Prismatic Taiwan: A Queer Film Series
September 4-13, 2020
Co-presented by Taiwan Academy Houston, OFTaiwan, Taiwanese American Citizens League, Asian Cinevision
Sponsored by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture
The Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) is thrilled to co-present a virtual, six-film series celebrating the past and present of queer Taiwanese cinema. The viewing period for all films--including exclusive filmmaker Q&As--will be September 4-13, 2020. Films are only available for viewing in the USA only. Once you begin playback of a film, you have 48 hours to complete your viewing.
Pre-Sale Series Passes | $12.99 | August 28 - September 3
Series Passes | $14.99 | September 4 - 13
Individual Film Rentals | $3.99 each | September 4-13
Full Press Release - English | Chinese Traditional
The Movies
The End of the Track 跑道終點, 1970
Dir.
Mou Tun-fei 牟敦芾
Runtime: 1h31m / Drama
Hsiao-Tung and Yung-shen are best friends who spend their time wandering the countryside, training for athletics, and hanging out at the dumpling stall operated by Yung-shen's parents.
Outcasts 孽子, 1986
Dir:
Yu Kan-ping 虞戡平
Runtime: 1h42m / Drama, Romance
Ah-Ching, a young student gets cast off by his parents because he is gay. In a public park in Taipei he finds a group of other young gays and joins them to live in the house of a middle-aged photographer. They form a kind of surrogate family. When Ah-Ching meets Wang Kei-Lung, he falls madly in love.
The River 河流, 1997
Dir:
Tsai Ming-liang 蔡明亮
Runtime: 1h55m / Drama
A young man develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river; his dysfunctional parents are unable to provide any relief for him or themselves.
Not Simply a Wedding Banquet 不只是喜宴, 1997
Dir:
Mickey Chen 陳俊志, Mia Chen 陳明秀
Runtime: 50m / Documentary, Gender/Sexuality
The first public gay wedding in Taiwan has stirred up considerable controversy, including a local campaign to ban this film. It tells the story of Yosheng and Gary, the first gay couple to have a public wedding in Taiwan. Their wedding was held in conventional Taiwanese fashion: a wedding banquet with friends and family and even the mayor of Taipei as the promised wedding moderator.
Spider Lilies 刺青, 2007
Dir:
Zero Chou 周美玲
Runtime: 1hr34m / Drama, Romance
When Jade, a web-cam girl visits Takeko's tattoo studio she becomes entranced with the image of the spider lily and with Takeko as well. In order to get closer to the object of her desire, Jade asks Takeko to give her the same lily tattoo, challenging Takeko's monastic existence and opening up memories which threaten to tear the two women apart.
Small Talk 日常對話, 2016
dir.
Huang Hui-chen 黃惠偵
Runtime: 1h28m / Documentary, family
A family story of a very special kind. The mother earns a living as a spirit guide for the deceased at their funerals: she was never at home, always out and about with her girlfriends instead. The daughter now goes to great lengths to attempt to understand her mother. A cosmos opens before us, one which manages to be of universal cultural significance and extremely intimate at the same time.
Events & Educational Content
TACL GROUP WATCH: SPIDER LILIES - September 5, 6:15PM CT | 7:15PM ET
TACL, TAP-ATX, and TAP-NY are hosting a synchronized screening event of SPIDER LILIES. Pass holders and ticket buyers can join by clicking the “WATCH LIVE” button using the Virtual Viewing link e-mailed to them (or from your Order History).
Creating Transnational Queer Asian Spaces
(featuring Asian Cinevision and Director Zero Chou) - September 5, 8pm CT | 9PM ET
This event will explore the meaning and importance of transnational organizing group, as well as what it means to organize online, and what practices have and have not worked. Panelists include leaders from LGBTQ activism groups such as Taiwan Equality Campaign (Taiwan), Queer Asian Social Club (USA), La Jaula podcast (Mexico) and It Gets Better Mexico. Tune in
Facebook Event | ACV Twitch Stream
Spectrum of Pride - Prismatic Taiwan Closing Event
From director Mou Tun-Fei's never before screened THE END OF THE TRACK (1970) narrative to Huang Hui-chen's engaging documentary SMALL TALK (2016), professors Hoching Jiang and Rita Jhang explore how Taiwan's political and cultural history helped to shape the road to the pivotal date of May 17, 2019, when Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
Facebook Event | This event will be streamed via AAAFF’s Facebook Live.
Presenting Partners
Taiwan Academy Houston
Taiwanese American Citizens League (TACL)
Media Partners
Austin Chronicle
TaiwaneseAmerican.org
Talking Taiwan Podcast
Community Partners
All Genders, Lifestyles, and identities Film Festival (aGLIFF)
Greater Austin Asian Chamber of commerce
Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association (ITASA)
North American Taiwan Studies Association (NATSA)
Taiwanese American Film Festival
Apply for a Series Pass
Film Industry creatives, students, and organizers in the LGBTQIA+ community may fill out this form to receive a complimentary one-use series pass to watch these rare films online. Those who identify as LGBTQIA+ will be prioritized. Please allow for 2-3 days after you apply for notification. You must be age 17 or above to be eligible.