The 20th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is taking place from August 6 through August 22, 2021. The festival will screen over 60 films, both virtually and in-person, to audiences in New York and across the country. Taipei Cultural Center in New York is thrilled to announce that five Taiwanese feature films will be highlighted at this year’s event, including City Of Lost Things, nominated for this year’s Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition, as well as The Silent Forest, an image of which is being used for NYAFF’s 20th edition poster.
City of Lost Things is an animated feature directed by Yee Chih-yen (Blue Gate Crossing, Meeting Dr. Sun). The film is Yee’s first foray into 3D animation and took him ten years to complete. NYAFF describes the film as an “ingenious spectacle” and notes that “urgent questions of humanity and the environment are eloquently espoused in this dazzlingly creative and powerful film full of ideas and ideals. Attentive viewers will also be impressed with the all-star voice cast, which includes Gwei Lun-mei, Joseph Chang, and Jack Kao.” City of Lost Things was also selected for the Contrechamp competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this May.
The Silent Forest, based on a shocking true story, is “a crucial exposé of corruption of the worst kind, bringing to light the unspeakable domino effects of trauma and abuse.” One of its still images, according to the NYAFF’s news release, has been chosen for this edition’s poster, as the image is “almost tailor-made to represent how we’re feeling as we cautiously emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic: slightly dazed, but laser-focused and ecstatic to be back in person at FLC (Film at Lincoln Center) and SVA (School of Visual Art) with this year’s most unforgettable Asian films.”
Other Taiwanese films include A Leg, the masterful feature directorial debut of Chang Yaosheng, which was also co-written and shot by Chung Mong-hong, director of the 2021 Oscar-shortlisted A Sun; As We Like It, a reworking of Shakespeare’s play with an all-female cast, referencing Shakespeare’s era when women were banned from the stage and all roles were played by men; as well as My Missing Valentine, a fantasy rom-com playing with the perception of time, which won Best Feature Film at the Golden Horse Awards in 2020.
Additionally, Piglet Piglet, a short film directed by emerging Taiwanese director and NYU graduate film student Lin Tsung-Yen, has also been selected for this year’s “Emerging Voices: Narrative Short Showcase - IRL (In Real Life)” section. It will be streaming at NYAFF on its own platform, powered by Eventive.
As North America's leading festival for popular Asian cinema, the New York Asian Film Festival is co-presented by the New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center. For more details and to purchase tickets, please visit nyaff.org/ or filmlinc.org/.
Screening Schedule:
(Subject to changes as announced by NYAFF)
A Leg (腿, 2020), In-Person &Virtual
Saturday Aug 14, 3:00pm (Beatrice Theatre, SVA Theatre)
Sunday Aug 15, 6:00pm – Friday Aug 20, 6:00pm (Film at Lincoln Center's Virtual Cinema)
In this deliciously dark comedy, a woman desperately attempts to reunite her husband’s amputated leg with his body before his funeral, leading her on a wild goose chase across Taipei and through multiple encounters with bureaucracy, ineptitude, and her own recent past.
The Silent Forest (無聲, 2020), Virtual Only
Monday Aug 16, 6:00pm – Saturday Aug 21, 6:00pm (Film at Lincoln Center's Virtual Cinema)
The marginalized will always be (rightfully) wary of others. Deaf teenager Chang Cheng is no exception, and is extra-cautious on his journey to a boarding school for the hard of hearing.
My Missing Valentine (消失的情人節, 2020), Virtual Only
Tuesday Aug 17, 6:00pm – Sunday Aug 22, 6:00pm (Film at Lincoln Center's Virtual Cinema)
Ever feel out of step with the rest of the world? Almost 30, Hsiao-chi has always done everything a few moments before everyone else, yet she lags behind in significant ways.
As We Like It (揭大歡喜, 2021), Virtual Only
Tuesday Aug 17, 6:00pm – Sunday Aug 22, 6:00pm (Film at Lincoln Center's Virtual Cinema)
This novel take on the Shakespeare classic dynamically reimagines the story's gender-bending romance in the near future, with a clever conceit that should have the Bard dancing in his grave.
City of Lost Things (廢棄之城, 2020), In-Person Only
Thursday Aug 19, 6:30pm (Beatrice Theatre, SVA Theatre)
Faced with every possible pressure, teenager Leaf runs away from home. An odd chain of events whisks him into another world populated by pieces of junk, from discarded appliances to a garrulous plastic bag.
Piglet Piglet (美豬肉圓, 2021), Virtual Only
Friday Aug 6, 6:30pm – Sunday Aug 22, 10:00pm (Eventive)
A woman struggles to share the news of her unexpected pregnancy with her career-focused husband as the future of their nation is being decided in a pivotal election.