By Nancy T. Lu
Shawkat Amin Korki’s “Kick Off” took the coveted Grand Prize in the New Talent Competition of the 12th Taipei Film Festival. The jury announced the winners on July 2 at the Riverside Live House at the back of the Red Playhouse in Ximending.
The triumph of the film about how an exciting football game between the Kurdish and the Arabic boys gets organized in a semi-destroyed stadium doubling as refugee camp in post-Saddam Iraq perfectly tied in with the current World Cup fever.
The jury took note of the fact that the motion picture produced partly in black and white was made “under challenging conditions.” It was described further as “a daring work with outstanding direction.”
The Special Jury Prize went to “Women Without Men.” The “unforgettable” movie directed by Shirin Neshat is set in Iran of the 1950s. The jury’s statement read: “This is a visually striking film in which the awareness of female coincides with the awareness of the nation.”
The Special Mention honor went to two comedies: Taika Waititi’s “Boy” and Ho Wi-Ding’s “Pinoy Sunday.” Chung Mong-hong’s “The Fourth Portrait” received the Audience’s Choice Award.
This year's jury included Kim Dong Ho of the Pusan Film Festival, Brazilian movie actor Jose Wilker, Japanese filmmaker Isao Yukisada and Taiwanese actress Chen Shiang-chyi.
The Taipei Film Festival will run until July 15. Film screenings are held at the Zhongshan Hall and at the Shin Kong Cineplex in Ximending.
Photo shows Shawkat Amin Korki, director of “Kick Off,” flanked by Ho Wi-Ding of “Pinoy Sunday” and Chung Mong-hong of “The Fourth Portrait.”
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