Taiwanese film to feature at New York film festival

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) Taiwanese film "The Time of Huannan" (環南時候) has been selected to feature at the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival, according to an announcement by the Taipei Film Commission Thursday.

Inspired by true events, the movie follows the lives, loves and friendship of four individuals who call themselves "the four Huannan youths" and frequent the streets and markets of Taipei's Wanhua District in 1991, according to the commission.

Director and scriptwriter Leading Lee (李鼎) said that Taipei's Huannan Market was destined to be seen by the wider world, adding that he and his team will continue their "mission" to show the film to more people around the world.

The film crew said they "anticipated sharing Taipei's 'Westside Story' with the world."

This remark refers to the market's location on the western margins of Taipei, according to Lee.

With field research and production taking more than three years, the film was a collaborative project with multiple Taipei City Government departments. It was shot on location in the district and cast many local vendors from the market, the commission said in a 2023 news release when the movie premiered.

The movie hits cinemas across the country on Friday.

Currently in its 23rd edition, the New York Asian Film Festival is the first North American film festival to champion Asian auteurs, and annually celebrates "the best and boldest in Asian cinema," according to its official website.