[2009.09.10] YONFAN ABANDONS ASSISTANCE FOR A CHANCE AT THE OSCARS

courtesy of takungpao.com

As soon as Yonfan left the Venice Film Festival he received the news that PRINCE OF TEARS was the Hong Kong representative for the Oscar Foreign Film nomination, but hours later news came from Taiwan that if the film did not cancel its Hong Kong application the "News Agency" film department would cancel the already approved film assistance fund of NT$10 million. He was stunned.

Yonfan yesterday stated that after the "News Agency" approved PRINCE OF TEARS' financial assistance he already completed the new copy right away and sent it to the Taiwan Oscar committee, but it was not picked up. Because the Oscars was not a film festival but an international film event and the film was a Hong Kong Taiwan co-production, the Hong Kong film company sent the film to the Federation of Motion Film Producers of Hong Kong for the Oscar Foreign Film nomination consideration. After several rounds it was finally approved. Someone's trash is another's treasure, but he never expected that PRINCE OF TEARS would be a someone's trash cannot be another's treasure situation.

Since the film was approved for financial assistance, he never read the official contract. Because the issue of "Taiwan" he had to contact Venice, Toronto and Pusan Film Festivals to make corrections, he of course knew the importance of Taiwan to the News Agency. Taiwan wanted a recognition but his film art also needed a recognition. Venice, Toronto, Pusan Film Festival each were a type of recognition. The Oscars was the highest recognition. Now that PRINCE OF TEARS found a recognition method in art. If the News Agency disagreed with it, the film company was willing to give up the NT$10 million assistance but absolutely will not give up the chance for film art to pursue the recognition.