MCLC: Taiwan films in the limelight

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: Taiwan films in the limelight
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Source: South China Morning Post (11/28/11):
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2af62ecb329d3d7733492d9253a0a
0a0/?vgnextoid=c754fb03b65e3310VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&ss=china&s=news

Taiwanese films hog the limelight
New batch of directors win critical acclaim as their productions strike a
chord with audiences worldwide
Agence France-Presse in Taipei

After a slump of over a decade, Taiwanese movies are not only sweeping box
offices at home but gaining awards and hit status overseas thanks to a new
cohort of filmmakers.Taiwan's box-office revenues for home-grown films
have set a new record of NT$1.5 billion (HK$375 million) this year -
already triple the figure for the whole of last year and up a staggering
200-fold from 2001.

Once best known for its arthouse films, the island has recently produced
blockbusters with broad appeal thanks to themes that resonate with large
swathes of the public.

Monga, which topped Taiwan's box office last year and was screened at the
Berlin film festival, portrays a brotherhood of five boys and touches on
issues such as gang violence and teenage bullying. This year's Night
Market Hero depicts street vendors standing up against developers, while
Jump Ashin tells the true story of a struggling gymnast turned coach.

"Previous directors tackled profound issues such as destiny and history -
issues that seemed distant to many," film critic Steven Tu said.

Tu, curator of the Taipei film festival, also noted that the number of
productions has picked up, with a new movie released as often as every two
weeks, up from every three or four months a few years ago. "In the past,
some directors might only get one shot at making a movie. Now, the market
is bustling and new investors are coming in," he said.

Taiwan's Golden Horse awards, handed out on Saturday, saw a record
submission of 182 films, which organisers said reflected the renaissance
of Chinese-language film and the island's rising cinematic clout.

The biggest surprise this year was arguably author Ko Ching-teng's
directorial debut, You are the Apple of My Eye, a teen romance that
grossed NT$400 million in Taiwan.

Ko was overjoyed by the film's success in Hong Kong, where it has raked in
about US$7 million and is poised to become the best-selling
Chinese-language film this year. "I truthfully and sincerely shot the
story of my youth and I think that's why people ... find it moving," he
said.

Nearly 20 Taiwanese films have scooped various awards at festivals in
Asia, the United States, Europe and South America this year, according to
the Government Information Office.

Director Wei Te-sheng's epic Seediq Bale, about aboriginal hunters
battling Japanese colonial power in the 1930s, was a contender for the
prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival this year. It is
scheduled to be released in the United States in February, and rights have
been sold to Australia and New Zealand, as well as to European and South
American countries.