Curating Concept

In recent years, the lifestyle of “nomadism” has become one option in the post-pandemic world. Many people embark on journeys, leaving their comfortable homes and heading to distant unknown places in search of a better life. In Canada, people from different ethnic backgrounds have also taken the opportunity to return to their long-lost hometowns after travel restrictions were lifted worldwide.

Apart from returning home through travel, some people participate in various cultural and artistic activities related to their homes. They strengthen their spiritual connection with their roots, showcase their cultural uniqueness to others, and provide opportunities for exchange and communication. The original intention of the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival was inspired by this artistic concept of “returning home.”

The Vancouver International Film Centre is the annual Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival venue. Like the salmon migration, after a year of reflection and growth following the festival, we always come back to the theater, allowing the audience to once again explore Taiwan’s precious cultural heritage and its resonance with the world through film.

The concept of home varies for each individual. It is a place that provides shelter and sustenance, where one can find cultural belonging and define their self-worth. In 2023, the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival will focus on the concept of “home” and explore the meaning of family through Taiwanese-originated stories. It will reexamine the impact of the family from the perspective of those who have left their homes and explore diverse family dynamics from a multicultural standpoint. Additionally, the festival will collaborate with local charitable organizations that provide care and assistance to the homeless in Vancouver under the theme of “home,” continuing the positive influence of the event in the community.

In 2023, the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival will extend this concept and present the theme “Homeward Bound.” Through 14 deeply moving films and talks, the audience will explore the meaning of “home” to one another and discover the beauty of “home” as they follow the protagonists on their journeys through the lens of the camera.