TAICCA looks to boost Taiwan’s coproduction prospects with new funding

Taiwan Creative Content Agency CEO Izero Lee at Series Mania

Taiwan is set to become a major Asian hub for coproductions aimed at the international market, according to the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which has pledged new funding for production companies.

Founded in 2019 by the Ministry of Culture, TAICCA supports the island’s content industry by investing in series production, offering marketing support and helping studio executives establish international partnerships.

Now, in an initiative to turbocharge Taiwan’s global coproduction potential, TAICCA has announced it will fund dozens of projects that will be pitched at its annual Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF).

Applications open in June, with up to 50 projects set to be showcased at the marketplace held in Taipei from November 7 to 10. They will be eligible for financing from Taiwan’s International Co-funding Programme and Creative Content Development Programme.

Creatives pitching their projects at the TCCF marketplace and expo will also be able to connect with global buyers, financiers and potential production partners.

“In the past three years, these projects have been mostly focused on the domestic market,” said Izero Lee, CEO of TAICCA. “However, starting this year, there’s a major change in the sense that the pitching sessions are open calls for international projects as well.

“We’re expecting to select around 50 projects, including series, feature films, documentaries and animation. They’ll all be eligible for financial support from TAICCA and we’re more looking for ways to facilitate even more copros from Taiwan.”

TAICCA attended last week’s Series Mania festival in Lille, France, where it showcased five series currently under development at an event highlighting upcoming content from Taiwan.

They are 8×48’ martial arts romance Judoka from Renegades Entertainment; 6×45’ sci-fi suspense series The Brides Town, made by Studio 76; 7×45’ drama Bubble Battle, from Pixelfly Digital Effects; eight-part horror Morakot, by Ma Studios; and 10-part fantasy Cry Me Through Hell, from Starry Eyes Productions.

With global streamers and broadcasters now acquiring series, commissioning local original content and licensing remakes from South-East Asian territories such as South Korea (Squid Game) and Japan (Mother), TAICCA believes Taiwan is poised to become the next major player in the region.

“Our priority is to position Taiwan as a key hub for international coproduction,” said Chia-Hua Yeh, manager of partnerships and business development at TAICCA.

“Taiwan offers cutting-edge production facilities, tax incentives, talent, scouting and location support. We are very different from China in terms of censorship and enabling creative freedom.”