The inaugural Malaysia & Taiwan Film Festival, which was co-organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia (TECO Malaysia) and the Kuala Lumpur Chinese TV & Film Association (KLCTFA), was held in Kuala Lumpur this July.
The festival, which took place from July 19 through 26, kicked off with the Golden Butterfly Awards ceremony and ran a week-long program of film screenings, film discussion forums, and speeches.
Taiwanese actress, singer, and TV personality Pai Ping-ping (白冰冰) was awarded the Golden Butterfly Award for Best Actress for "Like Life (人生按個讚),” and filmmaker Huang Chao-liang (黃朝亮) was named Best Director for "The Wonderful Wedding (大囍臨門).”
The ceremony was joined by over 20 film professionals from Taiwan, including Lee You-ning (李祐寧), Huang Ming-cheng (黃銘正), Gavin Lin (林孝謙), Lien Jen-hui (連禎惠), Hu Chung-kuang (胡仲光), and Huang Wen-ji (黃文姬).
The visiting Taiwanese delegation joined Malaysian professionals to share their experiences and explore issues on film production and national policies in forums held during the festival.
A total of twelve films, of which six were from Taiwan, were showcased in the Premium-X Cinemas, including "The Wonderful Wedding,” "Like Life,” "Two Idiots (傻瓜向前衝),” "BATTLE UP! (舞鬥),” "Welcome to the Happy Days (五星級魚干女),” and "The Arti: the Adventure Begins (奇人密碼).”
In addition, the Taiwan Film Producer Association (中華民國製片協會) signed a memorandum of understanding with KLCTFA for future collaboration during the annual film festival.
2016 Golden Butterfly Awards winners
From left to right: The event was attended by Mohd Khair Ngadiron, head of the Malaysian Institute of Translation and Books (ITBM); Mohamed Juhari Shaarani, director-general of Istana Budaya; Budiman Mohd Zohdi, ITBM chairman; Chang Chi-ping, head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia; Wu Heng Can (吳恆燦), chairman of the Malaysia Han Culture Centre; and Peggy Chou, director of the Cultural Division in Kuala Lumpur.
Best Potential Actors
HouSon Ng (黃侯升), "Huat The Fish (四個愚夫之金玉滿堂)”
Chen Liang-cheng (成亮澄), "Like Life (人生按個讚)”
Best Potential Actresses
Thian Siew Kim (鄧綉金), "Seventh (守夜)”
Sabrina (齊婕), "Like Life”
Best Original Soundtrack
"Ordinary Father (平凡爸爸),” "Love Endures (愛存在)”
Best Emerging Actor
Andrew Chau (周厚安), "Welcome to the Happy Days”
Best Emerging Actress
Thian Siew Kim (鄧綉金), "Seventh”
Best Potential Director
Teng Bee (馬逸騰), "Kepong Gangster 2 (甲洞2)”
Best 3D Animated Film
"The Arti: the Adventure Begins”
Best Supporting Actor
Wang Rui (王睿), "My Mr. Right (我的Mr. Right)”
Best Supporting Actress
Gan Mei Yan (顏薇恩), "Huat The Fish”
Best Actor
Liu Kai-chi (廖啟智), "Love Endures”
Best Actress
Pai Bing-bing, "Like Life”
Best Screenplay
Huang Ming-cheng, Tsai Yi-chun (蔡逸君), "Two Idiots”
Lu An-shian (呂安弦), Gavin Lin, "Welcome to the Happy Days”
Best Emerging Director
Yoko Chou (周學立), "My Mr. Right”
Best Director
Huang Chao-liang, "The Wonderful Wedding”
Best Local Film
"Huat the Fish”
Best Film
"The Wonderful Wedding”
