The Trending Taiwan Short Film Competition opened July 19 as part of government efforts to raise the country’s profile on the global stage, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Organized by the MOFA’s Department of International Information Services, the eighth edition of the annual event is accepting global submissions of three minutes or less that capture the cultural ambiance unique to Taiwan and feature inspiring local stories or the country’s ephemeral moments of beauty until Oct. 23. The Special Student Award has additionally been launched this year to encourage more participation by young creative minds.
Entries will be assessed by a five-member panel on the basis of narrative technique, script creativity, technical proficiency and theme appeal. A total of 30 submissions will be shortlisted in the first round, with final selections honored during a ceremony Nov. 16 in Taipei City.
The first-prize winner is to receive a cash prize of NT$250,000 (US$8,379), while two second-prize winners will be granted NT$150,000 each, three third-prize winners NT$100,000 each and the six winners of distinctions NT$50,000 each. Two Special Student Award winners will each receive NT$50,000.
The awarded works will be subtitled in a variety of foreign languages for broadcast on the MOFA’s website and accounts on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
First launched in 2015, the competition is one of the MOFA’s most successful digital diplomacy promotions. It has attracted near 1,000 submissions to date from nationals of countries such as France, India, Malaysia and Switzerland. (YCH-E)
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