Taiwan’s Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development held a press conference at the Taiwan Pavilion at the Singapore Marina Bay Sands Conference Center today, November 29, to introduce Taiwan’s TV and film products to foreign buyers and the media. Francis Kuo-hsin Liang, ROC Representative to Singapore, and CHEN,SU-MAN, Director-Broadcasting affairs division of the ROC Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, were on hand to encourage participants in the Singapore International Film Festival 2017. Members of the media and global film industry also attended the kickoff of activities held to promote sales of Taiwan’s film and TV products.
With creations that cover a wide range of areas, and well-crafted storylines that speak to people, Taiwan’s entries each showcase aspects of Taiwan’s unique culture, and stand as evidence of the freedom and fecund creativity of people there. Last year, BAMID began organizing a “national team” of creators to exhibit their wares at the Taiwan Pavilion of the Asia TV Market and Forum (ATF). This year, 35 firms showcasing 96 of their best works are attending the ATF. The three-day event will open new doors for international cooperation and sales for Taiwan’s film and TV sector.
The emcee at the event was Patty Lee, nominee for this year’s Golden Bell Award for Best Program Host. Presented were “Age of Rebellion,” produced by TVBS Media Inc., “My Dear Boy,” by Gala Television Corp., “Under Water 30 Meters” by Vision Creator Production Co., as well as “Fusulina Remembers” by Chimestone Digital Productions Co., Ltd. The attendance of such leading artists as Tsai Chun-ju, Wu Nien-hsuan, Derek Chang, Greg Han, Ching Yang, and Zhang Guang-chen, as well as directors Wang Gong-cheng and Li Ching-pai, showed how important Taiwan’s entertainment industry believes the overseas market to be to their future success.
Also at the Taiwan Pavilion was featured a special VR exhibition, at which HTC Corporation showed its film “The Deserted,” which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Production of this groundbreaking film was supported by the Ministry of Culture. “The Deserted” is the first Chinese-language VR film ever to be created, and is a feather in the cap of Taiwan’s film and technology industries.
BAMID shared that Taiwan’s productions are up for a promising showing at the Asian Television Awards. Taiwan’s productions have been nominated for 12 awards, including best telemovie, best direction, best actor/actress in a leading role, best actor/actress in a supporting role, best scriptwriting, best original screenplay, and best children’s program. Some 16 films have received nominations, including “Far and Away,” “She’s Family,” “Red Balloon,” “We are One,” “The King of Drama,” “Welcome to the Happy Days,” “The Teenage Psychic,” “Life List,” “Upstream,” “La Dolce Vita,” “The Last Verse,” “Life Plan A and B,” “Youth News@PTS: Same-sex Marriage—Yes or No?,” “The First Wisp of Smoke,” “Our Land,” and “I Haven’t Said Goodbye Yet.” Of the nominations, 11 are for acting.
Separately, “The Great Buddha+” was screened at the Singapore International Film Festival in the Asian Feature Film Competition.
Taiwan’s success this year in Singapore, a roaring encore to last year’s acclaim, shows that the nation’s unique film and television products, with their rich stories and subjects and high production quality, are beloved in Southeast Asia and around the world. Taiwan’s pieces show their roots while reaching out to the world, a cinematic style that is bearing fruit.
