The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), widely recognized as the kickoff to the Oscars season, is set to showcase a strong lineup of Taiwanese films when it opens on September 5th. Two Taiwanese productions have secured spots in the official selection: John Hsu's Dead Talents Society in the Midnight Madness section, and Daughter's Daughter, starring and produced by Sylvia Chang and directed by Huang Xi, standing as the sole Mandarin-speaking entry in the Platform competition.
DAUGHTER'S DAUGHTER, image courtesy of TAICCA
DEAD TALENTS SOCIETY, image courtesy of TAICCA
Adding to Taiwan's presence, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) is bringing three films running for Oscars to TIFF market screenings. Old Fox, directed by Ya-Chuan Hsiao, which is Taiwan's official submission for the Best International Feature category at the Academy Awards, along with two animated short films: Ghost of the Dark Path by Fish Wang and Compound Eyes of Tropical by Zhang Xu Zhan. TAICCA aims to leverage this opportunity at TIFF to introduce all five Taiwanese films and support their teams' travel to North America, building momentum for Taiwanese cinema on the international stage and enhancing their visibility in the lead-up to the Oscars.
OLD FOX, image courtesy of TAICCA
GHOST OF THE DARK PATH, image courtesy of TAICCA
COMPOUND EYES OF TROPICAL, image courtesy of TAICCA
Dead Talents Society is supported by TAICCA’s Creative Content Development Program (CCDP) and praised for the unconventional comedy style. Its premiere in North America will be held at a historic cinema with over 1,000 seats during TIFF. Daughter’s Daughter receives a project investment from TAICCA on behalf of National Development Fund, the movie captures the profound essence in a family affair with an insightful perspective, and its world premiere will launch at TIFF. Public screenings for these two films have all been sold out.
“TAICCA invests in all channels,” says Chairperson Homme Tsai, “to support Taiwanese audiovisual works in the international market. It is our aspiration to build a trend worldwide with uniquely Taiwanese stories.”
TAICCA will hold a MEET & GREET session for Taiwanese filmmakers on the 11th to further engage with international delegations and industry professionals at TIFF. Cast and crew from Daughter’s Daughter (director Huang Xi, producer/cast Sylvia Chang, and Eugenie Liu) and Dead Talents Society (director John Hsu and cast Gingle Wang) will attend. They will also unveil their creative journeys and future plans and projects.
Founded in 1976, TIFF attracts nearly 700,000 industrial professionals and moviegoers each year. It’s not only one of the largest audiovisual events in the world, but also a key promotion occasion before the Oscars season.