TIDF Competition Shortlist Announced Four Competition Sections Feature Outstanding Documentaries Worldwide

 The 14th Taiwan International Documentary Festival, organized by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI), is scheduled to take place from May 10 to May 19, 2024. Today, the shortlists for the festival's four competition sections —the Asian Vision Competition, International Competition, Taiwan Competition, and TIDF Visionary Award— were revealed. Each shortlist comprises 14-15 films, competing for prizes totaling $55,000 USD.

 

"Since its establishment in 1998, the TIDF has grown to become one of Asia's most significant and largest international documentary festivals," stated Louis C. Lee, CEO of TFAI, "This year, the festival received a total of 2,313 submissions from 125 countries and regions worldwide, once again demonstrating its strong international presence."

 

Louis C. Lee, CEO of TFAI

 

The festival's pre-selection committees faced a challenging task. As HUANG Yi-ying (Annpo), one of the committee members, commented: "This year, we witnessed a large number of excellent submissions; the selection process was highly competitive. We had to make several tough decisions to finalize the list."

The Asian Vision Competition features outstanding films from neighboring countries in East and Southeast Asia, as well as from places like Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and Iran. Many works capture the prevailing social realities and political landscapes in Asia or skillfully weave together historical events by piecing narratives from archival footage and family stories. Collectively, these films paint a vivid and multifaceted impression of Asia. 

The 15 films of the International Competition, spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, delve into a broad spectrum of topics, including family, gender issues, colonization, traditional culture, historical scars, and the virtual world. As highlighted by HUANG Yi-ying (Annpo), the entries often adopt innovative aesthetic forms and they mirror the current pulse of the world. “Many of these films grapple with the theme of violence, addressing issues such as authoritarian rule, political violence, and domestic conflicts. Additionally, the perpetual themes of displacement and the search for roots serve as poignant narratives for filmmakers. While the shortlisted works vividly depict specific local situations, they also resonate with universal emotions.”

HUANG Yi-ying (Annpo), committee member of Asian Vision Competition & International Competition

 

In this year's Taiwan Competition, an unprecedented 279 submissions were received. Among the final selection of films, four boast world premieres, while other shortlisted works have earned acclaim at esteemed international or Taiwanese film festivals. The breadth of covered topics is particularly noteworthy, offering a distinctive perspective of the world through the lens of Taiwan and employing innovative approaches. This underscores the vibrant and creative energy emanating from Taiwanese documentary filmmakers, serving as a testament to their ingenuity.

 

WU Wen-jui, committee member of Taiwan Competition

 

Finally, the TIDF Visionary Award, which was established to encourage outstanding documentary filmmaking from Chinese-speaking regions, features 14 exceptional works from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.  Emphasizing TIDF's standing as a leading platform for independent documentary filmmaking in the Chinese-speaking world, this section offers audiences an opportunity to explore diverse facets of the Chinese-speaking world.

TIDF Programme Director Wood LIN expresses enthusiasm about hosting the first post-pandemic TIDF after two festival editions held under pandemic restrictions. "We eagerly anticipate welcoming international judges and filmmakers back to Taiwan. We are truly grateful for the filmmakers' trust in TIDF, evident in the remarkable number of high-quality submissions. Get ready for an exciting festival where the world's best documentary makers gather in Taipei!"

TIDF Programme Director Wood LIN

 

The preliminary selection committee for the TIDF competition sections is composed of seasoned Taiwanese film professionals, encompassing curators, scholars, filmmakers, and festival representatives. The preliminary selection committee for the Taiwan Competition had three members: Vincent CHUI, CHEN Chia-chi, and WU Wen-jui. The preliminary selection committee for the other sections had 14 members: HUANG Yi-ying (Annpo), Joe HUANG, Ruby I-hsuan HSIEH, HONG Jian-luen, CHEN Huei-yin, WANG Yung-lin, CHEN Wan-yin, HSIEH Chia-chin, LIN Chung-mo, Philip Ar Nam HO, TUNG Chia-wei, CHEN Chun-tien, as well as Wood LIN  and CHEN Wanling, as representatives of the TIDF.

The 14th Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF), is set to take place from May 10 to May 19 at the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, SPOT Huashan, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB), and various other locations. The festival will bring together almost 140 captivating documentaries from both domestic and international sources, welcoming nearly a hundred international filmmakers for the first time since the pandemic. Alongside screenings and discussions, attendees can engage in lectures, performances, and extensive exhibitions, all geared towards expanding the audience's perception of documentaries through a rich and diverse array of content. Please stay tuned to the TIDF official website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information.

 

Asian Vision Competition

Atirkül in the Land of Real Men（Asian Premiere）
Janyl JUSUPJAN｜France, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan

Damnatio Memoriae 
Thunska PANSITTIVORAKUL｜Thailand, Germany

Far From Michigan（Asian Premiere）
Silva KHNKANOSIAN｜Armenia, France

Flickering Lights
Anupama SRINIVASAN, Anirban DUTTA｜India

From Island to Island（World Premiere）
LAU Kek-huat｜Taiwan

I Look Into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself
Giselle LIN｜Singapore

K-Family Affairs
NAM Arum｜South Korea

Lost a Part Of 
CHAN Hau-chun｜Hong Kong

My Stolen Planet
Farahnaz SHARIFI｜Iran, Germany

No Winter Holidays
Rajan KATHET, Sunir PANDEY｜Nepal

Saving a Dragonfly 
HONG Daye｜South Korea

Self-Portrait: 47KM 2020
ZHANG Mengqi｜China

Song of Souls
Sai Naw Kham｜Myanmar

Taman-taman (Park) （World Premiere）
SO Yo-hen｜Taiwan

What Should We Have Done?（International Premiere）
FUJINO Tomoaki｜Japan

 

International Competition

Anhell69
Theo MONTOYA｜Colombia, Romania, Germany, France

Bye Bye Tiberias
Lina SOUALEM｜France

Canuto's Transformation（Asian Premiere）
Ariel KUARAY ORTEGA, Ernesto DE CARVALHO｜Brazil 

Crossing Voices
Raphaël GRISEY, Bouba TOURÉ｜France, Germany, Mali

Guapo'y
Sofía PAOLI THORNE｜Paraguay, Argentina, Qatar

KIX（Asian Premiere）
Bálint RÉVÉSZ, Dávid MIKULÁN｜Hungary, France, Croatia

Knit's Island
Ekiem BARBIER, Guilhem CAUSSE, Quentin L’HELGOUALC’H｜France

Light Falls Vertical（Asian Premiere）
Efthymia ZYMVRAGAKI｜Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy

My Worst Enemy
Mehran TAMADON｜France

Nowhere Near
Miko REVEREZA｜Philippines, United States

Parallel World
HSIAO Mei-ling｜Taiwan

Richland（Asian Premiere）
Irene LUSZTIG｜United States

The Trial（Asian Premiere）
Ulises DE LA ORDEN｜Argentina, Norway, Italy, France

Where Zebus Speak French（Asian Premiere）
Nantenaina LOVA｜France, Madagascar, Germany, Burkina Faso

Zinzindurrunkarratz
Oskar ALEGRIA｜Spain

 

Taiwan Competition

A Holy Family
Elvis LU｜Taiwan, France

A Performance in the Church（World Premiere）
許家維 HSU Chia-wei｜Taiwan

All and Nothing（World Premiere）
LIAO I-ling, CHU Po-ying｜Taiwan

And Miles to Go Before I Sleep
TSAI Tsung-lung｜Taiwan

Come Home, My Child（Asian Premiere）
Jasmine Chinghui LEE｜Taiwan

Diamond Marine World
HUANG Hsiu-yi｜Taiwan

From Island to Island（World Premiere）
LAU Kek-huat｜Taiwan

I Must Keep Singing
LIN Chih-wen, LIAO Ching-wen, CHUNG Hyeuh-ming｜Taiwan

Lauchabo
TSAI Yann-shan｜Taiwan

Parallel World
HSIAO Mei-ling｜Taiwan

Taman-taman (Park)（World Premiere）
SO Yo-hen｜Taiwan

Pongso no Tao〜 Island of People
TSAO Wen-chieh, LIN Wan-yu｜Taiwan

The Clinic
Midi Z｜Taiwan, Myanmar

When Airplanes Fly Across
LEE Li-shao｜Taiwan

Worn Away
CHEN Chieh-jen｜Taiwan

 

TIDF Visionary Award

A Performance in the Church（World Premiere）
HSU Chia-wei｜Taiwan

Bitter Rice（World Premiere）
JIANG Chunhua｜China

The Clinic
Midi Z｜Taiwan, Myanmar

Diamond Marine World
HUANG Hsiu-yi｜Taiwan

From Island to Island（World Premiere）
LAU Kek-huat｜Taiwan

I Look Into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself
Giselle LIN｜Singapore

In Your Shoes（World Premiere）
Florence LAM, CHAN Tze Woon｜Hong Kong

Let’s Talk（Asian Premiere）
Simon LIU｜Hong Kong, United States

Lost a Part Of
CHAN Hau-chun｜Hong Kong

Obedience
WONG Siu-pong｜Hong Kong

Parallel World
HSIAO Mei-ling｜Taiwan

Resurrection（World Premiere）
HU Sanshou｜China

Self-Portrait: 47KM 2020
ZHANG Mengqi｜China

Taman-taman (Park) （World Premiere）
SO Yo-hen｜Taiwan