The 2023 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) will run from May 11 to 21. The festival will showcase a variety of films, including the Golden Horse Award-winning Taiwanese movies Gaga and Coo-Coo 43, which received recognition for Best Director and Best Feature, respectively. Additionally, the festival will present Demigod: The Legend Begins, which was awarded Best Animation at the Taipei Film Festival. After the screening of Gaga, the director Laha Mebow will be present to participate in a Q&A session.
Gaga is a film that portrays the challenges faced by a multigenerational Atayal family's struggle with integrating modern values with their deeply rooted traditional Gaga beliefs. This theme speaks to the universal experience of grappling with family stories. In contrast, Coo-Coo 43 is a somber drama that tells a compelling story of a family who makes a living through the Chinese pastime of pigeon racing. The film's realistic and understated style provides a detailed examination of the complex and unsettling issues that surround these marginalized characters. Through this film, the director sheds light on the lives of those who are on the periphery of society.
DEMIGOD: The Legend Begins is a thrilling fantasy film that employs captivating Taiwanese puppetry to depict the journey of Su Hua-Jen, a skilled martial artist, as he navigates through nefarious plots, perilous situations involving life and death, and inner conflicts. These three Taiwanese films have been selected to be part of several programs, including Asia Crossroads, cINeDIGENOUS, and WTF (Wild, Terrifying, Fantastic) this year, which highlights the various facets of Taiwanese film.
Founded in 1976, SIFF is well-known for supporting independent films and rated as one of the world's top 50 film festivals that should not be missed. This year, it will screen 264 films from 74 countries, with online streaming to follow from May 22 to May 28. For more details, please visit the official website of the film festival: https://www.siff.net/festival/programs-2023.