Kaohsiung Film Festival

The Kaohsiung Film Festival was first held in 2001, organized by the Kaohsiung City Government’s Information Bureau. The Kaohsiung Film Archive took over in 2003, and by 2010, a dedicated festival office was created. Held annually in October, it is Taiwan's only festival that encompassing feature films, shorts, and XR virtual reality.The festival includes screenings, competitions, exhibitions, and filmmaker appearances, symbolized by the “Fireball Man,” representing the passionate spirit of Southern Taiwan.

Since 2007, the festival has adopted an annual theme, shaping its unique focus on fantasy and genre films. In 2011, it launched the International Short Film Competition, which receives submissions from creators worldwide and partners with other festivals, making it Taiwan's largest of its kind. The festival has continued to innovate. In 2012, it hosted its first film concert and, through the Kaohsiung Shorts funding program, premiered locally produced short films. In 2017, the Kaohsiung VR FILM LAB project was launched, introducing the festival's first VR section, followed by the founding of the XR DREAMLAND exhibition in 2019.

The 2025 theme, Super Relief, challenges audiences to confront illness, disaster, destructive passions, and collapse.. The films explore how people use their basic survival instincts to persevere on the edge of ruin. This year's lineup includes programs such as "Filmmaker in Focus: Anthony WONG Chau-sang," "YAMASHITA Nobuhiro: Miseinen," "Classics Only in Cinema," "Boys in Love," "Transforming Japan," "Panorama," and "Kids Fantasy."