Event
Opening weekend will include two US premiers of streaming films all weekend, and a special Q&A event with the films' directors FRIDAY November 5th at 9pm EDT
The following two films will be streaming from Friday 7pm EDT to Sunday 7pm EST:
JUMP! Men《 翻滾吧男人》(2017, Dir. LIN Yu-Hsien and KUO Le-Hsing. 92min)
Mandarin, English (English + Mandarin subtitles)
US Premier
Film synopsis:
LIN Yu-hsien is a gymnastics coach who returned to his hometown after a career setback more than a decade ago. LIN trained seven young boys there, and he made a childish yet ambitious deal with the boys that they would make it to the Olympics one day. The boys have grown into men, but only HUANG and LEE continue to pursue their dream with LIN, who's now the coach of the Taiwanese National Gymnastics Team. For HUANG and LEE, it is the Olympic dream that keeps them going. They have made it through the pain caused by numerous jumps and falls, and now they are going all out, marching dauntlessly to the goal.
(From: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9530840/)
Cycling Angels《單車天使》(2016, Dir. Paul CHU, 84min)
Mandarin, English (English + Mandarin subtitles)
US Premier
Every summer in the Xi-Yu Children’s Shelter, kids as young as eight choose to get on their bicycles and embark on a 1,200 km tour around Taiwan, climbing mountains as high as 8,500 ft above sea level. Despite accusations of ill intent and the general disapproval of associate institutions, the shelter principle Mr. Wu chooses to lead the children on this journey because he believes it’s what the children need to rehabilitate them from their troubled past.
After five tours, they had gotten bored of rounding Taiwan and decided to ride some 3,200 km from Beijing to Xiamen in 2012. But do the children share the same motivations as Mr. Wu? “I don’t like riding on these tours at all” expressed one of the kids, but joined anyway “because the route takes us through Chiayi, my home town. Maybe I’ll get to see my mother on her way to the market.” Whatever the reasons, what is common among the kids is that this is a journey of great courage, perseverance to ultimately achieve a dream most of us take for granted - to find their way home. https://www.activator.com.tw/cyclingangels
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The 2021 Freedom Crossing Film Festival presents Crossing Love and Nature: an open exploration of the world and our place in it. We present 5 documentaries exploring the joys and pains we experience crossing through life and the natural world. The 2021 FCFF begins with a story of pushing the boundaries of the human body (JUMP! Men) in dialogue with a journey of perseverance and growth as children complete a 1,200 km bike tour of Taiwan (Cycling Angels). We then delve into the interaction of human society and nature, from devotion to preserving a rare endemic species (Formosan B.B. is Coming) to the societal and ethical implications of stray dogs (Twelve Nights 2). Finally, we consider what it means to be human in dialogue with the sea (Whale Island).
Penn faculty and students can receive a discounted registration. Contact CEAS for more details.