GIO-assisted films 'Spider Lilies' and 'Mei' in competition at 57th Berlin Film Festival

The 57th Berlin Film Festival will be held between February 8 and February 18. The film "Spider Lilies," directed by Zero Chou, will be included in the Panorama section of the festival. Meanwhile, director Arvin Chen's "Mei" has been selected to participate for Best Short Film in the Short Film Competition.

Taiwan will send delegations from the two films nominated for prizes to take part in this year's Berlin Film Festival. Chou will attend the Berlin Film Festival for the first time, as will actor Rainie Yang. Meanwhile, producer Lin Ying Tso will accompany director Arvin Chen at the festival. This year, the Government Information Office (GIO) will set up a booth at the festival under the name UniTaiwan (Cinema). The establishment of the booth is meant to encourage and assist local filmmakers in expanding into overseas markets and to participate in international film markets.

To this point, nine Taiwan filmmakers have decided to form a delegation to promote 11 domestically produced films. Over the years, Taiwan has held a cocktail party at major international film festivals, known as "Taiwan Night," and the event has typically been well received. This year, "Taiwan Night" will be held at Berlin's Hotel Marriott. Taiwan's representative to Germany, Shieh Jhy-wey will personally host the event. Organizers of major international film festivals and film markets, actors, directors and media representatives have been invited to the event. The Taiwan delegation attending the film festival will also be on hand, as will representatives from other countries attending the festival.

"Spider Lilies" received funding assistance from the GIO in 2005. The film features the actors Rainie Yang and Isabella Liang. The film delves into youth sub-culture, with tattoos and totems served as the main visual symbols throughout the film. "Spider Lilies" is the second feature film by Chou, who previously directed the dramatic feature "Splendid Float." Chou's latest film attracted the attention of the Berlin Film Festival due to the film's subject matter and its strong cast.

Meanwhile, "Mei" is a short film that depicts a story of love and romance in a Taipei night market. Director Arvin Chen is an overseas Chinese American. From the time he was little, Chen loved painting and arts. He previously served as an assistant at a company run by director Edward Yang and later earned his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Last year, Chen began conceptualizing and shooting "Mei," and initial word of mouth was quite strong. It also is giving him more confidence in preparing for his next feature film, tentatively called "One Page Taipei."

The GIO has taken the initiative in assisting local filmmakers in taking part in major international film markets in Cannes, Pusan and the United States. Over the years, Taiwan has gradually accumulated more and more know-how and experience, and the number of people and local films participating in overseas film markets has increased steadily. Being in step with international trends is no longer just a slogan, but something that Taiwan has achieved, proven by the active transaction of film rights during these markets.

Taiwan's film studios are producing a large number of films with a comprehensive range of subject matter and styles. A number of outstanding films have increasingly made a name for themselves in the international market. For instance, films such as "Silk," "The Heirloom," "The Shoe Fairy," "Eternal Summer," and "Jump Boys" have received many inquiries at markets and distribution rights have been sold for many countries. A flagship feature film made in Taiwan, "Slam Dunk," is already being pre-sold in the international market on the basis of its star-studded cast. Pre-sales for this film have hit a new record.

The GIO said that the government is presently implementing a number of measures to assist the local film industry. The GIO added that if people in the movie-making industry work together, it is expected that Taiwanese cinema will be able to reach new heights in the international arena.