主題節目FEATURED PROGRAMS
-
TFAI PicksMore -
Main ProgramMoreBeyond Hot-Blooded Narratives: A Sports Film Selection
The term "hot blood," often synonymous with a spirit of passion, describes the drive to strive for dreams and face challenges without fear. In many sports films, this hot-blooded energy becomes a central element, showcasing the protagonist's growth through uplifting narratives and heroic imagery, delivering a message that hard work always leads to success. But does this kind of storytelling oversimplify the complex realities of the sports world? This program presents seven non-typical sports films that challenge traditional narratives, exploring the struggles and challenges of athletes from different perspectives. Faced with endless training, relentless competitions, and even the threat of death, why do these athletes continue to push their limits? These films downplay the significance of victory, offering open-ended conclusions that reveal another side of sports: beyond competition, they are arenas of human struggle, personal conflict, and societal pressure. 2024 has been a year marked by significant sports moments that resonated deeply with Taiwanese society: the highs and lows of female boxers at the Paris Olympics, the sorrowful news of Tai Tzu-ying's impending retirement, and the tragic loss of mountaineers. These events inspired this program. We hope viewers will, through these films, witness the loneliness and perseverance of athletes as they pursue the extreme, understanding the struggles and humanity hidden beneath the glory of competition, and gain a profound inner experience. These films break away from conventional narratives, using cinematic language and the filmmakers' insights to explore the more complex human emotions and themes within the world of sports. Werner Herzog's The Dark Glow of the Mountains and The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner examine the soul's struggle against extreme challenges. Free Solo documents the psychological and emotional toll of a climber's superhuman feats. Nadia, Butterfly portrays the post-retirement confusion and identity crisis of swimmer Nadia, while Downhill Racer captures the intensity and stakes of ski racing. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner tells the story of a rebellious youth using running as a means of defiance and self-redemption in a juvenile detention center, while Small, Slow but Steady follows a hearing-impaired female boxer grappling with personal fears and the harsh realities of her gym's decline. Through creative storytelling, these films challenge our preconceptions of victory and competition, allowing us to view humanity's relentless pursuit of the extreme from a new perspective. Beyond celebrating athletic feats, they invite us into the inner worlds of athletes, exploring the subtle and often inaccessible spiritual dimensions. This program is a mental training session, inviting you to TFAI to redefine what "hot blood" means. Program Adjustments 【Changes concerning the film rating】(updated 2024/12/27) • The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner + The Dark Glow of the Mountains：G → P • The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner：G → P 【Errata】(updated 2024/12/20) • ON Programme Guide (January-February), p.21: the screening schedule of Small, Slow but Steady should be corrected to「01.05 SUN 14:00 ▲｜01.11 SAT 14:00 ▲ ★」. -
Special FocusMoreXR Interactive: Grand Fantastic Adventure
01.04 SAT-02.23 SUN｜1F, TFAI ※ For screening schedule and ticket info, please visit TFAI’s official website or www.opentix.life/o/tfai . "XR" (Extended Reality) is an umbrella term for VR, MR, and AR, combining the virtual and the real. TFAI first showcased the VR film The Man Who Couldn't Leave in 2023 and followed up in 2024 with the "VR360: Between Virtual and Reality" exhibition, focusing on immersive VR360 viewing experiences. To kick off the new year, TFAI handpicked five standout works from major film festivals, inviting audiences to step into the realm of XR. The exhibition features Baby Frog, the only Taiwanese original piece, where audiences interact using the gesture-based command, "Can you give me a 'HAND'?", to help the Baby Frog evade attacks from giants. In Eggscape, grown-up Egg takes to the skies and battles aliens; if he perishes, a poignant sadness lingers. Explore Greek mythology in Lavrynthos, where multiple branching storylines lead to one of two outcomes: "Devour me, or let me take you away." Oto's Planet allows you to control your perspective with hand movements—each scene is so captivating that you won't want to blink or miss a single moment. Lastly, Gargoyle Doyle tells the story of a weathered gargoyle and unravels the mystery of its transformation. The story begins long, long ago, where the answers lie within the folds of time. XR Interactive breaks the boundaries between the virtual and the real, inviting you on an interactive, time-traveling adventure of fantasy! -
Special FocusMoreSonic Odyssey: Sound of the Universe
-
Main ProgramMoreReply to the Past: Korea's Modern History on Screen
E.H. Carr, the British historian, noted that history is an "unending dialogue between the present and the past." As generations shift, people shaped by differing values, interests and emotional needs, seek to understand and define their identities through the echoes of history. Korean cinema began shattering box office records in the 1990s with films like Shiri (1999), and has since achieved global success with works such as Parasite (2019) amid the Korean Wave phenomenon. Yet, the most remarkable aspect of contemporary Korean cinema lies not merely in its commercial success, but in the filmmakers' courage to delve into local stories and confront the nation's tumultuous modern history. For Korean filmmakers, cinema has served as a powerful tool for expressing national sentiment and resisting oppression since the colonial period. This program revisits Korean films that depict stories from WWII to the late 1990s, exploring how filmmakers uncover the crevices of authoritarian history and adopt marginalized perspectives to portray significant cultural transitions and historical events. Films like Madame Freedom (1956) exemplify the struggles of a woman navigating traditional family values and self-fulfillment amidst Western influences. Aimless Bullet (1961) illustrates the tragic fate of a marginalized family in post-war Seoul through a social realist and critical lens. The June Democratic Movement of 1987 marked a turning point, as censorship eased, allowing filmmakers to explore previously taboo subjects. This shift illuminated the trauma of the Vietnam War in White Badge (1992), the self-immolation of a labor activist in A Single Spark (1995), and the haunting memories of the Gwangju Massacre in Petal (1996), establishing history-conscious themes among the auteurs of the Korean New Wave in the early to mid-1990s. Entering the 21st century, Korean cinema evolved from realism to innovative genre explorations in historical narratives. Joint Security Area (2000) offers a gripping mystery that examines human struggles amid inter-Korean tension on the border, while Welcome to Dongmakgol (2005) presents a whimsical utopia during the Korean War. Films like C'est Si Bon (2015) and Swing Kids (2018) wrap poignant stories about military dictatorship and POW camp tragedies in youth and musical genres, showcasing the versatility of contemporary Korean cinema. As audiences embark on a journey between the "past and present" through cinema, the scintillating images on the screen may pierce the fog of history, evoking emotional resonance and guiding them through a tunnel into former times, urging them to hear the voices of the forgotten. In the darkness, people are inspired to move forward while reflecting on the past, where they find both light―and the courage to remember. Supported by Korean Film Archive Program Adjustments【Errata】(updated 2024/10/30) • ON Programme Guide (November), p.18: In the 4th line, at the end of the sentence, the year of release for Shiri (1990) should be (1999). • ON Programme Guide (November), p.18: In the 3rd paragraph, at the end of the 3rd line, the year of release for Madame Freedom (1955) should be (1956).【Changes concerning the film rating】(updated 2024/10/30) • Sopyonje：G → PG12• Madame Freedom：G → P• The Last Witness：PG15 → PG12• A Single Spark：PG12 → PG15• Joint Security Area：PG12 → PG15• My Korean Cinema：G → PG12 -
Special FocusMoreEX!T 14 Experimental Media Art Festival in Taiwan 2024 - SPECTRUM
Looking up the definition "experimental film" on Wikipedia, there are many hyperlinks connecting to other entries―some are directly relevant, others serve to define specific terms. If we click into any of these pages, and continue linking outward through a network of connected terms, these paths are expanding like a labyrinth. For example, "experimental film ― Jonas Mekas ― Empire (Warhol, 1965) ― avant-garde ― Society of the Spectacle..." These pathways extend infinitely and will branch further over time. It is possible that there will be a new link as "experimental film ― generated images" in the future. EX!T 14 adopts this as a curatorial approach, celebrating an open, game-like lineage of experimental cinema. We are exploring a decentralized, co-edited, hyperlinked curatorial methodology. EX!T 14―Spectrum―is a prism-like optical polyhedron dispersing the diverse spectrum of contemporary experimental cinema. It spans from the orthodoxical film-medium experiments, handmade artist films, expanded cinema, essay-documentaries, video art, and other undefinable works, challenging audiences' definition of "experimental". And we hope this polyhedron will gather filmmakers, through connecting the passages of each other, there will be possibilities to create a shared spectrum. -
Special FocusMoreSonic Odyssey: Giant Robot
-
Special FocusMoreDragon Superman Trilogy
Program Adjustments 【Changes concerning the film rating】(updated 2024/10/30) • Dragon Superman (Restored)：G → PG12• Moonlight Superman (Restored)：G → PG12• Skyfly Superman (Restored)：G → PG12 -
Special Screenings/EventMore2024 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
-
Main ProgramMoreInternational New Restorations
TFAI presents a curated selection of newly restored cinematic masterpieces from global film festivals. Spanning over 60 years and crossing continents―Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas―the collection highlights the legendary duel between Chaplin and Keaton in The Adventurer and Sherlock Jr., revisits the origins of Indian musicals with Kalpana, examines the cultural revolution led by the father of African cinema in Mandabi, and explores Francis Ford Coppola's masterful sound experiments in The Conversation. Peeping Tom, initially criticized for its perceived perversion and shock value, is now celebrated as a top-tier thriller classic. Chess of the Wind, banned for decades due to religious censorship, was miraculously rediscovered by the director's son at a thrift shop. Bona, blending social critique and melodrama, was directed by Lino Brocka, whose legacy is praised as integral to the DNA and national psyche of Philippine cinema. Whether old or new, great films remain timeless classics. Program Adjustments 【Brochure Errata】 • p.5 TICKETING: Combo Tickets for International New Restorations- Member Combo: NTD 990 for 6 tickets to any screening of the program plus one poster set (limited to the first 250 Combo.) 【Changes concerning the film rating】(updated 2024/10/01) • Sherlock Jr. + The Adventurer：G → P • Kalpana：G → P -
Special FocusMoreFrom Outsiders to Pride
In contemporary Taiwan, where same-sex marriage has been legal and the LGBTQ+ community is no longer seen as a "problem," queer films have evolved from depicting darkness and repression to showcasing confidence. In late October, as Taipei's streets celebrate the Taiwan LGBT Pride, TFAI invites audiences to revisit Taiwan's queer film history with the premiere of the digitally-restored The Outsiders, offering an opportunity to reflect on the transformation of queer cinema in Taiwan. Program Adjustments 【Changes concerning the film rating】(updated 2024/10/01) • The Wedding Banquet (Restored)：PG12 → P -
Special FocusMoreSonic Odyssey: Fury Road & Furiosa
30 years after the Mad Max trilogy, Australian maverick George Miller continued the saga with the critically acclaimed Fury Road in 2015. This year, after nearly a decade of effort, he presents its prequel, Furiosa, to delve into the life story of the eponymous heroine. With the immersive soundscape of the Dolby Atmos® system, cinephiles are invited to embark on a relentless, high-octane chase as Furiosa's armored War Rig roars to life. Program Adjustments 【Changes concerning the film rating】(updated 2024/10/01) • Mad Max: Fury Road：PG12 → PG15