To promote the diverse LGBTQ culture in Taiwan, the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles has partnered up with Outfest Los Angeles this year for the first time, and will be screening three LGBTQ themed films at the Directors Guild of America (DGA1). Looking for? a documentary feature film will be screened on the evening of July 13th, 2018 and narrative feature films Alifu the Prince/ss and Bao Bao will be screened on July 15th, 2018. Furthermore, a special “Spotlight on Taiwan: Beacon of LGBTQ Rights in Asia” reception will also take place on July 15th, 2018 at 12:30 pm.
Emmy Yang, the Director of Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles notes that Taiwan and Outfest both share the same core values on the issue of gender equality, and that the Taiwan Academy is very proud to be a sponsor of “Taiwan Day” at Outfest as support for the LGBTQ community through art. Yang states that the three films selected for the festival are all unique in their own ways: Looking for?enters the race as a documentary feature, in which the director Tung-Yen Chou interviews more than 60 gay men on their experience using mobile dating apps to socialize and search for a partner. The movie combines the art of cinema and theater, and has received high acclaim around the world’s film festivals. Alifu the Prince/ss tells the story of a transgender heir to a Paiwan chief, and Director Yu-Lin Wang weaves together three love stories—the adolescent, middle-age, and the elderly—and blurs the line between gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and social class. Finally, in director Guang-Cheng Shie’s Bao Bao, depicting two gay couples’ struggles to build their family in Taiwan, will make its world premiere at Outfest.
Christopher Racster, Executive Director of Outfest stated, “Outfest has been a leader in showcasing films from around the world for over three decades. Time and time again we have seen courageous international filmmakers telling important stories of the human heart, even if it has sometimes meant breaking the law. The only difference in these stories is that they are LGBTQ in nature. On the other side, we have seen audiences open their hearts and be moved to understand why LGBTQ equality matters. We are proud that Taiwan Academy has partnered with Outfest to highlight these remarkable films from Taiwan and show just what a leader their people and government are, in terms of LGBTQ rights.”
The Taiwan Academy also points out that Outfest has always worked to provide the global LGBTQ community a platform for the creation, sharing, and protection of media works, and this year marks the 36th anniversary. Every year, the 11-day long Outfest film festival includes screenings, panels, and parties, and through the years Outfest has nurtured hundreds of filmmakers, as well as over thirty-thousand international LGBTQ films.