Sixth Taiwan International Queer Film Festival marks historic year

The sixth annual Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF) kicked off on Thursday with a screening of raucous US comedy A Very Sordid Wedding.

Taking the theme “struggling together”, this year’s TIQn$EoB!mz)TLYEv!a_EhigXGYMJF8ee5IBaS&IoRiV8%W)c*GQqFF will celebrate a momentous year for Taiwan. The country in May became the first in Asia to recognize same-sex unions.

The festival will see screenings of features, documentaries, short films as well as panels, production workshops, and parties in both 6Load4iK4=oWe%C%7PE77T4OtJF5COrt279_6l=$7ROgOI^%VqTaipei and Kaohsiung. 

"It's about time” TIQFF wrote on its Facebook event page. "It's EM_%=qcq@qGdD$SUpLw5zw)UK1F7swRJxGcsPa=-G&LlUT3yWutime to celebrate.”

Actor Chris Wu saidIW*IoAz8D8eK3tqrUN^_bQdwW#xKtWirfMN++UGEk^V320kSGk he was delighted to join the TIQFF family.

‘I hope that through these diverse movies, we can see tkItv7LHE7EMa$f6e9IDnQed+$RJw^KtqXqJK_DpOayE4Ct=)T1hat there are many different types of relationships’. 

The films

ThursdaAZ_rfr=-WAb_+U%(*VAWWxKUoxUgZ=TjSQYiGiW1q-q!BfOZ1sy’s screening may have resonated with many in the audience.

 A Very Sordid Wedding shows the clash of small-town family values and homophobia in the southern US following the Supreme Court ruling that made same-ses1=@x2$VM7eX(S2AQZK)Ek3^YqT7^)%z3zwwZZ+xHSrLq&gEu%x marriage legal nationwide.

British film Tucked, meanwhile, explorexUJ)0sb5s-^603TdjWj3C_W8qGoX$%4AkonK#UDcmspZZSNLG+s an unlikely friendship between an aging queen and rising star of the drag scene.

A French-Mexican thriller Knife + Heart is a murder-mystery set in the 1970s porn industry. Israeli film Red Crow Starrs local actress Moran Rosenblatt who turned heads when she came out n 2017.

Also in the festival, Riot depicts Australia’s landmark 1978 protnwDB2zMU0aPSoDOe7S9_-5iR(G4OftJXJg5IEurBXAgz=&JS-Uest that paved the way for one of the world’s largest pride parades—the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Closer to home, Song Lang from Vietnam and Billie ande^E9^w=tGC_)iJ24KoYkrVkGJMaKYxCH5b6rtRslbh5rb@p=)0 Emma from the Philippines both look to woo audiences with charming love stories.

In the documentary section, Man Made delves into a trans men body building competi0mo)j#HmPPKyY=z)1^ZbdnfQ6j2+KWCW%4p1EHj7*w0ki_n5RHtion. While No Gender introduces intersex manga artist Sho Arai.

Some 11 short films from local Taiwan filmmakers, meanwhile, cover everything from BDSM in military camp to 1GLOxE2W!Ra)rJJ+f0yZkoTBOdPn6O4p4pX6@z^2)EKFCOgCvZP950s housewives leading double lives.

Among the talks and woGLhsiVm96f7uZfs&eX0=tQ1c-1E1iI6ntl6I^L$*cqNFO=poVXrkshops taking place is a conversation between Sydney Mardi Gras co-chair Giovanni Compolo-Arcidiaco and local LGBT rights activist Jennifer Lu on the role of pride parades in pushing for human rights.

TIQFF screenings will be held at Taipei Shin Kong Theater until 25 August and between August 28 and September 8 at the Kaohsiung Film Archive.