The Chinese Independent Film Foundation (CIFF) is a
not-for-profit screen culture organisation dedicated
to showcasing new and old art-house Chinese-language
cinema across Australia. Founded in Narrm/Melbourne,
CIFF works with collaborators across mainland China,
Hong Kong and Taiwan to present films that
rarely receive theatrical release locally.


THE STORY OF A SMALL TOWN 小城故事 (1980)  Directed by Li Hsing 李行 (Taiwan) 
Program: Once Upon A Time In 華語 CinemaThe Story of a Small Town follows a young woman caring for her blind father in a modest township, until a new lodger awakens tenderness long buried beneath duty. Anchored by Joan Lin 林鳳嬌’s gentle performance, the film exemplifies the craftsmanship and emotional restraint of Taiwan’s healthy-realism era. Its lasting power lies in its sincerity—affirming human decency amid change. In remembering Li, the film stands as both a love letter to ordinary lives and a cornerstone of Taiwan’s cinematic awakening.
Sunday, June 7, 2pm

ACMI (Melb) tickets
Address: Elsewhere Books
Level 3, 139 Franklin Street, Melbourne

CIFF acknowledges the Traditional Owners of
the unceded land on which we work and create,
the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong
peoples, and the wider Kulin Nations.