How many months does a penguin stand without food in blizzard conditions while waiting for its egg to hatch? How can interaction with animals benefit someone who has suffered an emotional trauma? And what happens to the thousands of animals that are caught, bought and released into the wild every year in Taiwan as part of a controversial religious practice?

These and many other questions are being answered at the Animal Film Festival held this week by the Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) at the President Theater, Taipei. Through a carefully selected program of local and foreign films and documentaries, the festival provides insight into the lives of a diverse range of creatures, their habitats and the interactions between humans and animals that can have both beneficial and devastating effects on both. Screenings are followed by lively seminars hosted by guest speakers including documentary producers, academics and members of Taiwan's conservation groups.

EAST is a local group dedicated to promoting awareness of animal issues and of the mutually dependent relationship between human beings and all other creatures, through research and education.