The countdown to the Oscar season has started. To build momentum ahead of the event, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) arranged for four Taiwanese directors to travel to North America: Hsiao Ya-chuan, director of Old Fox (representing Taiwan for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film), Fish Wang and ZHANG XU Zhan, directors of Ghost of the Dark Path and Compound Eyes of Tropical, respectively (two works eligible for nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film), and Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, director of the novel short film A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers. All four films were screened during the Focus on Taiwan program at the 10th Asian World Film Festival. The four directors engaged in direct exchanges with professionals and members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to personally promote their works ahead of the announcement of the Academy Award nominations one month from now, and to closely interact with filmmakers from different countries and potential voters. The screenings drew large numbers of viewers and were received positively, giving Taiwanese creative works a boost on their way to the Oscars.
Four taiwanese directors: Hsiao Ya-chuan, ZHANG XU Zhan, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, and Fish Wang at the 10th Asian World Film Festival, image courtesy of AWFF
Old Fox, the film representing Taiwan, also had consecutive screenings in North America, while the film's director Hsiao Ya-chuan spent a week promoting the film in North America and interacting with filmmakers and members of the Academy eligible to vote. In addition, TAICCA arranged special screenings of Ghost of the Dark Path and Compound Eyes of Tropical at the internationally-renowned University of Southern California, Division of Animation + Digital Arts, and the world-famous California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), as well as visits to professionals from North America's animation industry and Sony Pictures Animation's studio. By enabling direct exchange and participation, TAICCA hoped to show the ambitions of Taiwan's Oscar team to strive for nominations and to give North American filmmakers an idea of the creative force behind Taiwanese films.
Director HSIAO Ya-chuan at the Asian World Film Festival, image courtesy of AWFF
Old Fox was selected by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, Ministry of Culture, to represent Taiwan in the competition for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Ghost of the Dark Path and Compound Eyes of Tropical won short film awards in 2023 at Spain's Sitges Film Festival and South Korea's Bucheon International Animation Festival, respectively, earning them eligibility for nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers won a Student Academy Award in September of this year, making it eligible for nomination for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. TAICCA scheduled promotional activities in Southern California for these four Taiwanese works vying for nomination.
Hsiao Ya-chuan represents Taiwan on the international stage with his work. Besides feeling honored, he hopes to use the film to create an "impression of Taiwan" for the world to see, and to continue bringing glory to Taiwan through the recognition that comes with a nomination.
OLD FOX, image courtesy of TAICCA
Fish Wang mentioned during the events that although his work portrays Taiwanese history, it could resonate with filmmakers across cultures and languages, which both moved and surprised him. He is very grateful for being able to show Ghost of the Dark Path to the world through this promotional tour.
GHOST OF THE DARK PATH, image courtesy of TAICCA
ZHANG XU Zhan, currently an artist-in-residence in New York, brought the paper art of Compound Eyes of Tropical to many film festivals and screenings. Aside from being pleased to see his family's paper art gaining international exposure because of his work, he is also excited to have more future opportunities to work and shine with people met during the promotional tour.
COMPOUND EYES OF TROPICAL, image courtesy of TAICCA
Birdy Wei-Ting Hung expressed that she felt honored to participate in the 10th Asian World Film Festival. She is especially grateful for TAICCA's support and having the fortune to be able to interact with scholars from different fields and filmmakers in Southern California through her experimental short film A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers, and to explore playing with Taiwanese New Wave cinema and gangster films from a female perspective.
A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS, image courtesy of LUCKYSPARKS
Jiun-Wei Lu, the CEO of TAICCA pointed out that Taiwanese creative works and filmmakers have garnered much international attention and have a greater international presence, not just to enter the Oscars, but also to expand the global market for Taiwanese creative works as a whole. He also expressed his hope for Taiwanese creative works to win at the Oscars and shine on the international stage.