Taiwan’s government has suspended its Taiwan International Co-funding Program (TICP) in a move that appears to signal a change in direction towards more mainstream projects.
The decision has prompted concern among Taiwan’s production community, as the fund was being accessed to set up a wide range of international co-production projects, many of which have secured slots at top international film festivals including Berlin, Venice and Cannes.
When contacted by Deadline, Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which manages the fund, offered the following statement:
“To enhance international joint funding and co-production opportunities and to meet the demands of international investments, TAICCA has undertaken discussions to revise and optimize the investment initiatives based on the experience of Taiwan’s International Co-funding Program (TICP). This strategic move aims to attract a broader spectrum of large-scale investment projects, fostering more collaborations between Taiwan and the global community.”
Launched in January 2021, TICP provides investment of up to $300,000 or 30% of a production’s budget, for co-production projects with Taiwanese elements in the production team and/or story. The fund offers investment, not grants, with TAICCA requiring a profit-sharing arrangement for a period of five years, if the production breaks even, with the maximum amount recouped equal to its initial investment.
Among the projects it has co-funded, two premiered at last year’s Cannes film festival – Tiger Stripes, directed by Malaysia’s Amanda Nell Eu, which won the Critics Week Grand Prize, and The Settlers, from Chile’s Felipe Gálvez Haberle, which premiered in Un Certain Regard and won the FIPRESCI prize. Both films were also submitted by their respective countries for the Best International Feature category of the Oscars.
The fund also backed Sundance entry In My Mother’s Skin, directed by the Philippines’ Kenneth Dagatan; Berlin title Tomorrow Is A Long Time; from Singapore’s Jow Zhi Wei; and The Last Queen, co-directed by Algeria’s Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad, which premiered in Venice, among other titles.
While TAICCA was unable to comment, it’s likely the decision to suspend TICP is connected to changes in strategic direction at Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the upcoming election on January 13, which the incumbent DPP party is on track to win according to recent polls.
In recent months, Taiwan’s government has signalled a shift in its cultural content policy, away from investing in international arthouse films towards more mainstream content with the promise of bigger returns, and potentially also investing in infrastructure projects and private companies.
At Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in November 2023, Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Shih Che was talking up the recently approved ‘One Plus Four – T-Content Plan’ which has secured $311m (NT$10bn) from Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) to support the creative industries.
However, TAICCA also signed MoU agreements with a wide range of institutions and companies during TCCF, including France’s main film agency CNC, which suggested a willingness to participate in more arthouse-leaning international co-productions.
While the NDF is expected to play a bigger role in Taiwan’s cultural policy and industries, it’s currently unclear what kind of specific programmes it will use to do this, and whether investment will be made available to foreign entities working with Taiwanese companies or talent.
International co-productions have been bringing projects to Taiwan for post-production, sound and VFX, including The Last Queen, which worked with Taiwan-based editors Matthieu Laclau and Yann-Shan Tsai, and The Settlers and Joseph Mangat’s documentary Divine Factory, which both worked with award-winning Taiwanese sound designer Tu Duu-Chih.
Some other co-production projects have chosen to film in Taiwan to stand in for other countries where it’s difficult to shoot.
However, films from Taiwanese filmmakers have recently been less visible at international film festivals than those from Southeast Asian countries, which have been flourishing creatively with funding drawn from public sources and festivals in Europe, Southeast Asia and Taiwan.
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Source: DLine
