Fridae

The 2nd Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF) has announced the finalists shortlisted for the “Taiwan Queer Award.” Over the course of a month, six expert judges watched and reviewed entries from all over the world to come up with the 10 to include in the Festival.

The shortlisted works will be screened throughout the Festival. The winners will be unveiled on the last screening day in Taipei, which falls on Nov 1st. The three awards with a total of NT$100,000 include Boxer Award (NT$20,000), Brief Award (NT$30,000) and the highest honor -Thong Award (NT$50,000).

Launched just a year ago, “Taiwan Queer Award” was founded to foster growth and development of quality queer films in Mandarin. With over 200 submissions from all over the world, TQA is gathering momentum and asserting itself as the leading platform to expose Mandarin LGBT shorts for international recognition.

Both winners of the Brief Award and Thong Award in 2014 went on to screen their works at the Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

TAQ has grown considerably, drawing entries from well-established Golden Horse Award winner Hou-Chiren, and aspiring young director Yi-Jin Hsieh, who has been a part of international queer film festivals in Tel Aviv and Bangalore.

Hosted by Taiwan International Media and Education Association (TIMEA), the 2nd Taiwan International Queer Film Festival kicks off on October 23rd in Taipei and heads south to Taichung and Kaosiung.

TIQFF proudly showcases LGBT experiences by bringing their lives and stories on the big screen, allowing thousands of audiences to understand and bond through the shared experience of cinema.

The 2015 selection includes a touching documentary featuring 48 lesbians and gays across 11 cities in China, blood-curdling yet erotic vampire fantasy The Thrill.

There are also films that explore and investigate various issues close to the LGBT community , such as A City of Two Tales which focuses on older LGBT from all walks of life and Coming Home addressing LGBT cross-culture relationships.

Watch trailers from two of the finalists below:

The Life of Silence


A Straight Journey: Days and Knights in their Kingdom