Taiwan Film Festival in Australia

Overview

A Taiwanese filmmaker might've made your favourite movie, although you may not realise that. Adored the original The Wedding Banquet? A fan of Brokeback Mountain? Loved Life of Pi? Still in awe at Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's action scenes? Thank Ang Lee (Gemini Man) — but he's just one of many talented directors from Taiwan.

To dive into the depths of the rest of Taiwan's filmmaking prowess, Australia became home to the Taiwan Film Festival in Australia back in 2018. After starting in Sydney, it now tours to five other cities — but the Harbour City remains on the itinerary from Thursday, July 24–Saturday, September 6, 2025, complete with 2025's closing-night session of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's (The Assassin) Tony Leung (Fox Hunt)-led 1998 great Flowers of Shanghai, playing a restored 4K version, at the Sydney Opera House.

Largely playing Event Cinemas George St in the New South Wales capital, this year's fest spans more than 40 sessions among its features and shorts — including 15 films scoring their Australian premieres — and puts a particular focus on showcasing female perspectives. Daughter's Daughter kicks off the program, starring Sylvia Chang (Forget You Not) and screening fresh from its berth at Sydney Film Festival. Also highlights: The Chronicles of Libidoists, about chasing desires, plus romance Unexpected Courage.

From there, get ready for a range of fellow titles that, outside of occasional berths at Australia's major fests, don't often make it to our shores. Yen and Ai-Lee and the Sung Kang (Fast X)-costarring Worth the Wait both hail from filmmaker Tom Lin (The Garden of Evening Mists), Where the River Flows and Organ Child have crime thrills covered, and Stranger Eyes is a Singaporean co-production — as well as the first Singaporean feature to ever premiere in Official Competition at the Venice International Film Festival.