Taipei Literature and Film Festival to Screen 16 Films, Interpreting Feminism and LGBTQ+ Themes

Central News Agency

(Central News Agency reporter Yang Shu-min, Taipei, 6th) The Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs today held a press conference to announce the "2026 Taipei Literature and Film Festival." With British writer Virginia Woolf and visual artist Derek Jarman as its dual themes, 16 films will be screened for a total of 43 sessions from May 22 to June 4.

Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs Deputy Director Chen Yu-hsin said at the meeting that these 16 films, totaling 43 sessions, will be screened at SPOT Taipei Film House and SPOT Huashan Film House. In addition to works by Virginia Woolf and Derek Jarman, there will also be a special screening of Japanese director Shunji Iwai's latest work, "A Prayer for Chiren" (tentative translation), which tells the story of characters' encounters and partings over 13 years, connected by music, making it highly anticipated.

She said that starting from May 10th, various related activities will be launched, including themed book exhibitions, poetry and prose exhibitions, special lectures, and exclusive discount events, offering citizens diverse choices.

The Department of Cultural Affairs introduced Virginia Woolf as a talented writer who lived in the last century when women were discriminated against. She faced limitations in economic and educational resources and was suppressed by patriarchal systems, yet she advocated that "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write," becoming a pioneer of feminism and stream-of-consciousness literature. The festival will screen "The Hours" and "The Waves" to present her thoughts.

Regarding Derek Jarman, who had multiple identities as a director, artist, and writer, the Department of Cultural Affairs said that his first film, "Sebastiane," was an important early British work that positively depicted gay men, reconstructing the story of Christian martyrdom with homosexual desire. He was also actively involved in LGBTQ+ rights movements, and in the late stages of his life, as he gradually lost his eyesight due to AIDS complications, he created his classic posthumous work, "Blue." The film festival will screen 10 of his works.

The Department of Cultural Affairs reminded that tickets will officially go on sale at noon on May 8th via the OPENTIX system. Event information can be found on the "Taipei Literature Season - Taipei Literature and Film Festival" official website and SPOT Taipei's official Facebook page. (Editor: Li Shu-hua) 1150506

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