To open up more space for quality non-commercial films to be screened in Taiwan, a government-funded program, called P.O.P. Cinema (
This program will comprise seven mini film festivals to be screened in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Hsinchu, starting from March 29.
POP Cinema, according to co-founders Council of Culture Affairs and the Government Information Office, means a new kind of cinema for the people. This also means that moviegoers will now have an alternative to viewing the diet of Hollywood blockbusters screening at commercial cinemas.
Three theaters, all with unique themes and architecture styles, have been chosen to be the venue of POP Cinema. They are SPOT -- Taipei Film House (
"[Through this project], we hope to set up a good foundation of film education for the public and develop a bigger population for arts movies," said Tchen Yu-hsiou (
Ticket prices for POP Cinema screenings will range from free of charge to NT$150.
The first two events for POP Cinema are a Northern European Film Festival -- A Wonder of Poetic Imagination (starting Mar. 29) and the Taiwan International Animation Film Festival (starting Apr. 4).
The former selects 18 films from outstanding filmmakers such as Sweden's Ingmar Bergman, Danish talent Las von Trier and frequent award winner Aki Kaurismaki from Finland. Must-see films include A Man Without A Past (2002) by Kaurismaki, Breaking the Waves (1996) by von Trier, My Life as a Dog (1985) by Lasse Hallstrom and Babette's Feast (1987) by Gabriel Axel.
As for the Taiwan International Animation Film Festival, 300 animation films and shorts from 20 countries have selected for Taiwan's first ever animation film festival.
Upcoming screenings series include a selection of Taiwanese independent films starting, a digital film festival, a retrospective of classic martial arts films, a classic Taiwanese-language film festival and a retrospective on the films of Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu.
For your information:
SPOT -- Taipei Film House, 18, Chungshan N. Rd, Sec. 2, Taipei, tel: 02-2511-7786; http://www.spot.org.tw
Hsin-chu Municipal Image Museum, 65, Chungcheng Rd., Hsinchu City, tel: 03-528-5840, http://www.hmim.gov.tw
Kaohsiung City Film Library, 10, Hohsih Rd., Yencheng district, Kaohsiung City, tel: 07-551-1211
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