Taiwanese director Lu Po-Shun is presenting his debut feature ‘Will You Still Be My Friend’ at the Busan International Film Festival following its San Sebastián premiere. The coming-of-age drama, set in Yunlin County on Taiwan’s southwest coast, focuses on two boys whose friendship faces pressure as adult conflicts divide their community. The film has received two Golden Horse nominations, including recognition for adapted screenplay and new performer Jaden Wang.
The feature expanded from Lu’s short film ‘When Henge Meets Crescent,’ which was part of a public broadcaster PTS pandemic anthology project. Developing the short into a full-length narrative required extensive character development and careful editorial choices. Lu explained that while adult storylines were more complex in the initial script, he deliberately muted their explicitness in the final cut to maintain focus on the relationship between the two central characters.
Casting young talent proved essential to the production’s success. Lu conducted approximately a year of casting before discovering Wang through a social media account, finding the actor possessed the necessary skills and lived in a region where filming would take place. Working with child performers involved balancing their natural personalities with character development through collaborative script readings and discussions about character motivations.
The film achieved significant audience response at San Sebastián, with all four screenings selling out on the first day of ticket sales. Taiwan’s general-audience classification provided additional encouragement for its theatrical release scheduled for December 4. Lu emphasized his hope that audiences from varied cultural backgrounds would connect with the story’s emotional core and recognize universal experiences reflected in the boys’ friendship.
Looking ahead at Busan, Lu is attending both as director and executive producer, seeking audience feedback and industry connections. Producer Yu-Hao Su will pursue distribution opportunities at the festival’s market, with Moveria handling international sales. Lu acknowledged the challenges emerging filmmakers face in securing distribution and gaining industry attention outside established circles.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI