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A curated afternoon of timely conversations about issues facing the Taiwan film industry at home and abroad, “Focus on Taiwan” will explore such pressing topics as gender equality on screen and behind the camera, the challenges of marketing Taiwanese productions internationally and more.
3 p.m. Keynote Dialogue
This edition of the Taiwan Biennial Film Festival features a special keynote dialogue to launch its “Focus on Taiwan” program. The UCLA Film & Television Archive and Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles are honored to have as our inaugural keynote speaker, legendary producer Aileen Li. She will be joined in conversation by esteemed UCLA professor Michael Berry.
In person: producer Aileen Li, UCLA professor Michael Berry.
4 p.m. Panel: “Marketing Taiwanese Cinema Beyond Taiwan”
The market for Chinese-language films is changing rapidly with the advent of new distribution platforms and shifting global dynamics. This panel brings together experienced professionals in the area of sales and distribution to discuss the strategies and opportunities for selling Taiwanese films in the American market and internationally.
In person: Yalin Chi (Cheng Cheng Films), Desmond Yang (MandarinVision), Brian Hu (co-curator of the Taiwan Biennial Film Festival, moderator).
5 p.m. Panel: “Gender Equity in the Taiwan Film Industry”
The call to bring gender equity in the film industry to “50/50 by 2020” has gone global with filmmakers and festival curators from around the world recognizing the urgent need to expand the number of women and LGBTQIA+ voices working behind the camera and onscreen. This conversation will bring together the Biennial curators, filmmakers, and other film professionals to discuss the current state of gender diversity in the Taiwan film industry.
In person: writer-director Mei-Juin Chen (The Gangster’s Daughter), composer Wei-San Hsu, writer-director Roxy Shih (Painkillers), Lindy Leong (Senior Film Programmer at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, presented by Visual Communications, moderator).
