
Asian cinema and digital creation are the two additional topics that complete the picture. This event is mainly dedicated to one genre - that is fantasy, or fantastic films. Glove puppetry is a type of opera using cloth puppets that originated during the 17th century in Quanzhou or Zhangzhou of Chinas Fujian province, and historically practised in the Min Nan-speaking areas such as Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, the Chaoshan region of Guangdong, and other parts of southern China. These include marionette puppetry in which the action is controlled from above by strings, and rod puppetry in which the puppets’ bodies are moved around the stage on a long stick while smaller rods are used to control the arms and legs.

China boasts several styles of puppetry dating back to the Han dynasty. Its prestigious programme has ensured it a national and international presence. Puppet theater’s rich history throughout Asia is well known.

In an interview with Central News Agency, the President of Pili International, Huang Liang-hsun (黃亮勛) stated that Pili International has been reaching out to the global market, hoping to introduce the beauty of glove puppetry to audiences around the globe and share the fascinating wuxia world.Ĭreated in 2000, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) has rapidly become an unmissable event for film lovers. Besides the previously mentioned film festivals, "Demigod: The Legend Begins" was nominated for the Merry-Go-Round section at one of the biggest genre film festivals, the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, and Canada Fantasia International Film Festival. Pili International said that Pili is getting a reputation for its global achievements. Following that, the film stood out among seven other films from Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Korea and was awarded the Audience Award for Best Asian Film at NIFFF.įilm producer Alex Chen (陳義方) and senior puppeteer Lin Kuei-hsieh (林奎協) attended the NIFFF Extended and talked about the movie-making process and the charming glove puppetry culture. According to the studio, "Demigod" won three awards at the 24th Taipei Film Festival including Best Animation, Best Makeup & Costume Design, and the Award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution. "Demigod: The Legend Begins," voiced by late Taiwanese master puppeteer Vincent Huang (黃文擇), is a Taiwanese glove puppet fantasy film produced by local production studio Pili International Multimedia. After bagging three awards at the Taipei Film Festival on July 9, "Demigod: The Legend Begins (素還真)" went on to win the Audience Award for Best Asian Film at the 21st Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), which took place in Switzerland.
