The 49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced the winners on Sunday, highlighting two Taiwanese films: Daughter’s Daughter (女兒的女兒) and Dead Talents Society (鬼才之道).
Daughter’s Daughter, directed by Huang Xi (黃熙), won an honorable mention for the performance of lead actress Sylvia Chang (張艾嘉). During the announcement, special attention was paid to Chang's acting history, claiming her “Daughter’s Daughter” performance as among her most outstanding works. The statement went on to praise her rich and multi-layered portrayal of a conflicted mother– Chang herself said she learned a lot through her work in the role, which she compiled into a soon-to-be-released book titled “Daughter”(女兒).
The second film, Dead Talents Society, directed by John Hsu (徐漢強), premiered at the festival’s Midnight Madness, where cult films from around the world are featured. Both Hsu and actress Gingle Wang (王淨) attended the premiere which was met with an enthusiastic response. The Dead Talents Society was the first runner-up for the People’s Choice Award of the Midnight Madness program.
Toronto Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Director General Chen Jin-Ling
(陳錦玲) praised the filmmakers and crew of each film for bringing glory to Taiwan. She also said that the fact that Taiwanese films are playing so well to a Canadian audience reflects the deepening friendship between the two countries.
The Toronto International Film Festival was established in 1976 and is known as the outpost of the Academy Awards. This year’s TIFF was held for 11 days from the 5th to the 15th, and screened nearly 300 films from all over the world.