Taiwan content made a strong showing when the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), one of the region’s key content markets, returned as an in-person event on the 7th to 9th December. Poison Apple from Dottodot was selected for the ATF Animation Pitch, while The Renegades from Renegades Entertainment and Wine Lovers from Awesomeworks Production both entered the ATF IP Accelerator Project Market. Taiwan industry players met financiers from Asia and Europe to discuss script development and funding strategies. Further Taiwan content was available at the Taiwan Pavilion, set up by Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) offering a special showcase and networking activities.
Representatives from Taiwan Content Industry, the Taipei Representative Office in the Republic of Singapore and TAICCA attended the Taiwan Content Showcase. (From left to right: “Port of Lies" Director Freddy TANG, Christopher LEE, Executive Producer Cheng-yu TUNG; “Love Punch” Studio 76 CEO Dennis Yang; TAICCA CEO Mr. Izero LEE, Representative Mr. Francis Kuo-Hsin LIANG at the Taipei Representative Office in the Republic of Singapore; “Port of Lies" Regina LEI; “Guebo” Xanthus Animation Studio Marketing Director Mason YAO & CEO Bruce YAO.)
Izero Lee, CEO of TAICCA, pointed to a noticeable increase in interest for Asian content in the international market in recent years, highlighting how Taiwan’s industry has actively responded with a 30% increase in content compared to last year. Following collaborations with international OTT platforms such as HBO and Netflix, TAICCA has now teamed up with Singapore’s biggest media conglomerate Mediacorp. The aim is to channel resources, foster international co-production and create business opportunities for Taiwan’s creative industry and expand its global reach. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between TAICCA and Mediacorp encourages script development from both sides, as well as investment and production resources for projects sharing greater talent exchange and market possibilities between the two industries.
96 companies and 286 film and TV titles were gathered inside TAICCA’s Taiwan Pavilion offering a wide range of diversity and creativity. Notable shows included the Golden Bell-winning music program Road to Legacy, Golden Bell Best Actor-winning TV drama Lord Jiaqing and the Journey to Taiwan, popular talent show The Rappers Season 2 and soon to be aired series Lovely Villain. Among film titles, Gaga, winner of Best Director at both the Golden Horse Awards and SGIFF Asian Feature Film Competition, joined Coo-Coo 043, fresh from winning the Golden Horse Best Narrative Feature and Bad Education, winner of Golden Horse’s Best Supporting Actor. Other highlights included Untold Herstory, a historical drama of the White Terror and SALUTE, loosely based on the story of choreographer Fang-Yi Sheu.
“Guebo” Xanthus Animation Studio Marketing Director Mason YAO shared the project at the Taiwan Content Showcase.
Industry professionals from the world gathered at Taiwan Pavilion for business meetings.
During ATF, TAICCA held its Taiwan Content Showcase on the 8th December to match Taiwan companies with international partners. Three projects were presented to international buyers, investors, TV networks and the press: animation project Guebo from Xanthus Animation Studio and Duckbill Entertainment; feature project Love Punch from Studio 76; and the series Port of Lies by Mirror Fiction. Port of Lies received script development support from TAICCA and actors Christopher Lee, Regina Lei, executive producer Tung Cheng-Yu and director Freddy Tang attended the showcase.
Another networking event co-organised by TAICCA was the Taiwan LGBTQ + BL Mixer Night Out. Together with streaming platform GagaOOLala, YOIISZ International Media and Soul’Chill, the event promoted Taiwan’s latest LGBTQ +BL trends and in-development projects to international professionals.