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AHEAD OF THE CURVE

Navigating new trends in the global content business.

Taiwan's festival of partnership gets ready to kick off

The stage is set for next week’s Taiwan Creative Content Fest, as organiser TAICCA hopes to capitalise on global demand for fresh content with an array of exhibitors from across Asia and beyond showcasing their wares in Taipei.

Crowds gather at last year’s TCCF

The 2024 Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), organised by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), is set to take place from November 5 to 8 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, marking another important chapter for one of Asia’s premier events in the content industry.

Attracting key players from across the globe, this year’s event will feature more than 88 international companies and agencies, such as the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), Gyeonggi Content Agency (GCA), TV Tokyo, Fuji TV, Lotte Corporation and the Singapore Film Society.

These exhibitors will set up booths to engage in a variety of business activities, including copyright transactions and networking with local and international partners. The festival’s main focus will be on facilitating collaborations between content creators, producers and industry leaders, helping them explore new market opportunities.

TCCF is seen as a critical meeting point for buyers, sellers and creators in the entertainment and media industries. Each year, the event brings together professionals from television, film, animation, gaming and other creative sectors, offering them a platform to forge strategic partnerships and engage in business negotiations.

The three core components of the festival – Market, Pitching and Forum – are designed to enhance Taiwan’s role in the global content landscape by matching intellectual property (IP) with international funding, fostering collaborations and discussing future trends.

The TCCF Pitch at last year’s event

One of the highlights of this year’s TCCF Market is the participation of KOCCA, which will make its debut at the event. KOCCA, alongside the GCA, will lead a delegation of South Korean companies, underscoring the importance of cross-border collaboration between Taiwan and South Korea.

The South Korean delegation will be focused on IP adaptation and collaboration opportunities, an area of growing interest as content creators look to expand their reach through international partnerships. KOCCA and GCA will also host press conferences and networking activities, providing an opportunity for participants to discuss potential collaborations and gain insights into the latest trends in the South Korean content industry.

In addition to those two South Korean companies, the TCCF Market will see participation from other high-profile international exhibitors, including the Korean Film Council, Chunghwa Telecom, Catwalk, Videoland Television, Screenworks Asia, Good Image, Kakao Entertainment and Japan’s Tokyo TV and Fuji TV.

Companies such as Rakuten Group, Spo Entertainment, K2 Pictures, Cluster Inc and Mediacorp TV of Singapore will also set up booths, further expanding the diversity of the event’s global participants. These companies represent a wide array of sectors, from traditional film and television production to digital media and online platforms, reflecting the increasingly interconnected nature of the global content industry.

Shōgun producer Eriko Miyagawa is among the mentors in the TCCF pitching workshops

Domestic exhibitors will include a strong representation from Taiwan’s creative and technology sectors. Leading Taiwanese television stations and production companies will be joined by technology firms such as UserJoy Technology, Inventec, ADATA Technology, and ASUS Cloud. These companies are not only involved in content creation but are also seeking cross-industry collaboration, investment and partnerships with international firms.

By bringing together players from both the creative and tech sectors, TCCF aims to promote innovation and drive new forms of content production that leverage Taiwan’s growing reputation as a hub for technological development.

In addition to private companies, government agencies will also play a significant role in this year’s TCCF Market. Eight film-related city and county government agencies from across Taiwan – including the Taipei Film Commission, Taichung Film Development Foundation and the Film Development and Production Center of the Kaohsiung City Government – will be setting up booths to promote the country’s filming resources.

These agencies will actively invite production teams from around the world to consider Taiwan as a destination for their next project. With its diverse landscapes, modern infrastructure and generous government incentives, Taiwan has become an increasingly attractive location for international filmmakers.

Another key element of the festival is TCCF Pitching, a platform that offers substantial resources and prizes for content creators looking to pitch their projects to potential investors, producers and partners. This year’s TCCF Pitching will offer more than 30 awards, with a total prize pool of TW$7.35m (about US$230,000).

Hojin Kwon

Among the top prizes are the TAICCA Award: Best Project, which comes with a cash prize of US$30,000, and the TAICCA Award: Best Story, which awards TW$300,000. In addition to these prizes, there is the Chunghwa Telecom Award, offering TW$600,000 to the winning team. Chunghwa Telecom has been a top sponsor of TCCF for three consecutive years, demonstrating the growing interest of major corporations in supporting Taiwan’s creative industries.

Other sponsors for this year’s TCCF Pitching include Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone Telecommunications, which will provide the MyVideo Initiative Award and the friDay Video Original Story Award respectively, each with cash prizes of TW$300,000. The list of new sponsors includes prominent international companies such as CJ ENM HK, Blintn, ADATA Technology and the Philippines’ QCinema Project Market. The inclusion of these sponsors reflects TCCF’s continued effort to attract international attention and support for Taiwan’s burgeoning creative content sector.

Beyond the monetary rewards, TCCF Pitching also offers participants valuable international exposure. Winning teams will have the chance to participate in major international film and television festivals, such as the Network of Asian Fantastic Films at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, the CNEX Chinese Doc Forum and France’s Series Mania. These opportunities provide a platform for Taiwanese content to be introduced to global audiences, enhancing the international visibility of Taiwan’s creative industries.

TCCF has also secured the participation of several prominent international judges and trainers to help elevate the quality of the pitched projects. This year’s panel includes Hojin Kwon, senior executive director of Seoul Broadcasting System; Banjong Pisanthanakun, director of the critically acclaimed Thai horror film Shutter; and Srishti Behl, senior producer at Phantom Studios, Netflix’s first production partner in India. These judges will lend their expertise in evaluating the commercial potential of the projects, ensuring that the most promising pitches receive the support they need to succeed in the global market.

Srishti Behl

In preparation for the pitching competition, participating teams will undergo a training workshop led by renowned international filmmakers and producers. This year’s mentors include Eriko Miyagawa, producer of the Emmy-winning series Shōgun, Hsinyi Liu, line producer of the hit comedy series Fleabag, and Martin Vandas, CEO of the Czech animation company MAUR Film. These industry veterans will work closely with the teams to help them refine their content and presentation, giving them the best possible chance of securing funding and entering the international market.

In addition to the Market and Pitching sections, TCCF will host the 2024 TCCF Forum, which will focus on the theme ‘Together for Impact.’ This year’s Forum will feature 15 panels and keynotes, with speakers from 12 countries addressing a wide range of topics, including variety shows, film and television production, animation, children’s content and IP development. These sessions will explore international strategies for coproduction, how to adapt and localise IPs for different markets, and emerging trends in the global content industry. The Forum is expected to provide valuable insights for industry professionals seeking to navigate the rapidly changing media landscape.

TAICCA chairman Homme Tsai noted TCCF 2024 has attracted many prominent producers and companies from around the world, reflecting Taiwan’s growing influence in the global content industry. The aim of the event is to foster more international collaborations, attract foreign investment, and help Taiwanese businesses and content creators expand their reach into overseas markets. By bringing together a diverse range of industry professionals, TCCF continues to be a key platform for driving growth and innovation in the content industry, positioning Taiwan as a major player in the global creative economy.

As TCCF continues to evolve, it remains committed to providing business services for the culural content industry, connecting promising IPs with international investors, fostering exchanges of practical experience, and supporting the development of future industry trends. By doing so, the festival plays a crucial role in helping content creators and professionals navigate the complexities of the global market, ensuring that Taiwan’s creative industries continue to thrive on the international stage.

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