I BLEW OUT THE CANDLES BEFORE MAKING A WISH
《我未許願先吹蠟燭》
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE 澳州首映
Directed by CHAO Koi-wang 周鉅宏, Yen HU 胡錦筵｜2026｜116 min｜UNCL 12+
In Mandarin and Cantonese with Chinese and English subtitles 中文與廣東話發音，中英文字幕
Reversing the polished glitz of conventional Hollywood heist films, I Blew Out the Candles Before Making a Wish utilizes a grounded crime narrative to deliver a poignant allegory about class mobility and human vulnerability. Shot in an intimate 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Chao and Hu gracefully peel back Macau’s affluent neon facade to expose the raw emotional fractures beneath. The film is edited by legendary master LIAO Ching-Sung (A City of Sadness, 1989)
What begins as a cynical scheme for survival beautifully transforms into a deeply heartfelt, tragicomic portrait of an unlikely bond formed not by blood, but by shared misfortune, featuring an exceptional cross-generational cast—led by Taiwanese star Kai KO, four-time Hong Kong Film Award winner Elaine JIN, and remarkable newcomer MUI Cheng In.
Jojo, a fiercely independent 12-year-old girl in Macau who is left to fend for herself with her grandmother after her father flees from massive gambling debts. When a sudden windfall of high-value casino chips unexpectedly drops into her hands, Jojo hatches a desperate plan to save her family. Rather than turning to unreliable adults, she corners Hua (Kai KO)—a down-on-his-luck Taiwanese ex-con turned debt collector who has shown up at her doorstep. Desperate for quick cash to save his own repossessed home and failing marriage, Hua forms an uneasy, clandestine gambling alliance with the prickly young girl, plunging them both into the high-stakes underworld of Macau’s casino tables.
作為代表台灣角逐2026年第28屆台北電影節「國際新導演競賽」的矚目之作，並於義大利烏迪內遠東影展國際首映。影片由周鉅宏與胡錦筵聯合執導，以犯罪劇情為基底，結合黑色幽默與社會寫實元素，並集結柯震東、金燕玲與童星梅靜妍，展現新世代創作在類型電影與作者風格融合上的突破。
在澳門與外婆相依為命的12歲獨立少女Jojo，因父親欠下巨額賭債人間蒸發，意外獲得一疊價值不菲的賭場籌碼。為了替父親還債，她大膽找上了前來敲門討債的台灣中年浪子阿華（柯震東 飾），逼他作為代理人進賭場孤注一擲。此時的阿華正因房子即將被法拍、婚姻破碎而焦頭爛額。兩個同樣被現實逼入絕境的邊緣人，就此在霓虹閃爍的澳門賭檯間結成不顯眼的利益同盟，企圖向命運偷走一場勝利。這段看似荒謬的合作關係隨著計畫推進逐漸失控，信任與謊言不斷交錯，使角色被迫遊走於真實與欺騙之間的灰色地帶。
本片以類型片外殼包裹人性寓言，在犯罪敘事中滲入對階級流動與家庭關係的觀察。柯震東為戲增重詮釋落魄青年，與金燕玲、梅靜妍的對手戲共同為影片增添情感重量，在荒謬情境中映照出冷峻的社會結構。
Awards & Festivals 獎項與影展
2026 Udine Far East Film Festival
第28屆 義大利烏迪內遠東影展
2026 Taipei Film Festival — Nominated for International New Talent Competition
第28屆 台北電影節 — 入圍 國際青年導演競賽
SESSIONS 放映場次
SYD: FRI 24 JUL | 6:30 PM
MEL: SAT 29 AUG | 4:30 PM
PROGRAM STRAND 節目單元
Sinophone Visions 華語視界