The Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) runs from November 7-11 at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei City’s Xinyi District.
Organised by Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), the content licensing and project investment market is expected to be its biggest ever, presenting a record 53 projects including, for the first time, international projects and setting up new national pavilions with France, Japan and South Korea.
Screen speaks to TAICCA chairperson Homme Tsai ahead of TCCF’s 4th edition.
The 4th TCCF was preceded by three editions largely restricted by the Covid pandemic. How would you describe this year’s event to first-time regional and international visitors?
The content industry, driven by the essence of human connections, recognises that online interactions alone cannot replace the authenticity of real human engagement. TCCF is committed to revitalising these crucial connections through physical exhibitions, emphasising the irreplaceable value of personal interactions.
In a pivotal move for this year’s event, TCCF has elevated its global outreach by securing the participation of internationally renowned organisations and corporations as sponsors of the awards for the pitching section. Among them are France’s CNC, the Motion Picture Association (MPA), Series Mania and Warner Bros Discovery. This strategic initiative aims to facilitate transactions, cultivate investor interest, and generate a heightened level of engagement, thus creating a self-reinforcing cycle of positive interactions.
TCCF is a young event bookended by various mature markets from Busan and Tokyo to AFM and Singapore. How do you make it relevant in this crowded marketplace?
Taiwan has solidified its position as a vital creative epicenter within the Mandarin-speaking market, fostered by a nurturing environment that champions creative freedom. Supported by a government committed to nurturing the content industry, Taiwan has gained the capabilities to align itself with international standards.
We anticipate that the TCCF will emerge as a prominent cornerstone in the Mandarin-speaking market. This ambitious vision is in alignment with our unwavering commitment to elevating Taiwan’s stature as a global content creation hub.
Starting from September, Taiwan hosts a series of major events. Scheduling TCCF between the Golden Bell Awards and the Golden Horse Awards aims to unite them into a singular cinematic and television extravaganza, essentially creating a “festival” for the industry. This approach allows international participants to partake in multiple annual grand events in one go.
It’s important to note that future adjustments to the timing are being considered, and TCCF might not necessarily be confined to November.
TCCF comprises three main sections: Pitching, Market and Innovations, stretching across the filmmaking ecosystem. What kind of opportunities do they present to filmmakers and industry executives?
Pitching is the inception of film and television project development. At this stage, the goal is to capture the attention of potential collaborators as the initial concept takes shape, ultimately evolving into a fully-fledged production. This represents the very early stages of the creative process.
Market, on the other hand, focuses on the later stages of the journey, and primarily centres around the trade of intellectual property rights and distribution.
Drawing inspirations from the iconic 1960s sci-fi series Star Trek to “boldly go where no one has gone before”, Innovations sets its course to venture into uncharted territories where technology and culture intersect. As a technology-driven nation, Taiwan aspires to leverage its technological prowess to enhance the film and television industry. The Innovations section emphasises AR, XR, and AI experiences, reflecting our commitment to embracing cutting-edge technology.
What are some of the key highlights for the Innovations section?
Embracing the spirit of interdisciplinary co-creation, Innovations presents programmes that deal with five themes of the cultural content industry: virtual idols, film production technology, Web3, online experiences and AI.
Cases that best demonstrate trends and practices of the industry will be presented: Eggscape, an MR game that excels at both aesthetics and narrative; Colored, an AR work that tells the story of Claudette, a teenage girl challenging racial segregation laws; Taiwanese film Old Fox, a hot contender with seven nominations at the upcoming Golden Horse Awards that uses virtual production to recreate Taiwan’s cityscape in the 1980s; Protoworld, a Metaverse app for content creators to showcase their creativity with NFTs; and Sunset Town Festival, a virtual music festival platform.
Distinguished industry experts such as Liz Rosenthal, curator of Venice immersive, Myriam Achard, chief of new media partnerships and PR at PHI, and Martin Honzik, chief curatorial officer of Ars Electronica Festival are taking part in the programmes, facilitating deeper connections between different domains and territories.
