Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Dead Talents Society 鬼才之道 - Taiwan

OPENING NIGHT FILM
Taiwan | Supernatural Comedy | 2024 | 110 minutes
In Mandarin w/Chinese and English Subtitles

Director: John Hsu
Screenwriters: John Hsu, Vincent Tsai
Starring: Chen Bo-Lin, Sandrine Pinna, Gingle Wang, Eleven Yao, Bai Bai, Soso Tseng
Film Source: Mandarin Vision

Director John Hsu and actor Chen Bo-Lin are scheduled to attend this screening in-person to introduce the film and participate in a post-film Q&A.

An opening night reception will take place from 6:00 -7:00 p.m.

SYNOPSIS:

In the ghost realm, a ghost’s value is determined by the fear they instill in the living. When ghost talent agent Makoto meets a rookie with weak scaring abilities, he convinces his client — forgotten superstar Catherine — to take her in as a disciple to challenge her former protégé.

John Hsu’s follow-up to horror blockbuster Detention is a raucous mash-up of Monsters Inc. and All About Eve. A hilarious satire of influencer culture and horror tropes, as well as a moving ode to underachievers, it won the Audience Award at Fantastic Fest and the People's Choice Award at Sitges Film Festival.

John Hsu, Director
Always interested in digital culture, video games, comedy and sci-fi genres, Hsu won the “Best Director Award” at Golden Bell Awards 2005, the biggest television award in Taiwan, with his TV movie debut Real Online.

Hsu’s feature debut Detention, an adaptation of an internationally-acclaimed Taiwanese indie game, was released in 2019 and became the best-selling Taiwanese film of the year. It was also among the biggest winner at the Golden Horse Awards, with twelve nominations and five wins, including Best New Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Visual Effects.

Chen Bo-Lin, Actor
Viewed as one of the most gifted young actors in Asia Pacific, Chen was recognized for his acting debut Blue Gate Crossing. His career climbed toanother height with TV drama In Time with You, which won him Best Leading Actor of the Golden Bell Awards. Recent film works include The Dreaming Man, Trick or Treat, Day Off and Breaking and Re-Entering.

This film event is partially supported by the Taipei Cultural Center New York.

Host or Publisher Asian Pop-Up Cinema