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SIFF 2021 Launches Taiwan Cinema

  • Date:2021-04-05

Taiwan cinema grabs international attention again! Four Taiwanese films are selected in the Asia Crossroads program at 2021 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), kicking off from April 8th, 2021. The lineup includes the five Golden Horse awards’ winner My Missing Valentine, Final Exam, Get The Hell Out, and The Teacher, which will be available on demand from April 8th to 18th. 

 the support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles, 2021 SIFF releases eye-catching Taiwanese films again. Among the lineup, My Missing Valentine is a time-shifting romantic comedy directed by Yu-Hsun Chen about the loneliness and growth of modern people. It scooped Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing at the Golden Horse Awards. It was also selected for the Busan International Film Festival. Final Exam by the Taiwanese female director Chen-ti Kuo depicts a substitute teacher confronting with life struggle seven days before the final exam. It reflects the education crisis provoked by declining birth rates in Taiwan and was also selected for the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, Argentina.

Moreover, the martial arts infused zombie satire comedy Get The Hell Out, directed by I-Fan Wang, was the winner of Best Action Choreography at the Golden Horse Awards. It was also selected for Toronto International Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, and San Diego Asian Film Festival. The Teacher, directed by Ming-Lang Chen, is a story about the limits of acceptance of LGBTQ people as Taiwan became the first country in Asia to pass a marriage-equality law. It won Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Horse Awards, and was selected for Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival.

Besides film screenings, SIFF partners with the Taiwan Studies Program, the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, to host a Taiwanese Filmmaker Roundtable at 6:30pm PDT on April 13rd. The event will connect the filmmakers from Final Exam, The Teacher, and Get The Hell Out virtually via Zoom with the students of the University of Washington. The filmmakers will share the stories of Taiwanese cultural essence and the development of Taiwan’s film industry. 

Founded in 1976, SIFF is among the top film festivals in North America, which runs for over 25 days from May to June. The American iconic entertainment publication Variety called it one of the world's "50 unmissable film festivals." This year, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SIFF will take place virtually from April 8th to 18th, showcasing 92 features and 126 shorts from 69 countries.