2024
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Michael Szonyi is Frank Wen-Hsiung Wu Professor of Chinese History and the former Director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies (2016-2022) at Harvard University. His books include The Art of Being Governed: Everyday Politics in Late Imperial China (2017) and Cold War Island: Quemoy on the Front Line (2008). He is also co-editor, with Jennifer Rudolph, of The China Questions: Critical Insights on a Rising Power (2018), and, with Jennifer Rudolph and Adele Carrai, of The China Questions 2: Critical Insights into US-China Relations (2022). He is currently writing a modern history of village China. He was recently honored with the title “Honorary Villager of Yongtai County”
S. Leo Chiang is a filmmaker based in Taipei & San Francisco. His short documentary, ISLAND IN BETWEEN, received an Oscar nomination in 2024. His previous feature doc, OUR TIME MACHINE, was nominated for an Emmy & a Gotham Award, and won ten international film festival awards. He directed two episodes of the landmark 5-part PBS series, ASIAN AMERICANS, which won a Peabody Award in 2021. His other films include the Emmy-nominated A VILLAGE CALLED VERSAILLES. Leo has served as a mentor for documentary labs and fellowship programs globally, including the Hot Docs CrossCurrent & Blue Ice Fellowships (Canada), DMZ Docs Lab (Korea), CNEX Chinese Documentary Forum (Taiwan), and AIDC (Australia). Leo is a co-founder of A-Doc (the Asian American Documentary Network), a previous co-chair of New Day Films, and a documentary branch member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Minghua Hsiao is a third-generation publisher of classical religious manuscripts at Freedom Publisher, which was founded in Taipei in 1953 and has successfully preserved and publicized over 1,500 rare and precious religious texts in Daoism, Confucianism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Chinese medicine. This unique experience nourished her interest in religious dialogue and religious liberty. After working as a visiting scholar at the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Minghua decided to found the Freedom Crossing Institute, a US-based nonprofit, to share stories of authentic religious practice and of people who devote their lives to religious liberty.
The Rev. Dr. Charles L. Howard is called to work for a communal increase in joy, peace, justice, and love. Dr. Howard serves as the University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity and Community at the University of Pennsylvania, his alma mater. He has served as a chaplain in hospice and hospitals, and as a street outreach worker to individuals experiencing homelessness. As an author, his work has been featured in such publications as Sojourners Magazine, The Christian Century, Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, The Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily Good, Urban Cusp, The Forward, Black Theology: An International Journal, and Slate. He has authored and edited several books, including The Souls of Poor Folk, which explored new ways of considering homelessness and poverty, The Awe and The Awful, a poetry collection and Lenten Devotional, Black Theology as Mass Movement, a call to theologians to expand the reach of their theological work, and Pond River Ocean Rain, a small book about going deeper with a big God. As a teacher, he has taught in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Graduate School of Education at Penn, as well as at The Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia.
Minghua Hsiao is a third-generation publisher of classical religious manuscripts at Freedom Publisher, which was founded in Taipei in 1953 and has successfully preserved and publicized over 1,500 rare and precious religious texts in Daoism, Confucianism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Chinese medicine. This unique experience nourished her interest in religious dialogue and religious liberty. After working as a visiting scholar at the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Minghua decided to found the Freedom Crossing Institute, a US-based nonprofit, to share stories of authentic religious practice and of people who devote their lives to religious liberty.
LAU Kek-Huat is director of "Wild Tomatoes". LAU is a Malaysian filmmaker based in Taiwan. His debut film Boluomi earned him a spot at the Busan International Film Festival and a Golden horse nomination for best new director. The project won him the 2015 Tokyo Talent Award, 2013 Best Script Award in Taiwan, and was selected for La Fabrique (Cinema du monde). His short film Nia’s Door won Best Short Film Award, Sonje Award in Busan International film festival, selected for 38th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. His documentaries Absent without leave and The Tree Remembers still face censorship in Malaysia. He is an alumnus of Golden Horse Academy and Berlinale & Tokyo Talents
Khan Lee is a Taiwanese award-winning director and younger brother of the Oscar director Ang LEE. Khan Lee entered into the film industry in 1994 when winning Excellent Screenplay of the Year Award with his first script. Active in the industry with multiple roles, TV/MV/commercial director, writer, and film critic, LEE has dedicated to cultivating young talents by being a producer in recent years. His productions have been invited to renowned international festivals, including Berlin International Film Festival, and garnered numerous awards.
Minghua Hsiao is a third-generation publisher of classical religious manuscripts at Freedom Publisher, which was founded in Taipei in 1953 and has successfully preserved and publicized over 1,500 rare and precious religious texts in Daoism, Confucianism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Chinese medicine. This unique experience nourished her interest in religious dialogue and religious liberty. After working as a visiting scholar at the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Minghua decided to found the Freedom Crossing Institute, a US-based nonprofit, to share stories of authentic religious practice and of people who devote their lives to religious liberty.
Chang Chao-wei is a prominent film director, screenwriter, and producer from Taiwan. He is best known for his award-winning films, such as Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (2011) and The Assassin (2015). He has won numerous awards for his work, including a Golden Horse Award for Best Feature Film and a Golden Horse Award for Best Director. Chang’s style is characterized by a strong emphasis on realism, as well as a focus on historical dramas. His films often explore social and political issues, such as identity, gender roles, and the struggles of minorities. He is also known for his unique visual style, which combines elements of traditional Taiwanese culture with modern techniques.
Liao Yi Ling has spent years immersing herself in real-life settings to uncover the complexities of human nature and hidden emotions. Her work focuses on issues within social systems, such as class and poverty culture, using a philosophical and allegorical narrative style to explore the relationship between individuals and social structures.
Chu Po-Ying is a graduate of the Graduate Institute of Applied Media Arts at National Taiwan University of Arts, and a Director and Cinematographer for Fiction and Documentary. Chu's work is emotionally restrained yet rich in metaphor. He is skilled at using surreal cinematic language to capture the invisible inner emotions of characters in realistic settings.
Pei Yang is producer of "Master Sheng Yen". She is Distinguished Associate Professor at the Dharma Drum Institute of Liberal Arts, and Director of the Master's Program in Life Education. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of Tennessee and specializes in Group dynamics, family therapy, life narratives, meditation, and mental health.
Minghua Hsiao is a third-generation publisher of classical religious manuscripts at Freedom Publisher, which was founded in Taipei in 1953 and has successfully preserved and publicized over 1,500 rare and precious religious texts in Daoism, Confucianism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Chinese medicine. This unique experience nourished her interest in religious dialogue and religious liberty. After working as a visiting scholar at the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Minghua decided to found the Freedom Crossing Institute, a US-based nonprofit, to share stories of authentic religious practice and of people who devote their lives to religious liberty.
2021
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A workshop with Dr. Clive Wynne, Professor of psychology and director of the Canine Science Collaboratory (Arizona State University Tempe) and author of Dog is Love. Dr. Wynne will share his insights into the world of dogs and wolves as we frame the screening of Twelve Nights 2 and Formosan Black Bear is Coming, two films that explore the societal and ecological impacts of our relationship with animals. Themes will include our relationship with dogs and their unique capacity for love, animal welfare across different nations, and building compassion for other species and wilderness.
Clyve Wynne a behavioral scientist with a fascination for dogs and their wild relatives, a psychology professor who directs the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University in Tempe, the Director of Research at Wolf Park in Battle Ground, IN, and the author of Dog Is Love.
Lee Vandivier is a co-Founder of Freedom Crossing Institute. He works as a computational biologist in the Boston area, in dialogue with nature and hoping to uncover the secrets of RNA structure.
Freedom Crossing Film Festival (FCFF) is a stage for storytelling and that nourishes free dialogue across all kinds of boundaries. Over the past two years, we have celebrated a diversity of voices from East Asia. Last year, we included 16 films and documentaries representing 8 languages, 8 countries, and 16 forms of religious expression to explore how religious freedom is practiced in Asia.
This year, we explore the natural world and our place in it through Crossing Love and Nature, a series of 5 documentaries touching on themes including human perseverance and our love for animals and wilderness. In this workshop, FCFF curator Minghua Hsiao will share how these films were selected and put into dialogue with one another.
To help frame the mission of FCFF, we are also honored to host Hao Jian ( professor at the Beijing Film Academy, film critic, screenwriter) and Wang Shi (Chief Marketing Officer of Activator Co., Ltd and film producer). We welcome these two distinguished speakers to discuss how the Taiwanese film industry aligns with FCFF’s mission to support freedom of expression through independent films and documentaries, and to share authentic voices and experiences from a range of different faiths, cultures, and histories.
HAO Jian is a Professor at the Beijing Film Academy, as well as a film critic and screenwriter. His publications address Chinese independent and genre films in Hong Kong and Hollywood. He is a regular contributor to the New York Times Chinese edition and BBC Chinese News, and a regular participant at New York University’s “Reel China @NYU Film Biennial,” which screens independent films from China that cannot be screened on the Mainland.
Wang Shi is the Chief Marketing Officer of Activator Co., Ltd, and was involved in marketing many major Taiwan films such as ‘Detention’ and ‘Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above’. He is also producer of the film ‘‘Chen Uen’, which was shortlisted for the best documentary at the 57th Golden Horse Awards.
2020
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Lecture by Prof Leonard Swidler, Founder of the Dialogue Institute and Journal of Ecumenical Studies. Founder and past president of the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church. Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA). Author of more than 100 books including Jesus Was a Feminist, After the Absolute, and The Age of Global Dialogue.
Dialogue with Minghua Hsiao, Founder of the Freedom Crossing Institute, Curator of Freedom Crossing Film Festival, former Visiting Scholar in Center for East Asian Studies, University of Pennsylvania
The 2020 Freedom Crossing Film Festival (FCFF) is dedicated to Prof Swidler’s grand vision and lifelong work for global religious dialogue. Especially in our time of growing isolationism and divisiveness, we believe this dialogue sustains peace, tolerance, and religious liberty and cultivates fertile ground for democracies to flourish. FCFF films are designed as a bridge that sparks dialogue of the heart with those who are different.
Through a keynote talk and dialogue with Ms. Hsiao, Prof. Swilder will address the principle of the Dialogue Decalogue – of the ‘Head, Hands, Heart, and Holy’ – and lift up religious dialogue as key to open the public sphere and build 21st Century democracy.
We will then put these principles into practice by exploring how dialogue can address the tension between personal faith and religious tradition, especially after Taiwan became the first East Asian country to legalize gay marriage. We will open the discussion to include directors Chun-Kai YANG (The Path of Destiny) and Elvis Lu (The Shepherds), both of whom documented the tensions within and between religious communities. The Shepherds explores tensions between a minority of LGBT-affirming churches and mainline Protestant Christianity in Taiwan regarding the campaign to legalize gay marriage, and The Path of Destiny documents an ethnographer’s decision to embrace Christianity and also reconnect with the aboriginal Sikasaway tradition of her ancestors.
👥 Co-hosted by Freedom Crossing Institute, Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women (Taiwan Branch), and Tashi Gatsel Ling Buddhist Center
We will share stories of Buddhist nuns living and practicing in the Himalayas, with a special focus on how education has transformed and brought liberation to these women’s lives. We are honored to host three ordained Buddhist nuns who will share their personal stories. Two of these women successfully completed the Geshema degree, equivalent to a Ph.D. in Buddhist Philosophical Studies that requires 17 years of rigorous study and was only recently opened to women and marks a significant educational achievement for nuns in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. (As of 2019, there are only 44 Geshemas in the world). These pioneering women bring the stories of Tsunma Tsunma, My Summer with the Female Monastics of the Himalaya to life. In addition to hearing from these Tsunmas and Geshemas first-hand, we hope to discuss the significance of this achievement further by addressing other issues relevant to their day-to-day lives, including continuing education opportunities and the ongoing discussions about full-ordination for women. Last but not least, we invite you to raise questions and reflect upon your own journeys by listening to and participating in this genuine and heart-opening discussion.
How do we live facing the fact of death? Zen Master Bon Hae (Judy Roitman) and her husband Zen Master Hae Kwang (Stan Lombardo) will talk about this question — which is everyone’s question — as illuminated by their Zen practice, and as illuminated by facing serious illness. Judy began practicing Zen with Zen Master Seung Sahn at the Cambridge Zen Center in 1976. She received inka (full authorization to teach) from Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1998 and transmission from Zen Master Dae Kwang in 2013. Stan began practicing Zen with Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1978. He received inka and transmission from Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1992 and in 1998. Judy and Stan are founders of the Kansas Zen Center in 1972. Judy has a distinguished career as a mathematician working on set theory, topology, Boolean algebras, mathematics education, and as a poet. She is a retired professor in mathematics at the University of Kansas. Stan is an acclaimed classicist, poet, and translator. His translation includes the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Tao Te Ching. He is a retired professor in classics at the University of Kansas. The moderator of this panel is Minghua Hsiao, who is the curator of the Freedom Crossing Film Festival and founder of the Freedom Crossing Institute. Minghua is the editor-in-chief at Freedom Publisher in Taiwan, which preserved and publicized rare and precious religious texts in Daoism, Confucianism, Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism and Chinese medicine.
The 2020 Freedom Crossing Film Festival (FCFF) focuses on sharing stories of freedom, memory, and historical reconciliation. The final week of FCFF is themed on Memory and History and features spiritual storytelling to reflect on unspeakable massacres in Asia, including the:
- Taiwan White Terror (1949-1987) of the Cold War (Super Citizen Ko, directed by Wan Jen)
- 13 May 1969 race riots of Malaysia and persecution of the aboriginal Orang Asli people (The Tree Remembers, directed by Kek Huat Lau)
- The Mao Cult and Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) of China (The Spokesperson, directed by Xu Huijing)
- The 1661 colonization of Taiwan of Han Chinese, led by general Koxinga, and the native Siraya aboriginal people (Journey with Invisible Friends, directed by Mitch Lin)
We open a discussion of these historical tragedies through Asian documentaries. We invite directors based in Taiwan who are confronting the pressure and trauma from authoritarian governments in Malaysia and Taiwan. This workshop aims to build a dialogue by depicting authentic and diverse life stories which were once hidden or erased in ideology and one-dimensioned historical narratives. Many times, these stories can only be spoken outside of modern society by traditional Asian spiritual mediums.
While these stories that may appear unimaginable on the surface, documentaries shed light on the subtle truths behind the scenes. In turn, audience members can recognize the cruelties of the past, cross historical traumas, and to build a sense of shared humanity that opens new bridges toward social reconciliation and liberal democracy. The 2020 FCFF is addressing the future of freedom by confronting history and memory.