It’s Official – Sundance Film Festival Asia is Coming to Taiwan

On 23 May, 2023, G2Go Entertainment officially announced the 2023 edition of Sundance Film Festival Asia, coming to Taipei, Taiwan this August 18 – 20. This is the first time the annual Sundance Film Festival Asia will be hosted in Taiwan, having had previous stops in Hong Kong and Indonesia. This collaboration continues to discover, support, connect, and celebrate the independent film community in Asia while screening a selection of top independent films from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, curated by Sundance Institute. The Festival will also include Sundance Film Festival Asia’s annual Short Film Competition for Taiwanese filmmakers, providing a unique opportunity for emerging local talent to showcase their films on an international platform. 

Sundance Film Festival Asia is an annual event created by the nonprofit Sundance Institute which takes place after its flagship event in January of each year in Park City, Utah, USA. The Asia edition is a reflection of the Institute’s goals to further champion and promote visibility for independent artists and connect with the Asian community. The Taiwan event will celebrate and advance the impact of universal independent storytelling around the world. Panel events will accompany the festival to foster artistic exchange, providing opportunities for the Taiwan film industry to connect with Sundance’s executive team, and elevating Taiwan’s image and presence in the global independent film industry. 

“We are thrilled to partner to bring the next edition of Sundance Film Festival Asia to Taiwan. We look forward to celebrating independent film in Taiwan and bringing visibility to local emerging storytellers through our short film contest, especially considering the rich history of Taiwanese Cinema,” said Joana Vicente, CEO of Sundance Institute.

“Taiwan’s dynamic local film and television industry has captivated an ever-growing international audience, witnessing remarkable success at prestigious global festivals and on global platforms. Taiwan is a filmmaker’s paradise – a culture that warmly embraces diversity and inclusivity, coupled with amazing local talent and unwavering support from the local government and industry stakeholders – positioning Taiwan as a natural host for Sundance Film Festival Asia. The highly anticipated annual Short Film Competition will help propel Taiwan’s independent filmmakers to new heights within the global community,” said Kevin Lin, Co-Founder of G2Go Entertainment.

As part of the Festival, G2GO Entertainment is proud to announce the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Asia Short Film Competition.  The competition is open exclusively to Taiwan filmmakers and aims to discover and provide more exposure for emerging talents from Taiwan onto this globally-recognized stage. Previous short film winners have successfully gone on to be shown at the main Sundance Film Festival in Utah and other similar worldwide acclaimed film festivals. 

Short film submissions will be assessed by a jury of representatives from the Sundance Institute. A selection of shorts will be chosen to screen at Sundance Film Festival Asia and a winner will be announced at the opening gala. The winner will receive a $50,000 NTD cash prize. 

The jury includes:

o Kim Yutani, Director of Programming, Sundance Film Festival

o Heidi Zwicker, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival

o Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film, Sundance Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival in Utah. Submissions are now open through to June 19, 2023 for Taiwan citizens and foreign residents, living domestically or abroad, 18 years or older. Filmmakers must hold a Taiwan passport or Taiwan resident (ARC) card, and can submit short films across any genre or theme that have been completed on or after January 1, 2022, with a duration between 3 to 15 minutes. Entrance fees for each submission is 310 NT. For further information on submission procedures and rules and regulations, please visit our page: https://filmfreeway.com/SundanceAsia or www.Sundanceffasia.com

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Media enquiries:

Vincent Wan

Sundance Film Festival Asia Team

[email protected]

+852 6626 3242

About Sundance Institute

As a champion and curator of independent stories, the nonprofit Sundance Institute provides and preserves the space for artists across storytelling media to create and thrive. Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, the Institute’s signature labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Collab, a digital community platform, brings a global cohort of working artists together to learn from each other and Sundance advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Through the Sundance Institute artist programs we have supported such projects as Bottle Rocket, Boys Don’t Cry, Call Me By Your Name, The Farewell, Flee, Fruitvale Station, Get Out, Half Nelson, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hereditary, Requiem for a Dream, Reservoir Dogs, RBG, Swiss Army Man, and Walking and Talking. Through year-round artist programs, the Institute also nurtured the early careers of artists such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Gregg Araki, Darren Aronofsky, Lisa Cholodenko, Ryan Coogler, Nia DaCosta, The Daniels, David Gordon Green, Miranda July, James Mangold, John Cameron Mitchell, Kimberly Peirce, Boots Riley, Ira Sachs, Quentin Tarantino, Taika Waititi, Lulu Wang, and Chloé Zhao. Support Sundance Institute in our commitment to uplifting bold artists and powerful storytelling globally by making a donation at sundance.org/donate. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.

Sundance Film Festival Asia (SFF Asia) is an expansion of Sundance Institute’s programming in the region, further championing and promoting visibility for independent storytelling before a wider global audience. SFF Asia is a traveling event, moving throughout various cities across Asia. In 2022, the event was held in Jakarta, organized by XRM Media, IDN Times, and several other parties. 

About G2Go Entertainment

G2Go stands for ‘雞兔狗’ or ‘Chicken Rabbit Dog’, the zodiac signs of the Taiwanese founding members wanting to bring the best of the tech and entertainment world to Taiwan. Led by Kevin Lin, G2Go produces events, hosts parties, facilitates and introduces key connections to trusted providers, with the simple purpose of helping elevate Taiwan’s presence in the global community.

Through an expansive network of accomplished Asian and American counterparts, G2Go connects international brands, ideas, and people to Taiwan, creating a bridge for future collaboration and the opportunity for more global exposure.  

The 2023 Taiwan edition of Sundance Film Festival Asia is produced with the help of Taiwan Women’s Film Association, organizers of the annual Women Make Waves Film Festival since 1993. Taiwan Women’s Film Association’s goal is to provide a perspective on humanities and the arts through film, gender diversity, and are not only a stage for local filmmakers, but also a platform for their international exposure.