featuring "My Missing Valentine (消失的情人節)" by director Chen Yu-hsun (陳玉勳), "The Silent Forest (無聲)" by director Ko Chen-nien (柯貞年), and director Chung Mong-hong's (鍾孟宏) "The Falls (瀑布)."
"The Falls (瀑布)" is Chung Mong-hong's latest work and was just held the world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in early September. The film describes a mother and daughter's fraught relationship and takes an unexpected turn during the pandemic.
Furthermore, "A Leg (腿)," the debut feature of director Chang Yao-sheng (張耀升), has chosen for the "Competition" section. A Taiwanese New Wave classic "Taipei Story (青梅竹馬)" by director Edward Yang (楊德昌) has been selected in the "Retrospective" section.
Hye-Jung Jeon, Director of the London East Asian Film Festival, stated that British cinemas had been greatly affected by the pandemic. "Navigating the pandemic, we are coming back stronger than ever with a vital and exciting lineup from directors new and established. After the past difficult year, our festival is a needed coming together for our diverse community and we are so excited to show such a moving, varied line programme for them to enjoy," she says.
Director of the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK, film professional Dr. Chen Pin-Chuan, also comments on Taiwan's cinematic offerings. "As arts and culture have been recovering from the pandemic, Taiwanese films have been finding larger audiences in the UK. The London East Asian Film Festival provides a major platform for the British public to fall in love with Taiwanese cinema," he said.
The London East Asia Film Festival was established in 2015 as a non-profit arts organization to champion the growing collaboration and diversity in East Asian filmmaking. This year's festival will feature a total of 34 contemporary and classic Asian films.
Individual tickets can be purchased by accessing each of the program strands. For exclusive access, the Festival Passes can be purchased here. For more information, please visit the London East Asia Film Festival website.