The 3rd Taiwan Film Festival in Australia is streaming on-demand from July 9–30, 2020. This year's line-up offers 19 sensational films, including a brand new Filmmaker in Focus program featuring the works of Hsiao Ya-Chuan (Mirror Image, Taipei Exchanges, and Father to Son). Films will be available to stream individually ($2.99) or as a package ($35) at www.taiwanfilmfestival.org.au

This year, viewers around Australia will be able to enjoy a taste of Taiwanese cinema from the comforts of their own home. The program revolves around the theme, forgotten, which focuses on overlooked aspects of society. Festival Director Benson Wu explains, "We want to challenge stereotypes of Taiwan with films like Boluomi and The Good Daughter, both screening at the Festival this year. We seek to evaluate and reconnect Taiwan's many forgotten identities and culture through this year’s program."

Don’t miss these big titles from Taiwan: cult classic in the making The Gangs, The Oscars, and The Walking Dead stars Roy Chiu (Dear Ex) and Huang Di-Yang in a comedy filled with unexpected plot twists and hilarious moments. Award-winning film Detention is the first feature film by John Hsu, his previous VR project Your Spiritual Temple Sucks screened at Sydney Film Festival 2018. And straight from International Film Festival Rotterdam, Synapses by prize-winning director Chang Tso-Chi (Thanatos, Drunk) is a visually stunning family drama exploring dementia.

The festival program will have Taiwanese classics from the early 2010s. GF*BF (2012) by Yang Ya-Che, co-presented by Queer Screen, traces the friendship of three childhood friends across a tumultuous time in Taiwan's history and features LGBTIQ themes. Taipei Exchanges (2010) by Hsiao Ya-Chuan combines fiction and documentary interviews into a quirky film set in a cafe where customers barter goods.

Documentary film selections co-presented by Antenna Documentary Film Festival. Run for Dream is an extraordinarily inspiring film about ultramarathon athlete Tommy Chen’s journey to winning the 4 Deserts Race Series. Closing Time, filmed in super 16mm by Swedish director Nicole Voögele, is a kaleidoscope of scenes from Taipei at night, accompanied by Alva Noto’s brilliant score (The Revenant).

The Short Film Competition returns this year and will be judged by directors Hsiao Ya-Chuan (Father to Son), Maya Newell (In My Blood It Runs), and Sally Wu (The Good Daughter). They will be selecting one winner out of the four outstanding finalists:

Lipstick, Be Shit or Not to Be, A-Tien and Unnamed. The winner will be announced on July 23.

Taiwan Film Festival in Australia is supported by the Taiwanese Government in association with Spotlight Taiwan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sydney. The festival is also profoundly funded by the NSW Government in association with Multicultural NSW and Screen NSW.

Taiwan Film Festival in Australia would also like to acknowledge the generosity of our sponsors Ettason Ltd Pty, Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Australia, Australian Taiwanese Friendship Association and Citihub, as well as the individuals and volunteers who have made this festival possible.

To stream the films and for more info: www.taiwanfilmfestival.org.au

Ticket prices: Single film - $2.99 Festival pass (see all films) - $35 Festival pass with tote bag - $50