Taiwan’s entertainment industry is heading into the new year with a record-breaking achievement. Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) drew its largest audience ever! A total of 60,000 visits – more than double the footfall in 2021 – at nearly 100 events.

TCCF’s third edition in Taipei, which ran from November 3 to 13, drove an estimated US$32 million worth of content industry growth. It was a celebration of Taiwan’s creative freedom, along with its increasingly important seat around the international production and programming table.

Technological innovations were at the forefront of the festival. 11 days of public exhibitions sought to inspire crowds with the future of content creation. Technologies – including VR, XR, interactive projections, and NFT – took centre stage.

Performers explored the future of music with a combination of lighting technology, modern dance, contemporary circus performance, film projection, live podcasts, and other performing arts. Taiwanese indie rock band, Sorry Youth, performed on a four-sided stage, for example, offering their audience a myriad of experiential perspectives.

CEO of Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), Izero Lee, believes that Taiwan can play a leading role in the future of content creation. Taiwan’s strength in technology is one of the key reasons why directors or producers from elsewhere around the world should want to partner with Taiwan.

The Innovations Salon expanded on this theme of technology in the future of content creation. Speakers included Doede Holtkamp, director of operations from Brazilian VR production company, Arvore Immersive, who analysed the market and business opportunities of narrative and game VR. In another Salon talk, Director of Digital Content at the CNC (French National Center for Film and Animation), Olivier Fontenay, discussed public funding for new media content with Grace Lee, Director of TAICCA’s Content and Culture Technology Department.

Professional events at TCCF 2022 – the Market, Forum and Pitching – were held over just three days. The Market gathered 133 exhibitors with 812 titles, and over 100 international online and offline buyers. Senior Planner from Screenworks Asia, Echo Ku, said she discovered valuable, cross-domain opportunities in music and gaming, and that she received practical feedback from international and domestic collaborators.

Executive Producer of Chinese Drama Productions at Singapore’s Mediacorp, Loh Woon Woon, was inspired by the like-minded film and television practitioners whom she met at TCCF. She praised Taiwan for creating an environment that nurtures domestic talent. 

The forum had an international lineup of 45 speakers. Video content producer at Japan’s Rakuten TV, Kim Kyoung-eun, joined a Spotlight event about BL (Boy’s Love) drama, saying that audiences of Taiwanese BL dramas in Japan have increased 25-fold since 2018. She believes this trend can continue, so long as the production quality remains high.

Singapore’s Angie Chai, Star Ritz International Entertainment CEO, also made an appearance at the Forum, speaking about emerging investment opportunities in the content Industry. She believes that the biggest emerging investment opportunity is in content for global OTT audiences, as opposed to regional TV audiences.

Europe’s largest event dedicated to series, Series Mania, sent a delegation to participate in both the Forum and Pitching sessions, following an agreement with TAICCA to help facilitate co-production between Europe and Taiwan. The Series Mania delegation selected a series titled "JUDOKA" to be presented in the Taiwan Pitching Session at Series Mania 2023. "JUDOKA" is based on the true story of a washed-up judo athlete from Taiwan who falls in love with a gold-medal judo athlete from North Korea.

“JUDOKA impressed us by the political background,” says Laurence Herszberg, founder and General Director of Series Mania Festival. “This story takes place between a lot of countries, and also between North Korea. All of us in the world know about North Korea. It’s a very intense love story between two strong characters and it’s also about judo, which is a great arena to show on screen.”

Collaborating directors, Y.C. Tom Lee and Jae Yang, say their project already has co-production backing from South Korea’s Hanmac Culture Group, and they’re currently in discussions with another producer based in Serbia. TAICCA has supported their project from the beginning, and the duo are continuing to search for more co-producers who believe in their story.

Not only does TAICCA help Taiwanese directors to find international co-producers, but on the flip-side, TAICCA also provides support for international producers who want to collaborate with Taiwanese talent. Producer and partner at Cinéma Defacto, Sophie Erbs, was among the Series Mania delegation at TCCF. During the Forum, she spoke about the creative freedom she experienced while making a co-production in Taiwan, and the unique model of co-funding that TAICCA has put in place.

“I discovered this new programme that I think is unique, and that TAICCA has put in place, that is the TICP, and that is now allowing us to benefit from the talent of the Taiwanese people, not only in the shooting part, but also in the post-production,” Erbs said. “I think it’s unique in Asia. I don’t think there are many other countries in the world that have, what we call in Europe, a bilateral co-production scheme, that is basically financing and support for me to come with directors, to bring them here, at the benefit of the talent and Taiwanese industry.”

You can learn more about why TAICCA is your best partner in Asia, how to join TCCF 2023, the CCDP (Creative Content Development Program), TICP (Taiwan’s International Co-funding Program) and more at the official website [www.taicca.tw].

Sponsored content brought to you by TAICCA. Published in ContentAsia's December 2022 print magazine