Vilnius: The seventh Taiwan on Screen film festival commenced in Lithuania with the screening of "The Sandwich Man," a pivotal piece from the 1980s Taiwanese New Cinema movement.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Vilnius-based Asian Arts Centre announced that the festival aims to acquaint Lithuanian audiences with Taiwanese cultural expressions through a diverse array of films, ranging from magical realism to social realism, while delving into themes of family relationships and identity.

The festival's program features eight films encompassing a variety of genres, periods, and perspectives. Among the films being showcased are "Eel," "My Missing Valentine," "Small Talk," "Family Matters," and "Jump Ashin!" Additionally, the festival offers a retrospective screening of the 1985 film "Taipei Story," directed by Edward Yang and starring "The Sandwich Man" co-director Hou Hsiao-hsien.

Chris Berry, a professor of Film Studies at King's College London, has been invited to conduct film appreciation sessions during the screenings in Vilnius. Furthermore, director Tsao Shih-han, whose work "Before the Bright Day" recently garnered two awards at the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in France, is attending the event in person. Tsao will engage in two post-screening discussions to share insights into his creative process with the audience.

Supported by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture and the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, the festival runs until February 16, with film screenings taking place in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipeda.