May 12, 2016
The Taipei Film Festival (TFF) revealed today the selection and jury lineup for its flagship "International New Talent Competition" for the 28th edition. Out of 430 submissions, 10 films have been selected to compete for the top honors. Representing Taiwan is I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish, co-directed by CHAO Koi Wang and Yen HU and starring Kai KO. It will face off against strong contenders from Japan, South Korea, Spain, the UK, Canada, Argentina, and beyond. 

The Taiwanese entry, "I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish", follows a down-on-his-luck Taiwanese youth and a Macanese grandmother and grandson who launch a deceptive con operation in an old city district. Following its acclaimed premiere at the Udine Far East Film Festival, the film features a stellar cast including Taipei Film Awards Best Actor Kai KO, Golden Horse winner Kara WAI (Jin Yan-ling), and child prodigy MEI Jing-yan. Notably, Kai KO gained 10kg for the role, delivering what critics call the most nuanced performance of his career. 

Also focusing on social fringes and disordered youth, South Korean director HAN Chang-lok presents "Funky Freaky Freaks", which previously won the Special Jury Prize at the Busan International Film Festival. Using gritty handheld cinematography, the film portrays school bullying and deepfake crimes, capturing the restlessness of a digitally native generation. Three-time Sundance alum NAGAHISA Makoto returns with "BURN", starring rising Japanese actress Nana MORI. Through a surrealist lens, the film explores the price of maturity as a runaway girl enters a "Utopian" love hotel in Kabukicho. 

Addressing family trauma and private memory, Spanish director Lucía ALEÑAR IGLESIAS presents "Forastera", which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. The story follows a girl on a summer island who dons her late grandmother’s clothes and cooks her recipes, blurring the lines of reality through "performance". Canadian-Hungarian director Sophy ROMVARI, a multi-award winner at Toronto and Locarno, brings "Blue Heron", which uses a child’s perspective to piece together the invisible traumas lurking beneath the surface of an immigrant family. 

In the realm of coming-of-age journeys, the Argentine duo Lorenzo FERRO and Lucas A. VIGNALE present "The River Train", a Berlinale Perspectives selection about a boy’s solo train journey to escape iron-fisted dance training. Meanwhile, Spanish director Jaume CLARET MUXART’s "Strange River" transforms a cycling trip along the Danube into a poetic voyage of awakening desire and family realization. 

Broadening the scope to cultural pressures, Tibetan director Kangdrun presents "Linka Linka", winner of Best Film in the Firebird Young Cinema Competition at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. Filmed over three years, this female-centric Lhasa youth story captures the pulse of Tibetan life caught between tradition and modernity. 

From the UK, Oscar HUDSON’s "Straight Circle" offers a sharp political allegory through the mirrored relationship of soldiers from two nations, a work that secured the Grand Prize at Venice Critics' Week. Finally, Samuel ABRAHAMS brings the mockumentary comedy "Lady", which earned him Best Director at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. Starring Sian Clifford (Fleabag), the film uses a magical-realist premise to shine a tender light on "invisible" individuals obscured by the glitz of reality TV. 

The International Jury is headed by Sabrina BARACETTI, President of the Udine Far East Film Festival. Members include Taipei Film Awards Best Actress Nikki HSIEH, Golden Horse Best Director Jun LI (Jun LI), Light the Night director LIEN Yi-chi, and Eiko MIZUNO-GRAY, CEO of Loaded Films and producer of the Oscar-nominated Plan 75. This prestigious panel will select the winners of the "Grand Prize" and the "Special Jury Prize."

Additionally, the "Taiwan Director’s Association Recommendation Award" will be judged by Hou Chi-jan, Tsai Yin-chuan, and Li Yun-chan. The "Audience Choice Award" will also be revealed alongside the main prizes at the awards ceremony on June 30.

The highly anticipated International New Talent Forum will also take place on June 30, featuring a dialogue between Jun LI, NAGAHISA Makoto (BURN), and Samuel ABRAHAMS (Lady). Centered on "The Independent Filmmaking Path for New Directors," the forum will explore regional culture, practical experience, and international development strategies.

The 28th Taipei Film Festival will run from June 26 to July 11, 2026, at Zhongshan Hall, SPOT-Huashan Cinema, and Eslite Art House. For more information, please visit the official website: https://www.taipeiff.taipei/tw/.