Filmart 2026: The buzz titles from Taiwan

Adrenal

Dir. Frank Chou
This crime thriller follows a widow who returns from Japan after her husband’s suicide, only to be plunged into further darkness when her daughter is kidnapped. The police offer little help so she sets out to investigate, uncovering mysterious cases of dismemberment and organ trafficking. The cast includes Lily Tien, Kuo Hsin and Liu Dai-ying. Chou is a veteran director whose credits include 1992’s The Noblest Way To Die and 1998’s Badapple & Confucius. Adrenal, scheduled for release in June, marks his return to filmmaking after almost three decades. Rebecca Liou produces through new production outfit Yang Ka International.
Contact Yang Ka International

Haru And Tae

Dir. Akira Ikeda
Shot entirely on Taiwan’s Kinmen Island, this co-production with Japan is a fantasy drama about an elderly woman who bonds with a strange baby creature found in the mountains, only to be ostracised from her superstitious village. The cast includes Kimiko Yo, Joe Odagiri (also executive producer) in his first Taiwanese film appearance, and Liu Kuan-ting from recent Lunar New Year hit Double Happiness. Producers are Fumiko Osaka, longtime collaborator of director Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Arthur Chu. Japanese director Ikeda won a Rotterdam Tiger Award in 2014 for his feature Anatomy Of A Paper Clip.
Contact Hope Content Marketing

Kill At Once

Dirs. Hung Shih-hao, Jack Hsu
This crime thriller marks the directing debut of Hung, a two-time Golden Horse-winning action choreographer for 2018’s The Scoundrels and 2023’s The Pig, The Snake And The Pigeon. Starring Hong Kong’s Tommy Chu (The Last Dance), Li Li-ren and Fu Meng-po, the film follows a retired assassin who reteams with his former partner to get rid of the heir of a corrupt politician when his daughter’s life is put in danger. The screenplay is adapted from Wang Kuo-kuang’s work that won first prize at the 2023 Filming Taipei screenplay competition. Co-director Hsu’s credits include LGBTQ+ series The Nipple Talk.
Contact Sula Ku, Wanin International Visual Enterprise

Papa Don’t Preach

Dir. Fan Yang-chung
This gangster comedy revolves around a wannabe influencer who is seeking a breakthrough when her mobster father is released from prison and accidentally gains viral fame — creating a new gang war and jeopardising his daughter’s online persona. The cast includes Wang Shih-hsien, Harry Chang and Show Lo. Actor Tender Huang, known for his role in the Gatao gangster film series, produces for the first time through Money Entertainment Investment. Director Fan, whose debut feature was 2021’s Leave Me Alone, has worked in advertising and his TV film The Will To Power won four prizes at the Golden Bell Awards in 2013.
Contact Money Entertainment Investment 

Points Up

Dir. Li Bo-en
This youth fantasy film is about a high-school boy who suddenly gains the supernatural ability to see floating numbers above people’s heads. He soon learns these are scores given to them based on their conduct towards others. Studio76’s Dennis Yang and Sunshine Women’s Choir director Gavin Lin serve as executive producers. The young cast is led by Ho Man-xi, a breakout talent from Sunshine Women’s Choir, Taiwan’s highest-grossing local film ever, and Bruce Chiu. Lin’s Smile Hours Entertainment is the production company. Points Up marks the feature debut of Li, whose further credits include reality show The King Of Nightmarket.
Contact Studio76  

A Vampire, Probably

Dir. Ken Yang
This feature debut is a fantasy horror about a bloodthirsty young man who is released from prison, having been convicted of killing his classmate. He attempts to start over by learning body reconstruction at a funeral home, while living under the supervision of a mysterious social worker. Beijing-born Yang worked in post-production at Beijing Film Studio for several years before relocating to Canada, and has made several short films in Taiwan since 2017. Producer Lin Ming-chih worked in the healthcare industry and as a schoolteacher before turning to filmmaking. It is presented at the HKIFF Industry Project Market at Filmart.
Contact Ying Hong Pictures