One after another, Taiwanese filmmakers have been producing high-quality films in the past few years that are starting to gain international attention. Unfortunately, Vancouver residents rarely have the opportunity to appreciate these works. In order to increase the local audience's exposure to Taiwanese cinema and further appreciate Taiwanese culture and arts, UBCLE proudly presented the First Taiwanese Film Festival in April of 2007 featuring six award-winning films and documentaries from emerging directors of the 21th century that have revolutionized Taiwan's film industry. Not only was TWFF the first large-scale Taiwanese Film Festival in Vancouver, but it was also the first large non-profit event in Canada that focused on promoting Taiwanese films.
The second annual TWFF "The Footprints of Youth" was followed through after the success of the first year. Within three days, close to a thousand tickets were sold. We kept the momentum going the subsequent year with the theme, "Only Human", which explored the human condition through the creative works of Taiwan's award-winning filmmakers. Each year, there have been breakthroughs in box-office sales and tremendous increase in media coverage. TWFF extended its exposure in major media outlets in the City of Vancouver in both the English-speaking as well as Chinese-speaking communities. Pushing forward, the 5th year we celebrated the 100th birthday of Taiwan by venturing through 100 years of Taiwanese film history. TWFF 6 launched the theme "Metamorphosis" -- looking at the milestone changes in Taiwanese cinema. Last year, the theme was "Home", where we looked at the many places where people can feel a sense of belonging. Now our festivals have a wider audience group from various communities with different cultural backgrounds.
From the success and improvement of the past TWFF along with the support from many, we now have an even firmer belief in the initial mandate of UBCLE - building a bridge connecting the art of Taiwanese films and the mainstream of Canada.
For further enquiries about the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival, please email us at twff@twff.ca .