The Seattle chapter of Taiwanese American Professionals (TAP) is proud to host the first Seattle Taiwanese American Film Festival on Friday June 29 - Sunday July 1, 2018, at the University of Washington and SIFF Uptown Cinema. The first of its kind and in partnership with Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival and partly sponsored by the Taiwanese Ministry of Culture, the Seattle Taiwanese American Film Festival presents seven feature films representing the best in recent Taiwanese and Taiwanese American cinema.
The Festival will also bring award-winning directors Li-chou Yang (Father) and Charlie Chu (Formosa 3D) all the way from Taiwan to attend Q&A sessions following screenings of their films. Yang’s Father is a documentary that follows Taiwanese puppetry master Hsi-huang Chen’s struggle to promote his trade at the age of 79. Taiwanese puppetry, once a national pastime, faces decreasing audiences in a modern world more fascinated with screens than wooden stages. Yang will be bringing with him Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) equipment from Taiwan that will allow festival-goers to experience traditional Taiwanese puppetry with modern technologies.
Director Charlie Chu’s Formosa 3D is a groundbreaking 3D film showcasing Taiwan’s lush beauty and traditional crafts. Stunning scenes include a vibrant underwater world, a mountain landscape, and prominent artisans such as the oil-paper umbrella master and the drum-maker. Formosa 3D presents exquisite scenery and traditional craftsmen to remind us of the beauty of Taiwan. With this project, Chu won the 3D Creative Arts Award International Jury Prize at the same award ceremony as Director Ang Lee.
The Festival will also feature The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful, which won Best Feature Film and Best Leading Actress at the 54th Golden Horse Awards—the premier awards for excellence in Chinese-language cinema in Taiwan. Other films include Pakeriran, Take Me to the Moon, The Great Buddha+, and Journey of 35. All non-English language films will be presented with English subtitles.
The Seattle Taiwanese American Film Festival also honors short films selected from the best submissions to the 2017 Los Angeles Taiwanese American Film Festival, including Patriotic Lottery, The Blue Jet, Never Let You Go, Color Positive, and Pool to Table.