Four Taiwanese actors were named winners of the Yakushi Pearl Award at the Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) on Sunday.
The honor was bestowed upon the stars of the drama Family Matters (我家的事): Alexia Kao (高伊玲), Lan Wei-hua (藍葦華), Tseng Jing-hua (曾敬驊), and Queena Huang (黃珮琪).
The award, named after the OAFF’s founder, is given to the "most brilliant performer among all participating films’ cast members," according to the OAFF’s website.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Cultural Center in Japan via CNA
The jury said the foursome conveyed "complex emotions" of each family member in the film with a "superb" performance, which made the first feature film by director Pan Ke-yin (潘客印) a "great masterpiece."
In a statement released yesterday Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture noted that it is the first time in the OAFF’s history that four actors have shared the award.
The statement quoted Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Li Yuan (李遠) as saying that winning the award is a testament to the talents of Taiwanese filmmakers and reiterated the Taiwanese government’s commitment to supporting the cultural and creative sectors to boost the global profile of original Taiwanese content.
In his statement, Taiwan’s Representative to Japan Lee I- yang (李逸洋) said the win showcased the free spirit and infinite creativity of Taiwanese filmmakers. He expressed hope that more Taiwanese productions will gain traction in the international community.
Seven Taiwanese productions made their Japanese premieres during this year’s OAFF from March 14-23, including Yen and Ai-Lee (小雁與吳愛麗), Blind Love (失明), Breezy Day (晚風), The Chronicles of Libidoists (破浪男女), Cupcakes, Lonely Cats (寂寞貓 蛋糕), Dead Talents Society (鬼才之道), and Family Matters.
Now in its 20th edition, the OAFF aims to foster new filmmakers and promote an exchange of talent, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and increase the city’s appeal, by inviting featured filmmakers from all over Asia, according to the festival’s website.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Instead of focusing solely on the threat of a full-scale military invasion, the US and its allies must prepare for a potential Chinese “quarantine” of Taiwan enforced through customs inspections, Stanford University Hoover fellow Eyck Freymann said in a Foreign Affairs article published on Wednesday. China could use various “gray zone” tactics in “reconfiguring the regional and ultimately the global economic order without a war,” said Freymann, who is also a nonresident research fellow at the US Naval War College. China might seize control of Taiwan’s links to the outside world by requiring all flights and ships entering or leaving Taiwan
The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
Quarantine awareness posters at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport have gone viral for their use of wordplay. Issued by the airport branch of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency, the posters feature sniffer dogs making a range of facial expressions, paired with advisory messages built around homophones. “We update the messages for holidays and campaign needs, periodically refreshing materials to attract people’s attention,” quarantine officials said. “The aim is to use the dogs’ appeal to draw focus to quarantine regulations.” A Japanese traveler visiting Taiwan has posted a photo on X of a poster showing a quarantine dog with a
RSS