Following his last year’s visit to FAMU, globally renowned Taiwanese film director Tsai Ming-liang returned back to Czechia to participate in the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival and reconnect creatively with the Film and TV School students. This time, it was an even more intensive form of cooperation: during the course of the festival, he directed another episode in his The Walker authorial series with FAMU students taking the key film crew positions.

The project of Hands-on Mentoring was implemented during the period October 17 – November 1, 2025 and based on the initiative of the producer and the Taiwanese friends who offered to connect the festival, FAMU, and the creative approach of the master of current cinema. Tsai Ming-liang and FAMU students shot a conceptual film Night Journey of the Walker series with a single actor directly during the festival. The students were involved in key roles – from cinematography and sound design to editing and colour grading – to gain unique experience through hands-on mentoring. Post-production took place at FAMU Studio, and the finished film premiered at the festival in Jihlava on November 1, 2025.

For FAMU students, this was a unique opportunity for hands-on learning in direct collaboration with an author who is considered to be one of the most prominent directors of the current art film. Considering the limited time and an unusually short shooting schedule, the mentoring programme required a high level of commitment and concentration. The resultant experience can provide an extraordinary boost to the participants’ future creative careers.

Tsai Ming-liang’s visit to and activity in the Czech Republic has been made possible thanks to the financial support from the Ministry of Culture Taiwan and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).