Taiwan’s reputation as a preeminent center for international film and television co-productions has long been solidified, thanks to the success of titles like “Life of Pi” that won multiple Academy Awards®, and Martin Scorsese’s epic historical drama “Silence.” And at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, the East Asian island added two more projects to its impressive resume with the premieres of “The Last Queen” and “For My Country”.
Several factors make Taiwan an ideal partner, including its unique landscape. The mountainous terrain makes up nearly 70 percent of Taiwan’s land area, and its cavernous coastline has been featured prominently in films such as “Silence,” despite the script’s story being set in Japan.
There is also the fact that Taiwan is widely recognized for its progressive social climate.
“There is tremendous creative freedom and diversity in Taiwan,” says Zoe Wang, global business director for the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA). “We are open to working on all kinds of topics and topics. We do not expect global partners to adhere to a specific modus operandi, nor do we impose restrictions on them.”
This does not mean that TAICCA takes a completely laissez-faire approach. “We participate in discussing, developing and presenting a portion of the work, in order to produce something that resonates across cultures and is a win-win for the project,” explains Wang.
Perhaps most importantly, Taiwan stands at the forefront of technology, equipped to support all stages of production. Post-production talent in Taiwan contributed significantly to the 2022 French-Algerian film The Last Queen, overcoming the challenge of producing the extraordinary visual effects and sound installations required for a dramatic period set in 16th century Algeria.
Justin O, the Taiwanese co-producer of the film, knew directors Damien Onori and Adela Bendemrad from a previous collaboration, and says the duo sought out Taiwan specifically because of her talent: “It may come as a surprise, but the directors are actually committed and convinced that Taiwanese talent can deliver what they’re looking for. In turn, the Taiwanese crews demonstrate how we can work seamlessly with international teams.”
The Last Queen has also received funding from Taiwan as part of the island’s initiative to invest in growing international exchanges in the creative industry.
The Culture Ministry’s Audio and Music Industry Development Bureau covers up to 30 percent of film production costs, up to NT$30 million ($937,500). The same initiative provides production support for TV series, with a maximum of 20 million New Taiwan dollars (625,000 dollars).
Last year, TAICCA established the Taiwan International Co-funding Program (TICP) to cover up to 30 percent of film production costs, up to a maximum of $300,000. TAICCA also offers an Immersive Content Grant for international co-funding or co-production, which provides up to 3.5 million NTD ($110,000).
TICP has already paid off. The film “The Last Queen” was supported by the program, as was the film “For My Country” by French director Rachid Hami. Both films were successfully shown in Venice, where the latter was presented to the festival’s prospects section. “The Last Queen” was selected for the Giornate degli Autori Prize and received special mention from the Prize for Authors Under 40 in Venice.
Other TAICCA-supported co-productions are in the pipeline and are scheduled to hit global screens. This includes “Tomorrow Is Long Time”, a co-production of Taiwan, Singapore, France and Portugal directed by Jow Zhi Wei. There’s also Pierce, a sports drama that is a joint project of Taiwan, Singapore, and Poland and directed by Nelicia Lu. A TV series will also be unveiled soon to mark CJ ENM Hong Kong’s first major investment in Taiwanese television.
Another reason why Taiwan has become a major choice for global collaboration is its ability to stay ahead of industry trends and embrace emerging media forms. Taiwanese director Singing Chen’s immersive VR movie “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave” won the Best Experience award at the festival’s Venice Immersive event.
These productions are testament to Taiwan’s allure and ability to co-produce world-class projects, and the island is providing further impetus to the formation and deepening of these types of cross-cultural relationships at the upcoming Taiwan Content Creative Festival (TCCF).
Since its inaugural 2020, TCCF has made great strides. Organized by TAICCA, it serves as a link where Taiwanese talents and global players in the creative content industry can exchange ideas, discuss trends and make deals.
Established this year as the region’s premier content marketplace, TCCF will expand this year into its third edition, scheduled for November 3-13.
TAICCA seeks to promote matchmaking between Taiwanese talent and TCCF’s global partners. Objective: To develop an environment that amplifies Taiwan’s capabilities in the creative content industry and forges transnational partnerships.
A new area, called Promotion, has been created for the 2022 TCCF and will be one of the four event pillars, along with the Market, Forum and Innovations sections. In doing so, everyone will showcase Taiwan’s allure as a creative collaborator.
The market segment will feature four sections featuring diverse content by Taiwanese creators – from original comics and LGBTQ+ themes to immersive content.
In the forum section, some of the world’s top players will discuss the latest trends and requirements of the creative market. A strategic partnership with Series Mania, Europe’s largest international television festival, will bring together France’s Mediawan and European channel Arte. The region will also be represented by Singapore’s Mediacorp, Asian Animation Summit, and Kidscreen.
“It aspires to become the main hub for the Asian market, and is still very much a place to do business,” says TAICCA’s Wang. “Through TCCF, we look forward to building a cohesive community that allows Taiwanese talents and international industry leaders to network and explore opportunities for collaboration.
“Every step of the way – even before any scenes are written, any role played or cameras rolled out – Taiwan has the capacity and ability to co-develop, co-produce and ultimately see productions to fruition.”
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