Radiance Films has purchased eight classic Taiwanese films from the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI). The company intends to release these titles for home entertainment and in cinemas starting in 2027.
An extended theatrical rollout will begin later this month with screenings at London’s Garden Cinema. Francesco Simeoni initiated contact with the TFAI during this year's Berlin Film Festival.
Simeoni chose to include the film “The Dull-Ice Flower” in the acquisition package after viewing it at Cannes. The TFAI has completed approximately 12 restorations annually, totaling 110 titles since 2013.
Previous 4K restorations of King Hu’s “Dragon Inn” and “A Touch of Zen” were shown at Cannes Classics in 2014 and 2015. Arthur Chu stated, “These big-name, A-list filmmakers are like a springboard for us to engage with major festivals and markets, and connect with key players in the industry.”
A 2023 public survey ranked “The Dull-Ice Flower” as one of the most popular classics in Taiwan. Carlotta brought two previously unreleased films by Yang, “A Confucian Confusion” and “Mahjong,” to French theaters in 2025.
Between the mid-1950s and late 1970s, producers created more than 1,200 Taiwanese-language films. Historians believe only about 200 of those Taiwanese-language films from that era still exist.
