2024
Directed by 江宗傑
No matter where you are, not just in Taiwan, international movie fans can easily watch too! The first wave of films from emerging creators are now live in our international section. Featuring top selections from prestigious film festivals like Golden Horse Awards and Golden Harvest Awards, as well as many highly anticipated emerging works for you to explore anytime, anywhere!
More than twenty years have passed. While the circumstances of LGBTQ+ individuals have changed significantly compared to the past, in some ways, it seems as though nothing has changed at all. People are now free to choose their education and careers, yet certain things have never been a matter of personal choice. Even as generations shift, these unspoken struggles continue to unfold every day in different corners of the world. Through the lens of cinema, we witness how they seek their own identities, striving to preserve a voice that cannot be ignored amidst a landscape of understanding, acceptance, and conflict that others never have to face.
The “Kaohsiung Shorts” Film Program is an annual initiative that selects emerging creators through an open call, encouraging diverse themes and creative expressions in short film production. To date, the program has supported over 100 works. In 2024, 6 short films present a rich diversity of perspectives and cinematic styles, showcasing a range of themes from familial conflict and reconciliation to loneliness and interpersonal entanglements.
Vancouver TAIWANfest describes itself as “a festival that wildly encourages dialogue.” But when it comes to gender, there are often many reasons not to talk about it. To save face, to protect the bigger picture, to keep family harmony, or simply to avoid discomfort. When words feel difficult, could film offer another way into the conversation? Through moving images, documentaries, and the intimate realities of individual lives, these works bring us closer to one another. Before rushing to say yes or no, we invite you to first sit with the complexity, diversity, and beauty of being human. Special thanks to our film selectors: Nathalie CHANG(CHANG Yi-Hsum) (Novelist), Rachel (Guitarist, P!SCO), Ted LIAO (Chef, Monsoon), Charlie SMITH (Editor, Pancouver), and Luna (TAIWANfest team).