Brief
Taiwan Director Yen Hao-hsuan Presents Coming‑of‑Age Drama ‘Uncle’ at Busan Market
The film, set in rural Taiwan from 1997‑2000, is backed by Cannes‑winning producer Patrick Mao Huang and Sung Chin‑hsuan.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Taiwanese filmmaker Yen Hao‑hsuan is showcasing his first feature‑length film “Uncle” at the Asian Project Market, part of the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), Variety reported on October 11.
What happened
“Uncle” follows 10‑year‑old Wen and his uncle A‑Tsik, who has an intellectual disability, in a rural Taiwanese household between 1997 and 2000. The story tracks Wen’s shift from devotion to embarrassment as he matures, while the family struggles to control A‑Tsik’s behavior and sexuality. The backdrop includes a post‑earthquake reconstruction period and Taiwan’s first democratic handover of power, prompting Wen to envision a life beyond his hometown.
What the reports add
Variety notes that the project is in development and financing, with production support from Flash Forward Entertainment, wpd films and Soseki Studio. Producer Patrick Mao Huang, who previously produced the Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize‑winning “Tiger Stripes,” and co‑producer Sung Chin‑hsuan, known for the 2025 Venice Immersive Grand Prize winner “The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up,” are attached.
What was said
Yen explained to Variety, “Making those short films and the time that has passed since, have given me enough distance to see him as a person, not only as a relative or as a material for a film. Now I think I’m ready.” He added, “I hope the film makes us think about who we leave behind, and what we fail to recognize when progress becomes the measure of a person’s worth.”
Huang said, “To grow up is also to abandon something,” and believes the film’s emotional core can travel beyond Taiwan. He emphasized, “Uncle” is “in development and financing, backed by a Taiwan Creative Content” initiative.
How it came about
Yen’s personal connection to the story stems from living with his own uncle for 18 years, a relationship that moved from childhood closeness to teenage shame. The director said his earlier short films did not allow him to separate honesty from indulgence, but the distance now lets him portray the uncle as a fully realized character. The project joins a slate of Asian filmmakers presenting new works at Busan, following recent market entries such as Park Syeyoung’s “Satellite of Love” and Erica Xia‑Hou’s “Banr.”
Key facts
- Yen Hao‑hsuan’s first feature film “Uncle” is being pitched at the Busan Asian Project Market. (variety.com)
- The story is set in rural Taiwan between 1997 and 2000 and follows a boy and his intellectually disabled uncle. (variety.com)
- Producers Patrick Mao Huang and Sung Chin‑hsuan are attached, with backing from Flash Forward Entertainment, wpd films and Soseki Studio. (variety.com)
- Yen says the film reflects his own 18‑year experience living with his uncle. (variety.com)
- The project is currently in development and financing, supported by a Taiwan Creative Content initiative. (variety.com)
Sources
- [1] variety.com — originally reported as “Cannes-Winning ‘Tiger Stripes’ Producer Backs Taiwanese Coming-of-Age Drama ‘Uncle’ at Busan Asian Project Market”
