Excellent exposure for French films at Taiwan's Golden Horse Festival, held October 31 through November 14 this year.

With Vincent Perez, Morgane More and Karine Silla representing "Peau d'Ange" ("Once Upon an Angel"), Emmanuelle Devos and Jacques Audiard representing "Read My Lips" and Jacques Cluzeaud presenting "The Travelling Birds," the French delegation created a sensation at the Golden Horse Festival, Taiwan's leading movie industry event.

Renewed interest in French films shown by Taiwanese distributors (CMPC, Spring, Cineplex and Mata) and the emergence of dynamic new operators in the sector (such as Zeus), has attracted increased support for theatrical releases by taking advantage of the festival as a promotional platform. Distributors succeeded in negotiating excellent programming for their films at the festival: "8 Women" was opening film, "Read My Lips" was screened on closing night at Taipei and "Peau d'Ange," closing film at Kaohsiung, the second city hosting the festival. Six French guests were present at the festival, among the 15 foreign artists attending the event, thus giving excellent exposure to French films.

A total of 19 French films should hit movie screens in Taiwan in 2002, compared to 10 films in 2001.

Gilles Renouard
gilles.renouard@unifrance.org