San Sebastian, Busan-Bound Taiwanese Coming-of-Age Drama ‘Will You Still Be My Friend’ Boarded for Sales by Moveria, Trailer Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

Paris-based Moveria has boarded international sales on Taiwanese filmmaker Lu Po-Shun’s debut feature “Will You Still Be My Friend,” which is set for a berth in San Sebastián’s New Directors sidebar before travelling on to the Busan International Film Festival.

A Taiwan-Singapore co-production, the film follows two young boys, played by Jaden Wang and Aloysius Looi, whose bond comes under strain as tensions build between their families and the surrounding rural community. Rounding out the cast are Lung Tien Hsiang, Lu Yi-Ching, Andie Chen, Kate Pang and Xing Chang.

A trailer has been unveiled.

Eric Chou Tseng-Chen and Yu-Hao Su produced the film through Taiwan-based InLight Film Studio and Verdant Peak Films.

At San Sebastián, the film is also in contention for the Sebastiane Award, an honor for films exploring LGBTQIA+ themes and experiences.

In the story, an escalating feud in a rural Taiwanese village forces a boy to shield his secret friendship with his Singapore-raised best friend from the adult conflicts threatening to divide them, even as he privately begins to question his own feelings for his friend.

“What I really connected with is the relationship between the two boys,” said Yasmin Porangaba, Moveria’s head of sales and acquisition. “When they’re alone, everything feels simple, light and natural. It’s like they have this little world of their own, almost like a secret, because the people around them don’t really get them. Around their families and friends, they have to fit into certain roles, while their time together feels like a space where none of that matters.

“I also love that the film never defines what they are to each other. They’re too young to really make sense of it themselves, and I like that the film leaves that open. They know how to be there for each other, forgive each other and just move forward in a way that feels surprisingly mature. The two boys are amazing together, the film is beautiful, and that’s really what made us want to represent it.”

The film has already built an international industry profile through selections including Ties That Bind, the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, EFM Far East in Progress and HAF Goes to Cannes at the Cannes Film Market.

Lu’s short film “Wild Tides” earlier earned him the best director prize at the Taipei Film Awards. He also directed the segment “Way Home” in the 2018 anthology film “Ten Years Taiwan,” part of Busan’s A Window on Asian Cinema lineup. “Will You Still Be My Friend” is his first feature as director.

Producer Eric Chou Tseng-Chen brings experience in sales, acquisitions, project management and festival promotion on the international circuit, and co-produced “Get the Hell Out,” which had its bow in the Midnight Madness lineup at Toronto in 2020.

Yu-Hao Su has produced credits such as Shatara Michelle Ford’s “Test Pattern,” a Film Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award nominee, as well as “Fragrance of the First Flower.” Su also executive produced Ford’s “Dreams in Nightmares,” which screened in Berlinale’s Panorama section.

InLight Film Studio, a Taiwan-based outfit, spans film and visual art projects, while Verdant Peak Films is dedicated to bringing Taiwanese stories to global audiences and developing international co-productions. Verdant Peak’s recent credits include “Dreams in Nightmares.”

Moveria, headquartered in Paris, operates as an independent production and sales outfit for international markets.

Watch the trailer here: