PITCHING
This is the first year TCCF accepts international entries receiving a record-breaking 539 projects from 29 regions. The 53 selected titles were eligible for 30 awards sponsored by local and international partners.
In the award ceremony on November 10, the Taiwan-Japan heartfelt documentary After the Snowmelt and the Filipino supernatural drama Mother Maybe were both selected the TAICCA X CNC award winners, receiving a cash prize of US$30,000 each. Another selected project, the Taiwanese series Maid of Vengeance, received the Chunghwa Telecom Award, together with a cash prize NT$600,000, and the Series Mania Award, which means the project will participate in Series Mania 2024. Finally, Taiwan-Hong Kong feature Appetite for Desire won the MIFFEST Award, the Choice of Deep Waters Award, and the Taipei International Film Award.
MARKET
Featuring local and international licensors, national pavilions, innovative tech companies, and film commissions, this year’s B2B marketplace hosted more than 100 booths.
With more than 1,400 business meetings in 4 days, MARKET attracted international exhibitors looking for Taiwanese distributors. Among them was the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) whose representative, Yuichi Ito, was very excited to participate in TCCF for the first time, “Our goal is to find buyers interested in Japanese animation, films and dramas. It’s a great opportunity for us to find partners and buyers because there are so many great companies at TCCF that we haven’t met before.”
INNOVATIONS
The section dedicated to the latest technological advancements in the content industry hosted 23 panels, workshops, industry insights and showcases with trailblazers in the industry from local and international institutions such as PHI Centre, Ars Electronica or KKCompany. In addition, it showcased 21 immersive artworks including installations and MR/AR experiences.
One of the speakers at INNOVATIONS, Liz Rosenthal, curator at Venice Immersive (Venice International Film Festival), expressed her excitement for this year’s event, “TCCF is really an amazing place to discover all the latest projects from Taiwan and to meet all of the players in the immersive industry. It’s very useful for me at the Venice Film Festival because we love featuring all the amazing talent from Taiwan.”
Beyond the three main sections at TCCF 2023, there were other important announcements and discussions about the current role of Asian content in the world. At a panel hosted by Janice Chua, vice president at Imagine International, about the increasing presence of Asian creative in Hollywood, Adele Lim, writer of Crazy Rich Asians and director of Joy Ride, explained that even at first she felt at a disadvantage when she moved from her native Malaysia to LA, she quickly realized that “growing up in Asia had tremendous advantages, which first of all made me much more multicultural and open to different types of entertainment.”
During a press conference, KOKO Entertainment and DaMou Entertainment presented their new series Fired Up!, a remake of the popular K-drama Itaewon Class. Starring Taiwanese singer Eric Chou, the show will go into production this December. In addition, they also revealed the second season of their multi-awarded project The World Between Us. Once again in collaboration with streaming platform CATCHPLAY and Taiwan’s Public Television Service, the second season will follow a new story reflecting on Taiwanese public health, law, politics, and mental illness.
A series of MOUs were also signed on stage between TAICCA and several local and international partners, including Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, CJ ENM Hong Kong. The goal of these agreements is to continue to develop and elevate Taiwanese productions, to gain further visibility on international stages, and to support emerging talents.
