Taipei, March 6 (CNA) A women's film festival that will kick off March 8 in Taipei on International Women's Day is aimed at raising public awareness about gender equality, the organizers said Wednesday.
The 12 Taiwanese and foreign films scheduled to be screened will cover topics ranging from domestic violence, gender discrimination and the division of labor in modern families to gender roles in folk beliefs, according to the Taiwan Women's Film Association.
"We hope this festival will inspire everyone to explore their lives and make efforts to move gender equality forward," said Hsu Yueh-mei, deputy commissioner of the Taipei City Department of Social Welfare, which is co-organizing the festival with the association.
British-born Taiwanese actress Hu Ting-ting, who is the ambassador of the three-day festival, said film has had a big influence on her life and has motivated her to reflect on the restrictions and burdens in her own thoughts.
"Only after letting go of these things was I able to better understand myself and find my own values and position," Hu said, adding that she hopes the films can also inspire audiences and help tear down the barriers in their minds.
The festival, organized to celebrate International Women's Day, will be open to the public for free, the association said, adding that tickets will be available at the venue 30 minutes prior to the screening of each film.
The festival will run until March 10 at the Spot Huashan cinema at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park.
(By Christie Chen)