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FILM FESTIVALSMore
TFAI 46th Anniversary
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Fatal & Fallen: The Ultra Bad Woman as Techno-Mystic Weapon
Fatal & Fallen unearths the trope of the deadly, deranged and delinquent woman pictured in East Asian exploitation, xianxia , sci-fi and arthouse films. In the 1st and 2nd Editions, the program delved into the underworlds such as prisons, brothels, and homes as sites of crime, sexual desire and revenge across Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Indexing on the region's socio-political context when years of post-war depression, authoritarian regimes, foreign military rule, Cold War and rapid industrialization found an outlet in extreme and misogynistic cinematic imagery. Against this backdrop, Fatal & Fallen uncovers the dynamics of power and desire through the bleak yet charged territories of exploitation films. While the preceding Editions explored the entangled genres of Japan's pinku eiga, Taiwan's Black Movies, Hong Kong's Girls with Guns and South-Korea's thriller and Hostess films, this 3rd Edition opens the program up the technomystical paradigm of cinema.Dominant images of technology in cinema have historically been casted through an industrial and sterile lens, from the sprawling early sci-fi opera Metropolis (1927) to the cyberpunk title Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), charting the descent of a metal fetishist transforming into pure iron. As visions of machines in sci-fi films further entrenched binaries such as emotion//logic, sentience//incognisance or flesh//mechanical, the mystification of technology has become an utmost heresy in mass culture. This neo-natal neutering of a machine eros at the onset has been further cemented by the othering, alienation and material sterility in the sci-fi canon. Meanwhile, the myth of the machine continues to create techno-solutionist visions of a starry-eyed future of futile automation. Silicon Valley's innovators are stuck in a navel-gazing bind of lore-crafting, where specters of western enlightenment continue to propel projections of the savior in the machine. On the polarizing end, cataclysmic clouds pregnant with fear mongering surrounding emerging technologies such as generative AI, blockchain and the Internet of Things continue to fuel techno-anxieties. Paralyzed by paranoia and dripping with a rhetoric of annihilation, the doomerist worldview isn't a productive alternative either.In an acutely frenetic present, Fatal & Fallen: The Ultra Bad Woman as Techno-Mystic Weapon is a conjuring act to unravel from the technological double bind to revel in a latent space ― amidst magic and machine, arcana and effability. As cultural critic Erik Davis invoked at the dawn of the new millennium, "magic is technology's unconscious, its own arational spell. Our modern technological world is not nature, but augmented nature, super-nature." As such, the rift between magick and technik orbits are not polarizing ends, but rather two interchangeable and symbiotic vectors of the same axis. Moreover, the concept of a "super-nature" ― or excess of the divine ― can be seen through the ever evolving legacy of technologies. Ricocheting betwixt ancient to alien, devices morph from sigil to code; oracle bone to predictive models; sundial to atomic clocks. These devices may diverge across eons and cultural contexts, but ultimately converge because they are powered from the same source ― the desire for connectivity.The films encompass a myriad of body techniques ranging from kung fu and ninjutsu to telekinesis and transfiguration. The use of martial arts in the wuxia and xianxia genre is referred to as a technology of the self, which was used as a strategy to build national character and magnify self worth in post WW2 China. Not just used for tactical means, the mystical impulse of an inexplicable desire to connect to a source origin uncloaks how characters in the films are at heart, energetic bodies and activated vectors searching for release, retrieval, or revenge. While not all titles in Fatal & Fallen are taxonomically viewed as xianxia or wuxia under the cinema canon, the concept of xiuzhen (immortality cultivation) ― underpins the program's intent of alchemizing a macrocosm that zaps varying iterations of body techniks with an animistic charge. Calling forth the words of religious literary scholar Zhange Ni, xiuzhen "does not escape but engages with the dazzling reality of digital technology, neoliberal governance and global capitalism. In this fantastic world, the divide of magic and science breaks down; religion, defined not by faith but embodied practice."Fatal & Fallen beckons the mystical impulse to engage in various somatic rituals and cybernetic communions. Across network cables and legendary blades, characters in the films mold and transmute energy, shaping it at their will, or at times, to their horror. The Thrilling Sword' s sorceress summons dark magic with hand seals to impale chaos for control, a band of women fighters in The Challenge of the Lady Ninja sparks revenge warfare. In other vignettes, the serpent sisters of Green Snake and the teenage diver in August in the Water tap into energetic potholes to open up new spaces of potentiality, thwarting psychogeographies of the mortal world. Mariko Mori's channeling of deities in Kumano and Prayer of the Priestess reverberates prayers of harmony, bending balance back to the Anthropocene. Bodies turn into energetic circuits in I Love Maria and The Cave of the Silken Web, where corporeal vessels become ephemeral beacons of electricity striking from the heavens. In the surreal universe of Pistol Opera, female assassins take on bodies of bullets, cutting through delusions with steel-like precision. Sisters are bequeathed god-like status with a surveillance network in So Close, while I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK exalts a yearning for a cyborgian existence. Re:Mazu: Iterations of Devotion halts idolatry in its tracks, reprogramming sea goddess Mazu towards radical queerness.Across the titles in Fatal & Fallen, the body becomes a channeling totem, a porous vessel and conduit of entropy and creation. The program addresses how the female body ― across various environments and emergencies ― becomes a site of discipline, enchantment, titillation and retrieval to manifest agendas from the cosmic to hyper-real. In ritual and protocol, ceremony and computation, Fatal & Fallen summons the netherworld of technological sublime, traversing celestial data streams where gadgets and incantations alike are used as weapons against obliteration. Curated byJade Barget Jade Barget is a curator based in Paris and Berlin investigating atmospheric and ecosystemic imaginaries after nature. She recently curated performative events at Espace Niemeyer, Paris; soft power, Berlin; exhibition programs at Frac Île-de-France; and was part of the curatorial team of transmediale, Berlin, for the last three editions of the festival.Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee Elizabeth Gabrielle Lee is an interdisciplinary practitioner who works between visual art, cultural research and education. Her work encounters themes of soft histories, sensuous and sacred ecologies, salvage fiction and mechanics of control. She is a Lecturer in Creative Direction at London College of Fashion.XING is a research and curatorial platform championing visual art practices from East Asia, Southeast Asia and its diaspora. Acknowledgement: Fatal & Fallen was first presented at Singapore's Asian Film Archive in the context of their Re:frame series from September – October 2021. Its second iteration was presented at bi'bak's Sinema Transtopia program between May – June 2022. Special Thanks to Asian Film Archive -
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VR360: Between Virtual and Reality
04.04-04.07 THU-SUN / 04.12-04.28 FRI-SUN|1F, TFAI Virtual Reality (VR) utilizes computer simulation to craft three-dimensional virtual environments for immersive physical experiences. The viewing of VR works marks a shift from the collective setting of traditional cinema to a private realm of sensory entertainment. Audiences can freely select their viewing angle, creating singular moments of visions, thoughts, and feelings unique to each individual. The genuine emotions experienced in VR can resonate beyond the digital realm, transforming it from mere technological imagery into a site of meaningful engagement and infinite possibilities, where we witness the evolution of VR. Following the debut VR program The Man Who Couldn't Leave in 2023, TFAI selects five other panoramic films shot with 360-degree cameras or multi-camera setups on this occasion, allowing audiences to experience immersive 360-degree viewing with VR headsets. The lineup comprises: Your Spiritual Temple Sucks, featuring a dual-perspective narrative; Home, captured from a subjective point of view; Look at Me, presented from a third-person perspective; In the Mist, where viewers are submerged physically in a different world; and The Reflected City, an animation production. These films, spanning from 2017 to 2022, illustrate Taiwan filmmakers' exploration of narrative approaches and spatial creations driven by technological advancements in the VR 360 format, leaving a significant mark on the evolution of the global VR creation scene and opening up new possibilities. Special Thanks to KAOHSIUNG VR FILM LAB -
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Happy Children' s Day!
The spirit of Children's Day is to cherish the innocence and wonder that only children have before entering adulthood. Their eyes express endless curiosity, consistently searching for fresh experiences, so then what could satisfy their wildest desires more, than a visit to the movies where anything, and everything is possible? Dedicated to all the kids and inner childs, three eccentric titles are here to stir up the fun of this special day; while The Diary of Paulina P. may provide inspiration for solving all the little life problems, The Wizard of Oz shall become a live-action storybook escape to a fantastic world, and only Bugsy Malone can prove that real criminals are never about size. ※ Traditional Chinese subtitles of the screenings do not include Zhuyin nor Chinese dubbing. Recommended for ages eight and above due to subtitle reading capability. ※ All screenings in this section welcome all ages and are family friendly. There may be children speaking or moving around occasionally. Thank you for your understanding and tolerance. -
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2023 Taichung International Animation Festival Feature
The 2023 Taichung International Animation Festival (TIAF) presented a remarkable showcase of animated splendor highlighting the best shorts of the year and several Taiwan premieres of award winning features. This month at TFAI, we've selected the animated shorts that have outstripped its competitors from the 2023 TIAF competition section, each distinctive in expression, yet coincidentally colliding in finding the truth beyond death and within individuals. Alongside, we can also observe the eccentric creativity of Japan's leading animation studio Studio4℃ with four of its cyborg shorts in which its insane content seems to be a reflection of reality. Then to top it all off, animated features Chicken for Linda! and Bill Plympton's newest production Slide will bring an unforgettable experience where we lose ourselves in its imagination and music. ● Co-organized with -
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2022-2023 Kaohsiung Film Festival Selected Winning Shorts
While feature films tell an event, a twist and a climax in ninety minutes, a short must do the same in under thirty minutes. With impressive storytelling, a short film may create the same effect as a feature film, leaving the audience in awe and wanting more when the credits start to roll. Each year at the Kaohsiung Film Festival (KFF), international shorts compete, and those that stand out prove to excel in its storytelling. From 2022 to 2023, TFAI selects 12 winning shorts created by directors from across the globe based on their personal observation and opinions on various issues. Through them we get to explore the world, experience its sensations, and take away memories worth beyond thirty minutes. ● In Collaboration with Kaohsiung Film Archive -
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Taiwan Ecological and Environmental Film Festival
In recent years, Taiwan's growing environmental awareness is evidenced by the surge of relevant writings and films. The Taiwan Ecological and Environment Film Festival showcases diverse styles of visual storytelling, examining these works from the perspective of creative writing that offers broader and more in-depth visions. ● Collaborated with Taiwan Ecological and Environmental Film Festival -
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A Cinema of One's Own: Tanaka Kinuyo
Tanaka Kinuyo (1909-1977) entered the Shochiku studio as an actress at the age of 14. Her illustrious cinematic career spanned over five decades, during which she acted in at least 258 titles and directed six feature films. Her diverse on-screen presence played a crucial role in shaping the Golden Age of Japanese cinema in the 1950s, starring in films by masters such as Mizoguchi Kenji and Ozu Yasujiro. Renowned cultural critic Kawamoto Saburo contends that Tanaka's films connected the eras before and after WWII, informing the collective identity and memory of the Japanese people. Actress Kinuyo: Blossoming Screen PersonasDuring the silent film era, Tanaka rose to stardom as the leading ingénue in Shochiku's Kamata Studio, captivating audiences with her girl-next-door image. She starred in the first Japanese all-sound film, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine (1931) by Gosho Heinosuke, as well as other romance classics such as The Dancing Girl of Izu (1933) and Aizen Katsura (1938). After the outbreak of WWII, Tanaka transitioned to more mature roles, notably portraying a sorrowful mother in Kinoshita Keisuke's Army (1944), while her tear-jerking performance faced a ban due to suspected "anti-war" sentiments. During the American Occupation of Japan (1945-1952), the GHQ initiated a democratization project that propounded the message of female independence. Tanaka, with her popularity and diverse screen personas, became the face of Mizoguchi's "Women's Liberation Trilogy," subverting her previous image as a Yamato nadeshiko. Despite facing severe criticism upon her return from the U.S. tour in 1950, she continued to break barriers with her compelling acting skills, collaborating with Mizoguchi in classics such as The Life of Oharu (1952), Ugetsu (1953), and Sansho the Bailiff (1954), all of which garnered accolades at the Venice Film Festival. Director Tanaka: The Path of a Female AuteurTanaka was not content with being just the muse under the masters' male gaze. Despite strong opposition from Mizoguchi, she ventured into directing and became the second female director in the history of Japanese cinema. Her directorial endeavors were not frivolous experiments. Before shooting Love Letter (1953), her directorial debut, she apprenticed on Naruse Mikio's film sets and attempted to invite his screenwriter Mizuki Yoko, a rare female screenwriter of the time, to write for her film. Her second work. The Moon Has Risen (1955) was a project initiated and co-written by Ozu, who assisted Tanaka in resolving the contractual dispute among the big studios to bring this project to fruition. Despite Ozu's signature plot and influence of visual language, Tanaka infuses delicate female sensibilities and realistic observations in this delightful romantic comedy. After her collaborations with male masters, Tanaka's subsequent three films all feature literary sources and scripts written by women, exploring women's issues and targeting female audiences. In Forever a Woman (1955), The Wandering Princess (1960), and Girls of the Night (1961), she actively sought out female authors' works, inviting esteemed female scriptwriters like Tanaka Sumie and Wada Natto to craft resilient and authentic female characters, exploring diverse perspectives of women across different eras and social strata. This special feature program comprises the complete package of Tanaka's six directorial works. Additionally, four classic films in which she collaborated with directors who influenced her career have been selected to provide a comprehensive view of her cinematic journey both on and off the screen. Actress (1987), a semi-fictionalized biographical film featuring Yoshinaga Sayuri, the inaugural recipient of the Tanaka Kinuyo Award in 1986, and A Woman We Talk About (2022) a documentary focusing on her directorial career, have also been included to piece together a holistic portrait of this trailblazing filmmaker whose legacy is indelible in Japanese film history. ● Supported by ● Special thanks to [Correction] ● The Wandering Princess (1960) is a non-English language film with no English subtitles. Please take this into consideration before purchasing your ticket. -
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Sonic Odyssey: Chasing Adrenaline
Since Lumière Brothers' astounding The Arrival of a Train in 1896, the genesis of cinema has been intertwined with speed, movement, and transportation vehicles. The sensation of speed infuses cinema with passion and is later brought to life with the advent of sound, which transforms flashy visuals of movement into audible realities. The continually evolving surround sound systems further deepen the viewers' spatial perception, allowing them to resonate with the characters on the silver screen both physically and emotionally. TFAI's theater boasts its cutting-edge Dolby Atmos® system with 128 channels. In this special program, three action-packed films featuring electrifying car chases are selected for the audience, invoking an adrenaline rush as they immerse themselves in the ultimate audiovisual experience. -
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In the End of 2023 - BACK TO THE 90s !