The 2012 Taiwan International Children’s Film Festival starts its nationwide tour today with a diverse lineup of 54 feature, animated, documentary and short films, as well as television programs from 22 countries.
Initiated in 2004 by the Public Television Service (PTS), the biennial film showcase opened in Taipei in April, attracting 30,000 people, according to PTS’ director of public services and marketing Teresa Chiang (江行德).
“For each edition, we always make a selection of some of the best movies shown in Taipei and take them on tour across the country so that children living outside the capital can have a chance to see good-quality, international works,” Chiang said yesterday.
The tour, which is funded by the Ministry of Education and Fubon Cultural and Educational Foundation, is set to travel through every city and county in Taiwan until Aug. 31. All screenings are free and suitable for children aged under 12.
This year’s theme for the festival is “fear and courage” and deals with the obstacles and predicaments youngsters face and the ways they find of coping with them. Highlights include Tony 10, a family drama from the Netherlands that explores the impact of divorce on children and The Great Bear, a feature-length animated film from Denmark which tells of a friendship between a little girl and a wild bear.
The event’s spokeswoman, TV celebrity Vicky Chen (陳孝萱), said that engaging in cultural and artistic activities is a learning process for both parents and their children.
“When we read a good book to kids, take them to see a play or a movie, we are educating our children and also ourselves. It’s a mutual learning process,” said Chen, who is also the mother of a six-year-old son.
Apart from film screenings, the PTS will broadcast 17 selected works every Sunday from July 8 to Aug. 26.
For more information, visit www.ticff.org.tw or call (02) 2633-2000.
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