Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the American Film Market (AFM) is taking place from November 6 to 13 in Santa Monica. Under the supervision of the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, Ministry of Culture, the Taiwan Film Institute (TFI) sets up a Taiwan Cinema booth at the AFM with Taiwanese film releases and projects in production over the past year, including 35 narrative features, 17 documentaries, 27 short films, 6 restored classics, and 7 film projects. Also, 6 Taiwanese distributors attend the AFM this year.
CHANG Tso-chi’s ninth feature film, Synapses (那個我最親愛的陌生人), is based on his experience of taking care of his mother with Alzheimer's disease. Through the story of a family in turmoil, the film asks what would remain in one’s life if he or she starts progressively losing his or her memory. It shares with the audience a journey about love and family affairs. CHANG has previously received five nominations for Best Director at the Golden Horse Awards and has collaborated with LU Hsueh-feng (呂雪鳳), the film’s lead actress, numerous times. LU has delivered a very impressive performance in Synapses, for which she received her first nomination for Best Actress at the 2019 Golden Horse Awards.
▲Synapses
The Shooting of 319 (幻術), directed by FU Chang-feng (符昌鋒), is based on a true event and tackles Taiwan’s contemporary politics. It marks a new chapter in Taiwan’s genre movies. For the documentary Walking Dharma (如常), directors HSIEH Hsin-chih (謝欣志) and CHEN Chih-an (陳芝安) spent one and a half year to shoot and carried out research in Taitung, one of Taiwan’s most beautiful counties known for its breathtaking landscapes. However, it is also a remote area with a shortage of medical resource and a slowdown in economic growth. The film depicts the people there, who persevere despite adversity.
▲The Shooting of 319
▲ Walking Dharma
In addition, several new upcoming titles will appear at the AFM this year: TSENG Wen-jen’s (曾文珍) Love before Sunset (日落之前) follows the lives of elderly people living alone and took more than two years to make. Legend of Sun Walker: The Plantain Fan (孫行者傳：群力降妖記) is a 3D animation well received at the International Animation Film Market (Mifa) in Annecy this June. Furthermore, a woman diagnosed with breast cancer takes centre stage in Breast and House (乳．房), a movie addressing real situations in Taiwan society.
▲Love before Sunset
▲Legend of Sun Walker: The Plantain Fan
▲Breast and House
For latest Taiwanese
film please download the brochure (PDF) here: 2019 TaiwanCinema BooK
