A Taiwanese international funding scheme that backed Cannes award-winners Tiger Stripes and The Settlers looks set to shift its focus to more mainstream projects as part of a rethink of the programme.
The Taiwan International Co-funding Program (TICP) was launched in January 2021 by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and offered international features, TV series, animation and documentaries up to 30% of a production budget with a cap of $300,000.
However, three years into the scheme, its strategy is being revised to encompass more commercial titles, include more Taiwanese elements and boost the levels of financial investment.
A statement from TAICCA said: “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.”
The new version of TICP would invest in more “diverse projects”, according to the agency.
“The scope of eligible projects has been broadened, evolving from the original focus on small and medium-sized arthouse and independent films to now encompass commercial films, documentaries, and other genres of audiovisual content with market potential.,” said the statement.
It went on to detail how productions with Taiwanese elements would see investment rise from 30% of a production budget to up to 49%. It further said: “The original investment cap for a single case was $300,000. Going forward, TAICCA is poised to support projects with higher concentrations of Taiwanese elements with no limit on the amount of investment for a single case.”
Previously, projects were not required to film in Taiwan providing the project contained at least one Taiwanese element in both the key category (main crew, story and language) and the production category (main cast, location and post-production).
“With the expanded level of investment, the removal of the investment cap for individual projects, and more diverse investment categories, TAICCA invites international friends to form further co-production partnerships with Taiwan in a mutually beneficial endeavour,” it added.
Films funded by TICP include Tiger Stripes by Malaysia’s Amanda Nell Eu, which won the top prize when it premiered in Cannes’ Critics Week sidebar last year; and The Settlers by Chile’s Felipe Gálvez Haberle, which won the Fipresci prize when it played in Un Certain Regard at Cannes and was Chile’s Oscar submission.
Further titles supported by the programme include Jow Zhi Wei’s arthouse drama Tomorrow Is a Long Time, which debuted at the Berlinale in 2023; as well as Rachid Hami’s For My Country and The Last Queen by Damien Ounouri and Adila Bendimerad, which both premiered at Venice in 2022.
Toward the end of last year, Taiwan approved the One Plus Four - T-Content Plan, securing $311m (NT$10bn) from Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) to support the creative industries. Whether this NDF program will apply to international co-productions, and what requirements will be needed, remains unclear.
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