Only two days remain for the eighth edition of the Taiwan Documentary and Film Festival, one of the most anticipated annual events for film lovers seeking distinctive stories and rarely screened works.
Following its Bangkok screenings, the festival will now continue its final two days at Pratu Daeng Space in Khon Kaen province.
Whether you are a devoted admirer of Taiwanese cinema, a documentary enthusiast or simply looking for compelling films beyond the mainstream multiplex circuit, the Taiwan Documentary and Film Festival offers a unique opportunity to experience remarkable contemporary works from Taiwan and beyond.
This year's edition opened on July 22, featuring more than 17 documentary and feature films screened across Bangkok before moving to its final destination in Khon Kaen.
Over the past eight years, the festival has built a loyal following among Thai audiences with its carefully curated selection of Taiwanese cinema, particularly documentaries exploring personal histories, social issues and cultural identities.
The event serves as an important platform connecting audiences, filmmakers and the cinematic cultures of Thailand and Taiwan, bringing challenging and rarely available works to the big screen.
The 2026 edition is presented by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, Taiwan Docs and the New Taipei City Government, in collaboration with Documentary Club and Movies Matter.
Among the highlights is SPI (2025), directed by Sayun Simung. Set within the traditional culture of the Tayal indigenous people, the film explores spi, or dreaming, as a spiritual connection between the living and their ancestors.
Filmed over a decade, it combines the director's personal family experiences following her grandfather's death with the struggles surrounding her teenage cousin's pregnancy and its conflict with Gaga, the Tayal traditional code of ethics.
The film was nominated for the Taiwan Competition at the Taiwan International Documentary Festival.
Another featured work, LA PALOMA (2026) by Lu Yuan-chi, follows the extraordinary life of Paicu Yatauyungana, better known as Kao Chu-hua or Pa Nana, a legendary Latin nightclub singer in 1950s–1960s Taiwan.
Through family interviews and newly declassified archives, the documentary explores her survival after her father was executed by the state during the White Terror era, revealing themes of trauma and resilience.
Directed by Wu Nien-hua, A Long Way Home (2025) offers an intimate exploration of family, memory and reconciliation. Through the perspective of a daughter searching for her family's hidden past, the film follows her emotional journey after reconnecting with her estranged father and confronting unresolved histories.
The festival will also screen The Wave Will Carry Us (2025), directed by a Malaysian-born filmmaker based in Taiwan.
Nominated for five Golden Horse Awards in 2025, the film follows a migration broker in Taipei who returns to Malaysia after his father's death. The journey takes an unexpected turn when religious authorities seize the body, claiming his father secretly converted to Islam. The film examines migration, identity and social discrimination across borders.
Tickets are now available. For screening schedules and reservation details, visit the Facebook page of Taiwan Documentary and Film Festival in Thailand.
