New Gen Drives Biz as Taiwan Sees Rise of Younger Filmmakers With Global Ambition: ‘Everything Is Possible in Taiwan’
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The feature “Tales of Taipei” is a tribute to the low-pressure, culturally rich city, which has been shaped by its regional neighbors, taken in diverse peoples and distilled the multiple competing influences into a messy, happy-go-lucky morass.
Produced by Bowie Tsang and Amy Ma, the film calls on 10 directors hailing from Malaysia, France, Bhutan and Hong Kong, and Taiwanese locals Yin Cheng-han and Remii Huang to contribute.
“Everything is possible in Taiwan, everything exits side by side,” says Tsang, who was born in Hong Kong. “We have old Chinese myths. We believe in the afterlife. Churches exist side by side with temples. We are still trying to figure out how to tell our stories.”
As in the film, juxtapositions exist throughout the Taiwan film industry. Theatrical B.O. improved last year, but from a low 2022 base. Last year, Taiwan productions increased market share from 10% to nearly 16%, helping to lift the overall box office to some $240 million.
But, while 2023 represented recovery and revival, the industry scarcely feels like it has fulfilled its potential. Taiwan’s per-capita cinema attendances are low compared with Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, and there are few large-scale producers, distributors or sales companies with international clout.
The pro-democracy government has intervened to help develop the film and TV industries. It regards the creative economy as both a jobs creator in a resource-poor territory and as helping to enlarge Taiwan’s image on the world’s political stage. That’s a significant consideration for a place where inter-governmental and diplomatic relations are challenged and where bilateral co-production treaties are not possible.
The Taiwan Creative Content Agency was established in 2019 as a ministry of culture-funded intermediary between the public and private sectors, producing and promoting content in film, TV, music, comic books and games.
Co-productions have boomed. Taiwanese companies were minority co-producers on 2023 Cannes standout “Tiger Stripes” and were also involved in four new films at Berlin: “Black Tea,” “Shambhala,” “In the Belly of a Tiger” and “Sleep With Your Eyes Open.”
“Old Fox,” one of the standout commercial films of 2023, and the award-winning titles “Snow in Midsummer” and “Abang Adik,” were also ventures with overseas partners, “Fox” with Japan, the latter two with Malaysia.
On “18×2 Beyond Youthful Days,” the directorial debut of acclaimed Taiwan actor Chang Chen, producer Justine O at Jumpboys Films says: “We set it up as a private, 50-50 financial co-production with Japan. There is no treaty and no need for one. It is a very simple model, keeps the copyright in Taiwan, and is one that many people have since approached us about.”
That could be handy as the generosity of TAICCA may now have peaked. In January, it announced an upgrade of TICP, to version 2.0, promising increased investment, an accelerated decisions process and better alignment with international marketplace demands. While some measures were protested by the industry and were subsequently watered down, the organization’s reorientation towards commercial success appears to be here to stay.
That may push the independent sector to do more for itself. Justine O, who is also a producer on the Cannes title “Rendez-vous With Pol Pot,” by Cambodia’s Rithy Panh, says that there is something akin to a missing generation of producers. One tier is largely aged 55 and older. These producers are established and largely have their own resources.
There is another group, mostly no older than 40. They have fewer resources of their own, but are more likely to be multilingual, internationally minded and operating in a fashion similar to independents in other territories — accessing international film funds, attending project markets and combining resources.
“We need more people to operate outside of their comfort zone. I can see that happening, but we are not there yet,” says O. “Skills levels need to be improved in some departments, but that is being helped by the return to Taiwan of many people who have worked abroad in the U.S. and China, especially. This is going to make Taiwan more competitive.”
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