Announcement of the 2025 Kaohsiung Film Festival International Short Film Competition Nominees

The 2025 TTXC (Taiwan Technology X Culture Expo) Kaohsiung Film Festival will take place from October 10 (Friday) to October 26 (Sunday) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This year, the competition received 2,380 outstanding submissions from 100 countries, with 40 international shorts and 20 Taiwan shorts advancing to the final selection.

These 60 shortlisted works will be screened throughout the festival, including 5 world premieres, 3 international premieres, and 11 Asia premieres. They will compete for prestigious awards—the Golden Fireball Award, Formosa Human Rights Award, and Asian New Wave Award, with a total prize pool of over TWD 1 million. In addition, 10 works nominated from international film festivals across the globe will also vie for Children’s Jury Award.

The International Shorts section presents 25 narratives, 5 animations, 4 experimental films, and 6 documentaries, including 14 works from Asia. Renowned as one of the festival’s most competitive categories, this year’s lineup captures both bold creativity and the urgency of our times—ranging from tender moments of humor and intimacy to unsettling depictions of horror, anxiety, and silence. A portion of the films directly confront war, authoritarianism, and political struggle, revealing how global unrest shapes individual lives. Highlights include the world premiere of The Accused Showed No Remorse from Iran, set against the backdrop of the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, which starkly portrays the clash between the yearning for freedom and the violence of authoritarian rule. Alongside prize-winning works from Cannes, Berlin, and Venice, these shorts not only embody universal emotions but also offer audiences vivid insights into diverse cultures and lived realities.

The Taiwan Shorts section features 10 narratives, 4 animations, 3 experimental films, and 3 documentaries, including 8 student works. The films explore contemporary issues, historical subjects, and formal experimentation, ranging from fantastical encounters to conflicts between the individual and society. Within this section, four world premieres are presented: Floaters by SUEN Kwan-to, a playful fantasia on lost love; Awake Before Your Gaze by LIN Yi-chi, revisiting the legacy of Amerasian children left in Taiwan; Wall to Wall by HONG Dong-ren, a triptych of hazy everyday romances; and This Is NOT My Cow by LIN Chih-wen, a military satire about soldiers and a village disturbed by drills. These films reveal the imagination, resilience, and evolving identities of Taiwanese cinema, and they deliver a vibrant spectrum of creativity from personal reverie to social critique.

The 10 films nominated for the Children’s Jury Award come from nine countries. Notably, this marks only the second time in eight years that three Taiwanese films have been selected, underscoring their growing global presence.There are two world premieres: Anja’s Longing and Where We Sit Together. Anja’s Longing blends stage and screen to explore life’s joys and sorrows, while Where We Sit Together follows a girl’s fight for a family dining table.These 10 short films present a rich spectrum of artistic expression and universal experiences for young audiences worldwide.

The full list of nominees is available on the official Kaohsiung Film Festival website under the International Competition, Taiwan Competition, and Children’s Jury Award sections. The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on October 24.