David on Formosa

The 2008 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival (台北金馬影展) is on from 6-21 November in Taipei. Films are screening at the Vieshow Sun (日新威秀) and Shin Kong Cineplex (新光影城) in the Ximending area and Vieshow Xinyi (信義威秀) in the Xinyi District. Tickets available through www.ticket.com.tw and at the venues.

The opening film of the festival is Parking (停車), a black comedy starring Chang Chen (張震), Kwai Lunmei (桂綸鎂) and Jack Kao (告捷). Another Taiwanese production sure to attract attention is Beyond the Arctic, a documentary directed by Yang Li-chou. It is about three Taiwanese competing in the 2008 Polar Challenge and has been selected as the closing film of the festival.

The Chinese language section of the festival includes some of the popular Taiwanese films released this year including Cape No. 7 (海角七號), Orz Boyz (囧男孩) and Winds of September (九降風). There are also films from China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Cape No. 7 and Orz Boyz were both nominated for best film in the Golden Horse Awards. You can find a full list of nominees here.

One of the highlights of this year’s festival is the screening of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey to celebrate 40 years since its release. For those outside Taipei the films nominated for the Golden Horse Award will be screened at the Kaohsiung Film Archive on 26-28 November and at the Durban Vieshow Cinemas in Taichung on 1-4 December .

More information and details of films at www.goldenhorse.org.tw and the festival’s official blog.