TCCF Opens With Calls For More Commercially Viable Taiwanese Content  

Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) opened in Taipei today with strong messaging about the government’s current policy to develop a local film and TV industry that produces commerically viable content. 

Organized by Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), the event is running November 5-8 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center in the eastern suburbs of Taipei, which is also close to the Neihu High-Tech Science Park. 

Speaking at TCCF’s opening ceremony, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Culture Sue Wang said: “Taiwan needs more commercially viable content that attracts international audiences. We need talented storytellers to create these stories to build our international recognition.”

She also said that the government’s current investments in the creative industries are designed to encourage the private sector to eventually become the driving force in this sector: “Money can’t buy everything, but it can start something, and we hope our incentives will enable Taiwan creatives to tell their stories on the world stage.” 

TAICCA chairperson Homme Tsai echoed these sentiments by saying: “We hope that the investments of TAICCA, informed by the private sector and industry participation, will be more impactful to meet the needs of Taiwanese creative content.”

Taiwan’s government is investing heavily in its creative industries, mostly through TAICCA, but revamped its funding programmes, including the Taiwan International Co-funding Program (TICP), earlier this year to give more emphasis to “commercial films, documentaries and other genres of audiovisual content with market potential.” 

Tsai also said that TCCF’s new venue at the Nangang Exhibition Center is intended to signal a shift towards business and commercial viability. The event was previously held at the Songshan Creative and Cultural Park in a converted tobacco factory.

Around 300 international industry professionals and buyers from 30 countries are attending this year’s edition of the event, which comprises three elements – Pitching, Market and Forum. 

The Pitching section is offering a record $240,000 (NT$7.65M) in prizes, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony on November 8. Judges for the pitching include Hojin Kwon, senior executive director of Korean broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), Thai director Banjong Pisanthanakun (Shutter), and Srishti Behl, senior producer of India’s Phantom Studios. 

TCCF’s market is hosting around 100 exhibition booths, with most of the exhibitors hailing from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Korea’s KOCCA and Gyeonggi Content Agency are making a first-time appearance, while Japanese exhibitors include TBS and Fuji TV. Southeast Asia is also represented by exhibitors including Vietnam National Television and Singapore Film Society.

The Forum seminar series also kicked off today with sessions on children’s content, trends in the Latin American and Southeast Asian content industries, and a presentation from Thailand’s new creative industries agency, THACCA. Tomorrow’s sessions include a presentation by Federation Studios and insights into IP localisation and Taiwan’s film industry.