Sundance Asia’s Role in Boosting Taiwanese Local Filmmakers

This year’s Sundance Asia marked its return to Taiwan by expanding the festival in every way possible.

For the second consecutive year, Sundance Asia was held in Taipei, reflecting Taiwan’s efforts to enhance filmmaking in the region. The festival’s run was extended from three to five days. Whereas last year only three feature films were presented, this year showcased 15 films, including “Didi,” “Sujo,” “Little Death,” and “Your Monster.” The festival also saw a significant increase in filmmaker attendance, with eight filmmakers participating compared to last year’s two. Additionally, the event doubled its number of panels and masterclasses.

Not only did the festival showcase films and host panels, but the organizers also aimed to raise Taiwan’s profile as a hub for both local and international filmmakers.

“It was such a great way for us to grow the festival in Taiwan,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival’s director of programming. “That is the heart of what we do; connecting those filmmakers to audiences.” Yutani added, “To be able to do it on this level was incredibly gratifying.”

The satellite event, now hosted in Taipei, joins its counterparts in London and Mexico. Sundance Asia originally started in 2014 as Sundance Hong Kong, staying there until COVID forced a move to Jakarta in 2022, before finally settling in Taipei for 2023.

Hollywood star power was aplenty at the festival, providing inspiration and education to aspiring storytellers. Notable figures such as “Game of Thrones” director Alan Taylor, “Fallout” showrunner Lisa Joy, producer Nina Yang Bongiovi, and “Joker 2” cinematographer Lawrence Sher led panels covering key topics like talent acquisition and the casting process. Discussions also included lessons learned on set. “Didi’s” Sean Wang and Caroline Lindy of “Your Monster” shared their experiences in casting and working with performers. Additionally, the festival hosted its first-ever Intensive Screenwriters workshop for the Asian satellite.

Yutani observed the growing interest from local filmmakers to leverage the Sundance program to identify emerging talents. “For us to have our curatorial eye on these films, to figure out which ones are bubbling up, and to be able to have local judges and jury members and hear their impressions, and what they responded to was interesting. We were pretty spot on with each other,” she noted.

Taiwanese filmmakers had a unique opportunity to submit their short films for competition. The jury prize for best short film, presented by Gold House, was awarded to “Suo Jiang” by production designer-turned-director Lin Chien-yu.

Yutani, who joined Sundance in 2006 as a short-films programmer, has a personal affinity for the short film format. “It’s such an exciting form because there are no rules. You can do whatever you want,” she said, emphasizing its potential for discovery. “To be able to spot a filmmaker with a vision from their short film is such a gift to programmers and curators,” she added.

The programming enabled local filmmakers to experience firsthand the festival’s efforts on the ground. Sean Wang, a product of the Sundance labs, exemplifies this. Yutani explained, “Knowing that a filmmaker went through our artist programs and our labs, and has a feature-length film that has been really successful, and to be able to premiere that was the best possible scenario.” She continued, “To have a filmmaker of Taiwanese background come in with such a perfect film to open our festival was great. But to have someone speak about what our labs do, and how they can be a resource to filmmakers was fantastic.”

Mary Sadeghy, Head of Partnerships and Events at Sundance Institute, credits the festival’s success and growth to numerous partnerships, beginning with Jonathan Chao and Kevin Lin, key festival partners in Asia. She refers to them as the festival’s “heartbeat.” Support from TAICCA, a ministry of culture-funded intermediary bridging the public and private sectors to promote content in film, TV, music, comic books, and games, has also been instrumental.

Sadeghy stated, “We are really happy that we’re able to bring something into the artist community and to audiences, and to be able to have that symbiotic relationship.” She added, “Mission is everything, and when you can find a partnership that really helps to keep your mission enduring and drive your mission forward. That is a special and unique opportunity.”

Last year, Taiwanese film productions saw an increase from 10% to 16%, thanks to increased funding aimed at enhancing Taiwan’s filmmaking image. Lin mentioned, “You’ve got big organizations that are pushing for a more robust funding system so that anyone from amateur or student-level filmmakers can start to see and understand, ‘Okay, how am I going to get access to funds to create increasingly higher quality, independent films?’”

As Taiwan aims to solidify its position in the Asian film market, festivals like Sundance play a crucial role in helping storytellers create and progress their work.

By bringing in top talent, fostering meaningful conversations, and providing essential resources, Yutani stated, “The best thing we can do when we go to a place is to make ourselves available to the people on the ground, the emerging storytellers, and for them to understand that Sundance is a place for them.”

Source: Sundance Institute