Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Project Promotion line-up unveiled

The organization stated “these projects reflect the active and engaged state of Chinese-language film industry in all corners of the world, including: Taiwan, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, UK, France, US, Australia, and New Zealand.” 

Nine sponsoring companies offer post-production service awards and this year, a number of them will be increasing their awards to equal the symbolic amount of NT$500,000 (US$16,900) to celebrate the Golden Horse Film Festival’s 50^th anniversary.

The FPP’s Grand Prize is a cash award of NT$1m (US$33,800). France’s Centre National du Cinéma (CNC) also offers the €10,000 CNC Award to support projects with high potential for international co-production.

The 2013 Golden Horse FPP runs Nov 19-21 with meetings and workshops. They will announce the winners of the various prizes on the last day’s closing ceremony.

This year’s line-up showcases projects from veterans and up-and-coming filmmakers alike.

Established directors include Cheng Wen-Tang, who won the 2002 Golden Horse Outstanding Taiwan Film of the Year and Venice Film Festival International Critics’ Week Award with Somewhere Over The Dreamland. Cheng is presenting Silence, a film that deals with Taiwan’s disenfranchised minorities.

“Fifth Generation” mainland China cinematographer/director Lu Yue is examining complex psychological states with tales about three average guys in The Shadow of the Ashes, while Malaysian director Dain Said (Bunohan) is giving popular 1970s Malaysian gangster Botak Chin a redux.

This year’s selection includes seven first features such as You Are The Apple Of My Eye associate director Liao Ming-Yi’s Blue Neck Ring, about a struggle against schoolyard bullying. Second-time directors include Hong Kong screenwriter/director Heiward Mak with Happily Ever After, about an older woman and a younger man’s realistic journey toward marriage.

FPP line-up

(title/country/director/producer) ★marks first features; family names are all in block letters

11:11 (China) Yan Yan MAK, Jacqueline LIU

Schizo★ (Taiwan) John HSU, Maxx TSAI

Love Me Well (Taiwan) SHIH Li, Hyper Cheng & SHIH Li

Dirty Kiss★ (Hong Kong, China) Jie LIU-FALIN, HUANG CanCan & NAI An        

My Teenage Dream (China) HAO Jie, YANG Cheng           

On Happiness Road★ (Taiwan)  SUNG Hsin-Yin, YEH Ju-Feng & Sylvia FENG & Tien-haw PENG

Surviving Hai (Taiwan) CHUANG Ching-Shen, MA Tien-Tsung & WANG Li-Wen

Figo Tango (Taiwan) LEE Chi Yuarn, CHIEN Li-Fen          

Happily Ever After (Hong Kong) Heiward MAK, Heiward MAK

UP2040★ (Taiwan) CHANG 43, WU Mi-Sen

How Kim Sun Nan Saved My Life! (Malaysia/China/Korea) KIM Tai Sik & Namewee (aka Wee Meng Chee), Fred CHONG               

Written Future (Hong Kong) Gilitte Pik-Chi LEUNG, Gilitte Pik-Chi LEUNG   

Botak Chin (Malaysia) Dain SAID, Nandita SOLOMON & Dominique HEE             

Making Family (Korea) CHO Jinmo, SHIN Seungsik          

Hermaphroditism (Taiwan) LIAO Shih-Han, Aileen LI    

I Just Need You★ (China) KANG Liang, ZHAO Yu

Silence (Taiwan) CHENG Wen-Tang, CHENG Wen-Tang & James LIU       

Statute Of Limitations (Hong Kong) Clement CHENG, Jacqueline LIU

Black Card (Taiwan) CHEN Hung-I, Y.C. WEI

3688 (Singapore) Royston TAN, LAI Wei-jie

The Shadow Of The Ashes (China) LU Yue, YUAN Mei

Touch Of Reality (Taiwan) KAO Pin-Chuan, Benjamin LIN    

Blue Neck Ring★ (Taiwan) LIAO Ming-Yi, Tony YANG       

The Mind Reader (China) HO Wi-Ding, WU Sisi     

Uzala Love Song★ (China) MA Nan, WANG Li-xue