Jump to the content zone at the center

Press Conference for Taipei Film Festival

Commissioner Liao, Chairman Wang, Similia, and hockey players
The Department of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) held a press conference for the Eighth Annual Taipei Film Festival at Zhongshan Hall on June 23. Commissioner Sebastian Liao of DOCA announced that presale tickets for this year’s event has exceeded NT$6 million and overall sales could reach NT$7 million. This is the eighth year of the Taipei Film Festival. Commissioner Liao noted that since he became involved with the festival as the head of DOCA, he has witnessed the major milestones for this event. The Taipei Film Festival defined its objective as promoting cultural exchanges between cities. Later, it also showcased both local and international Chinese films. Last year, the festival established the New Talent Competition to encourage and support potential directors and independent film makers. According to Commissioner Liao, the whole process reflects the growth of the symbol of Taipei Film Festival – the butterfly. After eight years of hard work, the festival has finally broken from its cocoon and emerges as a complete and beautiful entity. “Now,” noted the Commissioner, “the butterfly is spreading its wings and flying in the summer sky.” Taipei Film Festival Chairman Wang Toon remarked that summer for the past several years has been the high points of his life. After becoming the Chairman of the Taipei Film Festival, there is nothing he enjoys more than seeing the growth of this event. By growth, he doesn’t mean only the sale of tickets, but also seeing the younger generation attending the festivals in droves and watching the featured films. Wang said that the eighth year is when the butterfly reaches its maturity. He hopes that by the tenth year, the festival will be able to transform itself into a “golden dragon”. He believes this is possible, since the event has been receiving international acclaims for the last eight years. The city theme for this year features the cities of Toronto and Montreal. As the event coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, the institution is also working closely with the organizers on this event to make it successful.