2024 Sundance Film Festival: Asia Grand Opening – Hollywood Professionals Gather in Taipei
Oscar Sound Winner of Gravity and Joker’s Cinematographer
Director of Game of Thrones and Blue Eye Samurai Makes First Appearance in Taiwan for Talks
14 Panels: From IP Character Creation to AI Storytelling, Sharing the Latest Filmmaking Technologies and Trends
All Filmmakers and Invited Guests are Gathered and Ready to Celebrate Together!
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival: Asia held its opening press conference today (August 20) in Taipei, announcing that the event will take place from August 21 to August 25. Over 40 Hollywood professionals will gather in Taipei for this five-day event, which will feature the premieres of 15 award-winning films, 6 short films competing in the competition, and a series of prestigious master panels and workshops. This year, the number of panels and workshops has expanded from last year’s 4 to 14. Highlights include a “Sound Workshop” featuring Skip Lievsay, known as the father of Atmos, in conversation with Taiwan’s top sound designer Tu Duu-chih. Other notable guests include Lawrence Sher, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Joker; Alan Taylor, director of Game of Thrones and the film Thor: The Dark World; and Jane Wu, director of Blue Eye Samurai. The opening film Dìdi is directed by Sean Wang, who was nominated for an Oscar for Nai Nai & Wài Pó at the 96th Academy Awards. This will be Sean’s first visit to Taiwan since receiving the Oscar nomination.
Sundance Institute’s esteemed Program Director Kim Yutani stated, “The 2023 Sundance Film Festival: Asia was held in Taiwan for the first time, and we discovered that Taiwan has a strong event capability and production power. We are delighted to bring the 2024 Sundance Film Festival: Asia back to Taiwan this year. We have selected 10 award-winning feature films and 5 award-winning short films from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, hoping to provide an exciting cinematic feast for film lovers across Taiwan. We also hope to foster more exchanges with independent filmmakers in Asia and around the world. I look forward to interacting with everyone in Taipei.” Additionally, Kevin Lin, founder of the organizing company G2Go Entertainment, remarked, ” We are honored to once again host the Sundance Film Festival in Taipei this year. A total of 15 award-winning films will premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Asia, and we hope to attract an even larger audience, boosting Taiwan’s visibility on the international stage. We want to thank many sponsors that continue to support film festivals in Taiwan, but in particular, this year’s Sundance Film Festival Asia is held in partnership with Taipei City, the Ministry of Culture, and TAICCA and we are grateful for their support. We are also grateful to Cathay Financial Holdings for being the festival’s sole event partner in the financial sector for the second consecutive year.”
This year’s event features 14 master panels and workshops, with particular attention on the AI Panel. A major highlight is the master panel titled ” Future of Storytelling: It’s Getting Personal…and Interactive,” led by Jon Snoddy, CEO of Operative Games and former Director of R&D at Walt Disney, and Maureen Fan, Co-founder and CEO of Baobab Studios, who contributed to Pixar’s Toy Story 3 and has won 10 Emmy Awards. This panel will explore the latest international trends, delving into the profound impact of artificial intelligence on film production and storytelling. The panel will bring together filmmakers and AI technology enthusiasts from Taiwan and abroad, likely setting the course for the future development of Taiwan’s film industry.
Additionally, the 2024 Sundance Film Festival: Asia Short Film Competition features six shortlisted works, selected by Sundance Film Festival curators and guest judges Ke-Xi Wu, a well-known Taiwanese actress from Nina Wu and The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful, along with producer Si-Jing Wang from Take Me to the Moon. This competition provides a rare international platform for emerging Taiwanese filmmakers, with the winners being announced at the opening ceremony on August 21. The winning film will have the opportunity to represent Taiwan at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival: Asia has become a key platform for connecting Taiwan with the international film scene, fostering exchange and collaboration in film creation across the Asia-Pacific region through films, panels, and workshops. This year’s festival will not only showcase the unique charm of Taiwanese cinema but also explore the latest trends in Taiwan’s film industry through numerous panels.
Sean Wang, Director of Dìdi, mentioned in an interview, “I really enjoy bringing authentic stories as the themes for my films. This time, Dìdi is not only based on my own experiences but also reflects the voices of many second-generation Asian immigrants. When the film was released, it resonated with many people, who shared that the story closely mirrored their own experiences.” He also expressed his desire to return to Taiwan for future projects, whether they be feature films or shorts. He specifically mentioned that the clip from the Taiwanese variety show The Fantastic Brothers featured in the movie came from his childhood memories of watching the show with his grandparents. He felt that it had a very authentic, lived-in quality, which is why he included it in the film.
Ke-xi Wu, the guest judge for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Asia Short Film Competition, remarked, “The content of the short films in this competition is incredibly diverse, and the perspectives they take are quite different. There are comedies, thrillers, fantasy dramas, animations, and films addressing contemporary women’s issues, among other topics. Participating as a judge has allowed me to absorb many interesting ideas. I am very much looking forward to this year’s 2024 Sundance Film Festival Asia and have also attended all the master panels. I look forward to more exchanges with filmmakers from around the world.”
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival: Asia is co-organized by the Sundance Institute and G2Go Entertainment, with the Taipei City Government as a co-host and the Taiwan Creative Content Agency as a partner. The festival also receives support from sponsors, including Cathay Financial Holdings, the Utah State Government, and the nonprofit organization Gold House. The master panels of the Sundance Film Festival: Asia are co-organized by the New Media and Entertainment Association (NMEA) and the Taipei Film Commission.
