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Film Festivals in Taipei
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival
Taipei, Taiwan's capital in a basin at the island's north end, is a dense, walkable city of night markets, temples, tea houses and the Taipei 101 tower. It is also home to the National Palace Museum, holder of the world's greatest collection of Chinese imperial art, carried from Beijing's Forbidden City in the twentieth century.
Run by Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why here
Every November Taipei becomes the capital of Chinese-language cinema for the Golden Horse Film Festival and its awards, the most prestigious in the Chinese-speaking world. The Golden Horse Awards, first given in 1962, are the region's equivalent of the Oscars, and because Taiwan judges films from across the Chinese-language world on merit rather than politics, they have long honoured bold work from the mainland, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore as readily as from Taiwan itself. The festival wrapped around the awards fills the city's cinemas for a fortnight with premieres, restored classics, international competition titles and appearances by the directors and stars, and tickets to the popular screenings go fast. For a film traveller it is a chance to watch the year's most talked-about Chinese-language films with a knowledgeable Taipei audience, in a city where the festival has real cultural weight. The 2026 edition runs from 6 to 22 November.
Best months
The main festival runs across roughly two weeks in November, with the Golden Horse Awards ceremony near the end of the month; the 2026 dates are 6 to 22 November. November in Taipei is mild and one of the more pleasant times to visit, though it can be wet. Screenings are spread across cinemas in the city and popular titles sell out quickly once the programme and booking open, usually a few weeks ahead, so plan ticket buying carefully. The same committee also stages a Fantastic Film Festival in April and a Classic Film Festival in summer for visitors travelling at other times.
Getting there & around
Festival screenings take place in cinemas around Taipei, all easily reached on the city's metro, so no car is needed. Programme and ticket booking open a few weeks before the festival on the official Golden Horse site, and popular screenings and any events with talent sell out fast, so buy early. Taipei has abundant accommodation across every budget, but November is a busy travel month, so book rooms ahead. Some screenings and the awards ceremony are ticketed separately from the general programme.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival
OrganizerThe Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival is the largest and longest-running film festival in Taiwan, staged each November by its Executive Committee under the Motion Picture Development Foundation. It screens international and Chinese-language cinema alongside the Golden Horse Awards, the top prizes in Chinese-language film, first given in 1962. The committee also runs a Fantastic Film Festival in April and a Classic Film Festival in summer. The 2026 edition runs in Taipei from 6 to 22 November.