Taiwan is to debut at Toronto’s TIFF Industry section with a hefty slate of 82 films and projects, including its submission for best international feature at the Oscars, Goddamned Asura.
The slate will be presented by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which will also host the first Taiwan Cinema booth and push its position as a valuable co-production partner through attractive funding schemes.
Goddamned Asura will receive a market screening on September 11 with director Lou Yi-An in attendance of a post-screening networking event. International sales are handled by new sales agent Hope Marketing Entertainment, which started off as a marketing and distribution company in Taiwan.
As TIFF marks the start of the awards season, the Taiwan-based company aims to beef up international publicity and secure North American distribution partners for the film. Taiwan last made the Oscar’s shortlist in 2020 with Chung Mong-Hong’s family drama A Sun.
Inspired by real events, Goddamned Asura examines the tragedy of random acts of killing, which may resonate with audiences in North America where gun control and mass shootings continue to dominate the news.
The ensemble cast is led by Wang Yu-Xuan who was named best supporting actress at both the Taipei Film Awards and the Golden Horse Awards for her role in the film, Mo Tzu-Yi (Dear Tenant) and 18-year-old Joseph Huang (Dear Ex). The film previously won best screenplay and best music at the Taipei Film Awards.
Other highlights at TIFF’s Taiwan Cinema booth include Elvis Lu’s documentary A Holy Family, which won multiple awards at the Taipei Film Awards including the grand prize; Chris Huang’s Demigod: The Legend Begins, a martial arts adventure combining traditional puppetry with CGI that won the best Asian film award chosen by the audience at the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival; and Zero Chou’s Untold Herstory, a rare historical drama about female political criminals in Taiwan.
TAICCA has been spearheading the promotion of Taiwan cinema at various international film markets and events. Its outing at TIFF following a strong Taiwan presence at Venice Film Festival with two international films co-produced by Taiwan: For My Country in the Horizons section; and The Last Queen in Giornate Degli Autori. At Venice Production Bridge, it had five feature film projects and four immersive projects taking part in the Venice Gap Financing Market and a Taiwan pavilion at the first Venice Immersive Market.
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