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Maximum secrecy – including an omerta about the cast – was observed during the filming of “The Chronicles of Libidoists,” a Taiwanese film fable that is pitched as a modern-day retelling of “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale.

A work-in-progress teaser in Cannes, however, disclosed that major Taiwan star Wu Kang-ren was the protagonist of the production which, now completed, seems certain to challenge censors worldwide.

With the film poised for imminent commercial release in Taiwan and a series of autumn festival play dates being lined up, it is easy to see why the cloak of anonymity was required. The other main players are Liu Chu-ping, Alisia Liang and Will Or.

In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 19th century telling, “The Little Mermaid” was a tale of an impossible romance between a mermaid and a prince, involving love, betrayal, death and resurrection. Metaphors and allegorical meanings were plentiful.

In the hands of Yang Ya-che,...

“Golden Horse Goes to Cannes” is looking to make a splash on the Croisette, marking a collaboration with the festival’s Marché du Film that aims to showcase the “diversity, vigor and bold competence of Taiwan cinema, ranging from epic, romance, comedy, fantasy and gender awareness.”

The reality of that promise, for those on the ground in France, will be the presentation on May 16 of five projects featuring the leading lights of contemporary Taiwanese cinema. They’ve been selected by the Golden Horse organization, the people behind Taiwan’s famed annual festival and awards night, to showcase the strength in depth boasted by a market that has always punched above its weight in terms of talent.

New works from directors Chen Yu-hsun, Yang Ya-che, Huang Xi, Giddens Ko, and John Hsu will be on show, and they feature some of the island’s biggest stars, among them Sylvia Chang, who...

The Taipei Film Festival kicked off as a live, physical event Thursday, making it likely the first in the world to occur in-person since the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus — albeit without international guests.

Scheduled for June 25 to July 11, the festival will occur ahead of Fid Marseille, which will take place with in-person screenings from July 22-26 and has also previously claimed the milestone.

Planning a festival in the midst of a global pandemic was a process plagued by unknowns and sudden about-faces, Taipei’s senior program assistant manager Stephanie Su told Variety.

“We weren’t sure whether we could even have a physical festival a couple of months ago. We had many plan Bs and plan Cs going at the same time,” she said. She explained that the uncertainty had also made it particularly difficult to cinch sponsors. “It was a really bizarre work experience. We were kind...