Discoveries from Taiwan World Cinema

An adaptation of the 1960s Thai novel 'The Story of Jan Dara' that aims to tell the story "for the first time through the eyes of its most enigmatic female character, Lady Boonleung."

A cancer patient who is looking for redemption forms an unexpected bond with a nurse who is questioning her life choices

A-Sen is born in an aristocratic family. His family has a long tradition of practicing medicine. Before the high school entrance exam, A-Sen is transferred from a music class to a normal class, which his father believes would lead A-Sen to a better future. Unexpectedly, A-Sen joins a rock band for a music.

Slow Coach and Luck Boy are two knockabout scheming orphans who were saved from a life of begging by Granny- a fierce kung fu mistress. The Leopard Fist dispatches Granny iand now Slow Coach and Lucky Boy have to step up to the plate and avenge the Granny and fight for the survival of the Xin Yi clan.

Cheng En, the eldest in his family, is born to be unlucky. When his brother accidentally makes his colleague pregnant, he meets their wedding planner, who apparently is also unlucky.

A small village's enchanted stone that brings the inhabitants good fortune is threatened by faeries

A father accidentally kills his daughter and flees with her body in a suitcase. But when his luggage is unexpectedly stolen, in order to get it back, he turns himself in to the police...

Dead Eye and his gang are terrorizing a small Chinese region. Chan Ling and his group of misfit friends take it upon themselves to stop evildoers by learning the Super Kung Fu style. Luckily for them, a mysterious stranger is also after Dead Eye.

Erotic ghost tale from Taiwan.

The family of a man falsely accused of car theft goes through tremendous abuse and turmoil in an attempt to free him from imprisonment.

Urban legend has it that once you get bitten by a vampire, you will become one of them and reconnect with your suppressed primal desires. Who will be next?

A crazy swordsman is on the loose, wreaking havoc and devastation in his wake. Before long a beautiful swordswoman is deployed to put an end to his vile antics.

Growth is learning to live with trouble. Kai, a ten-year-old boy with irritable bowel syndrome, plans to send the love letter to his crush, Jenny on Moon Festival.

Those who enter the castle of Ching never return. Forced into slavery, every day becomes a punishing ritual down the Castle's secret gold mine. One worker, Kang, decides enough is enough, and tries but fails to abate the oppressive master Ching. For his efforts, and as a warning to others, Kang's hands are smashed, foiling any more attempts at rebellion. But Kang's determination to destroy the Castle and its keepers only increases, though with two useless hands he is left with just one chance - to learn the 'Heaven Legs' technique and face Ching in one last neck-breaking battle.

The true story of a small group of Chinese flying aces in 1937 at the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War, specifically the Battle of Shanghai and the Battle of Nanking.

A fascinating documentary, shot in the mountainous north of Burma. No filmmaker is welcome there, because, against the background of a civil war, the jade miners enter the deserted mines illegally. With the aid of filming locals, however, Midi Z was able to compile this portrait. Getting rich quick turns out to be hard and risky work Jade has always been a valuable commodity in Asia. In the mountains in the north of Burma there are valuable deposits of jade. The area forms part of Kachin State, inhabited by many ethnic groups which found themselves embroiled in the Civil War in 2010 with the Burmese government. Jade mining was halted because of the conflict. Thousands of workers, however, went to the war zone in order to dig for illegal jade. It turned the region into a no-go area and the filmmaker Midi Z, who had so far made feature films in Burma, saw no opportunity to go and film there. It was far too dangerous. © iffr.com

Aurelia is a girl out side of place with classmates. The only one friend with Aurelia is Daisy and they were usually together. However their friendship was broken from gossiping. After that, Aurelia made up her mind to go to the beach by herself and finished the picture for their deal. In the end they finally know their friendship was important to each other.

After being released from prison, Chen is attacked by his old nemesis but, at the urging of his wife, agrees not to seek revenge. Chen finds himself targeted by the villain and his cohorts after he saves an old woman.

The President is on his way to an important conference. A-Ho the gendarme, for his possible promotion, is trying all he can to avoid any disorders, keeping his watchful eyes on the protesters…

Heartbeat Love is a miniseries that chronicles the love story between two travellers (Show and Rainie) who happen to share a hotel room in Australia by accident. Rainie initially mistakes Show for being gay, but eventually discovers that he is straight, resulting in a very angry Rainie! However, through the whole trip, the two of them grow close and end up confiding their innermost thoughts and emotions to each other.

The sudden pregnancy and miscarriage of a young woman results in a turbulent day of anxiety and loneliness, set in a monumental day of a country’s search for hope.

Kenny Bee plays a saxophonist who works in a night club. Fang Hui-jang is the oldest sister in a four-child family whose father is working abroad. They are forced to live together in a house because they are fooled by a cheater who pretends to be the owner of the house they rent and runs away after taking both their rents. This love comedy begins after this couple lives together. —Anonymous

A fledgling rock band, called “Radical”, has been on several big stage performances. However, on the eve of their biggest gig ever came Ruei’s death. And so begins the journey of Kay, Kang and Kai, who are then left with the promised trip of heading to the beach.

A Taiwanese language film. There are rich Hong Kong twins. Younger of them murders his brother-in-law and nephew. 18 years later, the relatives want revenge.

In the near future, Taiwan has been occupied and became the province of an evil empire. Chased by the Regime, Yu escapes prison and meets Lien, a girl that will help her fleeing the country. However, their encounter will puzzle their plans and change their fate.

Two sisters on their way home from a fishing trip spot a mysterious man in the water. After rescuing him from drowning, they learn he's a martial arts master -- a good thing, since a gang of vicious thugs is ravaging the girls' village. Out of gratitude, the man agrees to train the sisters for the fight of their lives in this kung fu adventure from Sung Ting Mei co-starring Byong Yo and Sha Ling Ling.

Five girls grow up in China during the first years of the twentieth century. When they become adults they have to learn that women are almost without rights. Other women close to them are suppressed in the most brutal way. When Mingtao is to marry a mentally deficient but rich man, she and her friends decide to escape and to search for the mythical "garden" where a woman's life is worth living.

taiwan films

Taiwanese horror movie from 1973.

Wang Yu Ching and Jung Hsuan are two young girls who are exploring what it means to face their desires amidst the backdrop of school. Their hopes and dreams are woven into a playful and fantastical narrative as they learn what it means to grow up.

Taiwanese drama film starring Ivy Ling Po.

When a once infamous criminal decides to give up his lifestyle and return the many treasures he has stolen to their rightful owners; he is promptly murdered by his partners in crime. To avenge his death is his son, with the deadly "mantis fist".

As the director and the cameraman of a documentary project, Meng and Jianxian are travelling around Taiwan filming statues of religious and historical figures. Their conversations and debates on the statues often touch the political reality of Taiwan. Meng's girlfriend, Ning, is involved in a mediocre commercial feature film (initially as location scout and subsequently as an actress). Instead of realizing her ambition, she finds herself being exploited by the filmmakers. On the other hand, Meng and Ning's relationship is gradually faded.

All the Corl One's Men is a Taiwanese Comedy starring Alan Tam.

A one-day car trip of a woman and a stranger girl involves a journey of self-awakening.

Fantasy / horror from Taiwan with wizards, ghosts and the ever-popular hopping vampires.

A 1970 film.

A TV movie and part of groundbreaking Taiwan TV series “Eleven Women”

This film is an adaptation of a short story of the same name, written by Kao Yi-feng. It tells the story of a green scarab beetle who has transformed into human form. As in the book, he is named "Vitamin." Vitamin surreptitiously enters people's apartments and observes and imitates human behavior. Through Vitamin's perspective as a bystander, the plot leads the audience to explore the unknown stories of various residents. However, Vitamin cannot understand the complex thoughts and desires of humans, and his short encounter with one person is fraught with doubt, conflict, and despair.

Xiaoyun loses his entire family in a car accident. A few years later she was adopted by a couple who believe that a child can get to their ever more rooted relationship. It will not be long before strange things start happening around Xiaoyun.

Taiwanese movie

When reaching the station a soul is told he has won another chance at life. He is placed in the body of 14 year old Makoto Kobayashi, who just committed suicide. He is watched over by a spirit named purapura. The soul is granted with the task of discovering the greatest sin he committed before time runs out.

Two boys who are skilled fighters take the oath as brothers by inscribing .

Four years ago, an accident chasing the swordfish took away the life of Captain Fu’s elder son. It was the last time the giant swordfish was seen. With no fish to catch, his other son Yee thinks about transforming the business. At the moment when their boat Victory is about to be abandoned, Fu meets a foreign boy Ruan who tells that the fish is still out there. Can’t resist the temptation, Captain Fu brings Yee and Ruan embarking on the journey to search for the giant swordfish. In their journey, Ruan encounters migrant workers, which triggers his memory as a wartime refugee. He recalls his dead mother’s words: “Never trust the people on the shore”. The obsessions that bring men to the sea eventually become their doom. Only one of them shall return.

Key players of the Taiwanese New Cinema jointly produced this MTV-style propaganda short for recruitment to the military school. It caused great controversy at the time and marked the end of the Taiwanese New Cinema.

Lee Wang is the most hard-working member of the volleyball team, but she hadn't got any chance to be on court. Finally, she got the opportunity to be on court because of the absence of Yu Shao, the ace on the team. However, this is also a turning point of their friendship...

In artist Su Hui-yu’s signature style, a moody slow-motion pan captures a wild, glitter-scattered, blood-splattered orgy during the Tang dynasty. The film is an invocation of scenes from 1985 Taiwanese cult film Tang Chao Chi Li that only existed in the screenplay, unfilmed until now due to what can only be imagined as budgetary restrictions and censorship pressures during the Martial Law era. Presented without narrative context, the orgiastic murder scene plays out like an unsettling nightmare.

David a young Ninja is recruited by his master to steal the formula for a viral weapon. He is pilled against two wily opponents - a KGB operative and Martin who has kidnapped the scientist who destroyed millions of lives through his bacterial experimentation in World War II and has developed the new lethal serum. Martin's intentions are not honest he wants the virus for himself in his bid to dominate the world.

Chang Yun-kuang, a driver supporting his family, runs a claw machine business on the side to make ends meet. When his estranged father reappears, Yun-kuang avoids confrontation, instead finding solace in observing the lively interactions of players and machine owners. As he learns from their stories, his life starts to transform, pushing him to finally reach for what truly matters and reclaim the "prize" he has been missing all along.

A girl gives birth to an owl creature and this monster rallies all its furry friends into a bloody revolt against the humans for their savage behavior.