Venice: Taiwanese filmmakers earned international recognition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, held from August 27 to September 6 at Venice Lido in Italy, with director Singing Chen winning the Grand Prize in the Venice Immersive section for her VR work, “The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up”. Adapted from a short story by author Wu Ming-yi in “The Land of Little Rain”, Chen’s production garnered the section’s top honor for its poetic imagery and emotional depth. This marks Taiwan’s second Grand Prize in the category, following “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave” in 2022.

According to Focus Taiwan, director Tsai Ming-liang, actress Shu Qi, and animation director Hsieh Wen-ming also drew attention at the festival. Tsai’s documentary “Back Home” was screened in the Out of Competition section, and a 4K restoration of his classic “Vive L’Amour” was featured in Venice Classics. Tsai was further honored with the FIPRESCI 100-Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shu Qi made her directorial debut with the feature film “Girl”, which was nominated in the main competition. After its Venice premiere, the film received a 15-minute standing ovation, making it one of the festival’s most talked-about works. Taiwanese animation was also highlighted, with Hsieh’s short “Praying Mantis” selected for the Orizzonti competition, a milestone for Taiwanese animated shorts at Venice.

Minister of Culture Li Yuan praised these artists for their dedication, stating their achievements underscore the strength of Taiwan’s film industry. Li added that recognition at one of the world’s major film festivals affirms both the industry’s progress and the value of creative freedom. He pledged continued support to promote Taiwanese productions globally.