The Hong Kong International Film Festival has launched a Taiwanese film section this year to showcase the nation’s films, the director of Taiwan’s cultural office in Hong Kong said.
Five films — the romantic drama Together (甜‧祕密), dramas Touch of the Light (逆光飛翔) and Poor Folk (窮人‧榴槤‧麻藥‧偷渡客) and the romantic comedies Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (明天記得愛上我) and Forever Love (阿嬤的夢中情人) — are set to show the talents and interests of Taiwanese directors, Lee Ying-ping (李應平), director of the Kwang Hwa Information and Culture Center, said in a recent statement.
“We are happy that the Hong Kong International Film Festival has selected five Taiwanese films to be shown,” Lee said, touting Taiwanese films as offering “fresh” perspectives, despite their small budgets.
Lee also praised the performances of the 11 Taiwanese actors, actresses and visual effects artists who have been nominated for awards at the annual Asian Film Awards.
The awards honor those with outstanding achievements in the field of Asian cinema and are due to be presented on March 18 by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society.
Among the nominees are Kwai Lun-mei (桂綸鎂) and Joseph Chang (張孝全), who worked on the romantic drama Gf*Bf (女朋友。男朋友) and have been nominated for best actress and best actor respectively.
Huang Yu-hsiang (黃裕翔) was nominated in the category for best new actor category for his performance in Touch of the Light.
Lee urged Hong Kong filmmakers to shoot films in Taiwan, which she said possesses abundant filming resources, a great geographic environment and cultural scene, and is close to Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Taiwanese film, television and publishing companies are set to attend the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market from March 18 to March 21 to seek partners for the financing, distribution, production and adaptation of film and TV programs.
The 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival is set to run from March 17 to April 2.
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