2021
Taipei Film Festival
百萬首獎、最佳紀錄片、最佳攝影
百萬首獎、最佳紀錄片、最佳攝影
最佳紀錄短片提名
一般節目類最佳導演、最佳剪輯、最佳聲音設計提名
It all started as a joke: “Will people say this is too Taiwanese?” After all, we’re the ones always afraid of being boring or too slow— and yet here we are, gritting our teeth and programming a lineup of gloriously slow cinema. But some stories can’t be skipped. Some lessons, no matter how painful, you just have to get through. Taiwan’s inner angst is like a deep bruise beneath the skin—long-settled and hard to press out. Sometimes, you just need a hot young masseur to work it loose. Whether you end up loving, hating, or feeling nothing at all about Taiwan, we invite you to revisit its joy, rage, sorrow, and everything in between. This film festival is like a sketchy pair of hands passing you crib notes under the table—an attempt to loosen what refuses to unclench, to summarize the unsummarizable.
There is nothing new under the sun—but what about after the sun goes down? In the night, a boy uncovers a shocking secret. Urban souls wander in sleepless disquiet. A woman “goes to sea,” while a man dives into dark waters to catch baby eels. Some secretly protect humankind, some hope to change the world before dawn. Violence hides in the shadows, while others unite to speak out for those who’ve lost their voice. Following the success of our first installment, Giloo proudly presents the second wave of Taiwan Shorts Showdown—six gripping short films that reveal what stirs in the dark. Be warned: even in the night, the gods are watching.
Through documentary works, we aim to lead audiences in contemplating talent sustainability and the power of visual media's influence on the environment. Our goal is to foster continuous intergenerational dialogue on sustainable resilience, building a collaborative ecosystem of shared solutions and green resources. This will accelerate international connections, facilitate the commercial implementation of solutions, and scale impact to infinite possibilities.
Philosophers have long used ideas like yin and yang or lightness and weight to explain the makeup of the world. Here, I’d like to offer my own theory: the world is made up of big trees and little squirrels. The big tree stands silent, steadily pointing toward the sky. The squirrel darts between the branches—lively, charming, constantly complaining, and just a little annoying. As for me, I’m more like a complicated machine. Beyond the forces of family background and social conditioning, my free will flickers—barely there, yet stubbornly refusing to give in. Pulled in both directions, my mind constantly sways between the tree and the squirrel. That’s why I’m often drawn to films with depth and gravity—stories grounded in the weight of personal histories and quiet resilience. And especially when I come across characters who are even more chaotic squirrels than I am—that feeling of comfort? So real. So good
The pandemic has taught us that human society is not immune to dysfunction, failure, or sudden standstills. When the old order is disrupted, what philosophy of artistic action can emerge in this so-called new normal? And when human activity is put on pause, how might the rest of the world begin to move again? This year, the Taipei Arts Festival advocates for an eco-conscious, non-anthropocentric perspective, repositioning the human within a broader spectrum of non-human spaces. Through art, we return to the ocean, the land, the city, the community, and the myriad sentient beings that co-inhabit our world. These reflections invite a reimagining of coexistence and relationality between humans and the more-than-human world—probing how all beings, in this time and ecological age, possess their own agency, vitality, and voice.
A boy who survived ethnic cleansing, a sled athlete pushing the limits of the body, a protester labeled a rioter, a former firefighter painting cat graffiti on the streets of Tamsui… These individuals, each carrying their own story, leave behind glimpses of life through the camera lens — and in doing so, offer living proof of their communities' existence. Follow Giloo on a journey through lives of every kind — there's always a greater story waiting to be discovered.
"Anthropocene" is a collaborative production by the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, and Italy's MAST Foundation in Bologna. It utilizes breathtaking images, films, and immersive experiences to convey humanity's impact on the Earth. The exhibition features works co-created by internationally renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky and acclaimed documentary filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. In addition to its exhibition in Canada, the show toured Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Argentina from 2020-2023. This touring exhibition in Taiwan marks the first time that local artists Chi Po-lin, Yang Shun-fa, Lucas, and Lu Yu-jui have been included, collectively exploring the impact of the "Anthropocene" on the planet and re-examining the relationship between human-made landscapes, geological changes, and natural ecosystems.