The Ukrainian-Polish co-produced film "Clear Sky" has won the Golden Fireball Award; The German film "Tunnels" has received the International Section Jury Award

The awards ceremony for the 2024 Kaohsiung Film Festival International Short Film Competition and XR Competition took place on the evening of October 20 at the Kaohsiung Main Public Library. This year, a remarkable total of 2,485 outstanding short films from 91 countries were submitted, with 41 international short films and 21 Taiwanese short films ultimately competing for awards. The XR International Competition featured 22 immersive works from 20 countries. Over 26 international creators and more than 100 Taiwanese filmmakers proudly participated, making this event the largest international short film competition in Taiwan and the only XR international competition in the country.

This year's final jury for the short film competition was comprised of esteemed professionals, including HSIAO Ya-chuan, Best Director of the Golden Horse Awards; Allison LIN, three-time Best Actress nominee of the Golden Bell Awards; Norris WONG, Best New Director of the Hong Kong Film Awards; SU Hui-yu, The Winner of Taishin Arts Award 2018/19; and Jin PARK, programmer for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

The jury for the XR International Competition was composed of Singing CHEN, the director of the VR experience "The Man Who Couldn't Leave," which won the Venice Immersive Best Experience Award at the 79th Venice Film Festival; Michele ZIEGLER, director of NewImages Hub & Festival; and Michel REILHAC, co-curator of the Venice Immersive. 

The two juries announced the winners of a total of 15 awards across the International, Taiwan, and XR categories. The top award, the Golden Fireball Award, was awarded to "Clear Sky," "A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers," and the interactive VR experience "All I Know About Teacher Li."

The International Golden Fireball Award was won by "Clear Sky," a film from Ukraine and Poland that depicts the chaotic life of a Ukrainian boy amid war, capturing the bittersweet realities of conflict. The International Section Jury Award went to the German film "Tunnels," praised for its captivating structural shifts and excellent cinematography, skillfully addressing themes of rebellion and societal norms. The Special Mention in the International Section was awarded to the Thai film "Crazy Lotus," which explores the blurred lines between "virtual" and "existence" through creative collage and real imagery, delivering a wild audiovisual experience.

The Taiwan Golden Fireball Award was won by "A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers," recognized for its innovative use of retro elements and strong critical engagement. The Taiwan Section Jury Award went to "Midnight Playground," which intertwines past and present with deep political themes, creating a compelling atmosphere. The Special Mention was awarded to "NoNameBlade," offering a modern interpretation of Taiwanese puppetry with a fresh narrative style. The Taiwan Student Award was given to "Summer of Farewell," highlighting the nuanced emotions of summer, reflecting both maturity and potential.

The Asian New Wave Award, contested by both the International and Taiwan sections, was awarded to the Palestinian film "In the Waiting Room." This film poignantly highlights the immense frustration of ordinary individuals impacted by politics through the lens of seemingly minor language issues, reflecting identity struggles in everyday life. Meanwhile, the Turkish short film "Garan" received the Formosa Human Rights Award, interpreting global conflicts and emphasizing the characters' sense of confinement. The film is praised for its enjoyable performances and orderly narrative structure.

The XR Golden Fireball Award was presented to the American interactive VR experience "All I Know About Teacher Li," which depicts the emergence of powerful democratic protest energy in response to the increasing pressure and oppression from the Chinese government during the COVID-19 pandemic, centered around a Twitter user known as "Teacher Li."

The XR Immersive Award went to the French-German film "Emperor," with the producer Oriane Hurard expressing her gratitude to the Kaohsiung Film Festival and the jury, noting the beauty of the mandarin translation. The VR360 Award was awarded to the Dutch film "8 Billion Selves," where director Tibor DE JONG humorously remarked on his surprise at winning, stating, "Other works are great, but not as good as mine," delighting the audience, and encouraging all creators with, "If I can do it, you can too!"

The XR Special Mention was awarded to the UK-Netherlands experience "Soul Paint," with one of the directors Niki SMIT thanking their team for their support and concluding with a sentiment that "art has the power to heal."

This year, the XR section specially invited cross-disciplinary experts—HUANG Wen-Hao, CHANG Chia-Lu, Yujun WANG, JieJie, Ray Li, and Rémy GILS—to participate in selecting the XR Spark Special Recognition Award. Prior to the festival’s opening, "Emperor" was announced as the award winner, scoring the highest in the initial evaluation. The work excelled in terms of technology, theme, and conveyed imagery, making it a deserving recipient of this special recommendation award. And the Czech work "Fragile Home" has won the XR Spark Innovation Experience Award for its innovative presentation.

The Children's Jury Award featured 11 films from 10 countries, with the Children's Jury Special Award going to "Ponies in the Saddle." The film explores the universal experience of growing up, prompting reflection and conveying the importance of empathy and not mocking others. The final jury, composed of 21 elementary students from Kaohsiung, including members from Zhongxiao, Bagua, and Nancheng schools, selected their favorite film for the Children's Jury Grand Award, which was awarded to "Ali Akau." The jury praised the film for its relatable characters, whose friendships resonated deeply with the members.

The Youth Art Exhibition, an extension of the Kaohsiung Film Festival's International Short Film Competition, awarded the Art Inspired by Art: Audience's Choice Award to Yang Zi-Jiang for "Desire," which drew inspiration from the Taiwanese short film "Anthropocene," directed by HUANG Yun-sian and Raito LOW, earning the highest number of likes at 690 during the voting period. The Art Inspired by Art: Grand Award went to Tsai Ching-Wen for "You and Me," inspired by CHU Yun-tien's short film "My Terra." Her work, characterized by its warm and cool color tones, delicately expresses the profound emotional connections between individuals.

The award-winning shorts will be screened on October 25 at 3:50 PM at the Neiwei Arts Center and on October 26 at 7:00 PM at the Kaohsiung Film Archive. We invite everyone to join us for these screenings.

 

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The full list of winners for the 2024 Kaohsiung Film Festival International Short Film Competition

國際組 International Section
金火球大獎 Golden Fireball Award	晴空萬里 Clear Sky
評審團獎 Special Jury Award	柏林塗鴉日記 Tunnels
評審團特別提及 Special Mention	瘋蓮記 Crazy Lotus

臺灣組 Taiwan Section
金火球大獎 Golden Fireball Award	風流少女殺人事件 A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers
評審團獎 Special Jury Award	午夜遊樂場 Midnight Playground
評審團特別提及 Special Mention	無名刀 NoNameBlade
臺灣學生獎 Taiwan Student Award	海龜少年 Summer of Farewell

國際組與臺灣組共同角逐 Award Eligible for International and Taiwan Section
亞洲新浪潮獎 The Asian New Wave Award	漫長的等待 In the Waiting Room
美麗島人權獎  Formosa Human Rights Award	等牛到的日子 Garan

XR 國際競賽 XR Section
XR 金火球大獎 XR Golden Fireball Award	關於李老師的一切 All I Know About Teacher Li
XR 沉浸體驗獎 XR Immersive Award	記憶如沙 Emperor
VR360 敘事獎 VR360 Award	自我狂想曲 8 Billion Selves
XR 評審團特別提及獎 XR Special Mention	靈魂繪師 Soul Paint

XR 火種觀察團會外獎 XR External Awards presented by XR Spark Observer
XR 火種觀察特別推薦獎 XR Spark Special Recognition Award	記憶如沙 Emperor
XR 火種觀察創新體驗獎 XR Spark Innovation Experience Award	破碎之家 Fragile Home

兒童評審團獎 Children’s Jury Award
兒童評審團心動獎 Children’s Jury Grand Award	甘榜男孩 Ali Akau
兒童評審團特別獎 Children’s Jury Special Award	少女的鞍 Ponies in the Saddle

青少年創作美展 Kaohsiung Film Festival International Short Film Competition - Youth Art Exhibition
青少年創作美展 聯想創作「最佳人氣獎」 Art Inspired by Art: Audience's Choice Award	楊子靚《慾望》 Yang Zi-Jiang for "Desire"
青少年創作美展 聯想創作「首獎」 Art Inspired by Art: Grand Award	齊憬玟《你和我》 Chi Ching-Wen for "You and Me