The Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) returns for the fifth time, running from November 5-8.
This annual event is organised by Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and features three sections this year - Market with more than 100 booths, Pitching with 62 local and international projects and Forum with 15 keynote and panel sessions. All of them will be held under one roof at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center for the first time.
Screen speaks with TAICCA chairperson Homme Tsai.
TCCF will take place for the first time at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. How is that a more suitable venue to cater to the needs of the growing event?
Last year’s TCCF received highly positive feedback, highlighting the need for a more business-oriented venue. Hall 2 of Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center offers 156,700 sqm floor space that can accommodate TCCF’s growing number of exhibitors and international buyers. The expansive layout allows the Market, Pitching and Forum sections to be organised into one space, making it easier for attendees to interact and move between events.
The venue has a proven track record of hosting international conferences and industry events. Its business-oriented reputation can add credibility to TCCF, which sets out to attract buyers and sellers internationally to converge and engage in networking and commercial negotiations.
Songshan Cultural and Creative Park [where TCCF was held from 2021-2023] appeals to a broader audience, including tourists, families, and local residents, as it often hosts diverse events like art exhibitions, craft markets and performances that are open to the public.
Looking back further at the last edition, how successful was it?
Last year’s pitching sessions achieved great success, with projects receiving considerable investment interest and international co-production opportunities, and making a mark at international film festivals.
After The Snowmelt, the winner of the TAICCA X CNC Award, received a $30,000 cash prize, which was used for post-production. Wouter Jansen, a pitching jury and CEO of distribution company Square Eyes, connected with the filmmakers during TCCF. His company subsequently became the film’s overseas distributor, further boosting its international success. The documentary film later premiered in Visions du Réel, Jeonju International Film Festival, Trento Film Festival, and Millennium Docs Against Gravity.
Building on the success, TAICCA has strengthened its marketing efforts for Pitching this year, receiving a record-high submissions from 50 countries. This growth indicates that TCCF’s international branding as a market and festival is steadily being established, with more creators hoping to bring their projects to Taiwan in search of collaboration.
Would you share some of the highlights from this year’s edition?
The Market section features a record high of more than 88 organisations and over 100 booths. First-time exhibitors include Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), Gyeonggi Content Agency, Kakao Entertainment, Rakuten Group, and the Singapore Film Society.
In the Pitching section, the pre-event pitching training workshop [November 2-3] features renowned mentors such as Eriko Miyagawa, producer of Shōgun, and Hsinyi Liu, line producer of Fleabag. The jury panel is equally impressive with industry professionals from eight countries, including Hojin Kwon, senior executive director of the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS); Banjong Pisanthanakun, director of Thai classic horror film Shutter; and Srishti Behl, senior producer of Phantom Studios, Netflix’s first production partner in India.
B.A. Entertainment, the production company behind Korea’s box-office hit The Outlaws, along with Korea’s SBS TV, Japan’s Toei and Kadokawa, and Thailand’s GMM Entertainment Group, will be on the lookout for projects with international co-production potential.
The Forum section makes a comeback this year after an absence from last year?
The Forum section takes a deeper dive into international collaboration, offering insights into the latest trends and dynamic partnerships shaping the global content industry. We are excited to have Taiwanese actors participating in discussions - Kai Ko, Wu Ke-xi, JC Lin, and Esther Liu, providing them with greater exposure to international buyers and increasing the potential for cross-border collaborations.
Forum will also feature renowned international producers, such as PD Nah, South Korean producer of popular variety reality shows like 2 Days & 1 Night. His participation has sparked significant interest and led to a surge in registrations.
We are looking forward to the exchange of innovative ideas from around the world, which will not only inspire creativity but also help Taiwan’s content industry enhance its global competitiveness.
How has Taiwan positioned itself to be the hub of international collaboration?
While Taiwan has a well-developed film and television industry ecosystem, supported by diverse creative and technical talents, its marketing strategies for reaching the international market still need strengthening. To ensure that production and marketing are fully aligned with international standards and to enhance the visibility of Taiwanese works on the global stage, the key lies in strengthening the international co-production and collaboration capabilities of Taiwanese industry players.
Copycat Killer is a successful collaboration of Taiwan’s film and television industry with international talent and global streaming platforms. The series is adapted from the novel by Japanese author Miyuki Miyabe, and incorporates local Taiwanese elements, presenting a fresh narrative. Taiwanese screenwriters, through years of experience in drama production and access to international collaboration and resources, have gradually moved away from the idol drama format that was traditionally prevalent in Taiwanese dramas. Recent Taiwanese series such as Someday Or One Day and Light The Night showcase the Taiwanese teams’ growing ability to transform storylines into content that resonates with audiences worldwide.
You mentioned last year that future adjustments to the timing are being considered. The event continues to take place in November this year, overlapping with AFM, which also starts on November 5, and just one week apart from the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (FPP) (November 18-20). Is there any way that TCCF might collaborate with FPP?
TCCF’s positioning and the audience it aims to attract are distinct from the other events. AFM primarily focusses on films, while TCCF is not limited to films, but also includes TV, IP, and other categories, making TCCF more diverse.
FPP primarily seeks Chinese-language film projects, or projects that have an ethnic Chinese director or producer or shot on location in Taiwan. In contrast, TCCF’s Pitching is open to global film and TV projects, regardless of language, and also accepts proposals for published texts, comics, and original story concepts, aiming to enhance the chances of adaptations into film and television.
TCCF is a dynamic cultural content fair with a more diverse audience base. Since TCCF has consistently been held in November, international content industry professionals are accustomed to visiting Taiwan during this time for the event.
Last year, TCCF also had an Innovations section for future content.
For the first time the Innovations exhibition has been moved to Kaohsiung, in conjunction with the Taiwan Technology x Culture Expo (TTXC), integrating future content resources with Kaohsiung’s cultural and technological strengths. This shift allows TCCF to focus more on film and TV pitching sessions and the market exhibition. With a stronger focus on B2B exhibitions, we aim to attract more international professionals.
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