Yet, like the local enterprises striving to upgrade in the face of fast-growing competition from China, the film festival is said to be facing a survival crisis. Many in the industry feel it is only a matter of time until China sets up its own Chinese-language cinema awards, diverting attention from Taiwan's competition. The only way for the TGHFF to remain on top, Chiao said, is to further open it to films and filmmakers around the world and occupy that niche ahead of others.
"The vantage point is in China," Chiao said, "with its coveted market drawing capital, talent and resources … . Though our film industry has gone downhill, the Golden Horse Awards have remained competitive, so far. I think further reforms need to be made so that it will take a long while for China to catch up with us."
Fostering local talent
The plan sounds promising except that the local film industry, which is suffering from a serious talent drought as production levels have been too small to train and support technical personnel, would be excluded. From Chiao's point of view, though, these are problems beyond the festival's remit and it is unreasonable to expect the Golden Horse to solve them. As organizers, they feel they are responsible for the competitiveness of the festival, not of the industry.
To local directors like Chang Tso-chi (張作驥), the competition has become more of a yearly party that distances itself from local filmmakers. Another sore spot is that the TGHFF sometimes seems like a competition-driven business rather than a cultural undertaking.
"Awards are, after all, just awards," said Wang, "They are mere reflections on the film environment as a whole … . However, the most positive value of having the awards ceremony is, I believe, to foster a connection with local film environment."
Forging connections
Both Li and Wang agree that if the Golden Horse is to have constructive influences on the local film industry, the competition itself should not be seen as one night of glory, but as an occasion packed with activities through which local filmmakers could meet film workers from other countries.
The Taiwan Film and TV Project Promotion expo (台灣國際影視創投會), initiated in 2005 in conjunction with the festival, presents the opportunity for local filmmakers to meet investors, producers and distributors from around the world and to scout Chinese-language TV and film projects, Chiao said.
Though smaller in number and budget, the selected projects feature many local faces including up-and-coming filmmakers Lin Yu-hsien (林育賢) and Ho Wi-ding (何蔚庭) and veteran directors Chang Tso-chi and Cheng Wen-tang (鄭文堂).
Open to local filmmakers, the co-production meetings held by industry luminaries during the promotional fair also serve as venues for exchanges.
"TGHFF should become an event young filmmakers are willing to attend to get to know people, to be known and show their works. Everything can fall into place more easily when we accomplish this first step," Li said.
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