Taipei plans to build a film, TV and music industrial park to enhance innovation in the three industries, the Taipei City Government said yesterday.
Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Liu Wei-gong (劉維公) said the government hopes to encourage companies in these industries to set up their value-added content production bases in the park.
The city government has released three pieces of public land, with a total area of 3.5 hectares for the construction of the park, which is scheduled to begin in 2014, Liu said at a forum on the city government’s film, TV and music policies.
The three pieces of land are located in Taipei’s Neihu (內湖), Dazhi (大直) and Beitou (北投) districts. The 1.5 hectare area in Beitou was the former site of a state-owned film production factory from 1951 to 1995, the city government said.
“We are determined to build Taipei into a hub for the film, TV and music industries,” despite competition from South Korea and Japan, said Tapei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who also attended the forum, along with economic development, finance, urban development and tourism officials.
Liu said the city government would also convene a task force to ensure that related innovative proposals from companies are incorporated into government policies. It will also create more festivals and performance venues, such as film festivals, live houses and concert halls, to increase the presence of film, TV and music in people’s lives, Liu said.
“We don’t want people in the future to see only science parks in Taipei. We hope to see more creative parks,” Liu said at the forum, which was also attended by almost 100 representatives from the film, TV and music industries.
Central Motion Pictures Corp chairman Guo Tai-chiang (郭台強) called the film business in Taiwan a “charity business” and filmmakers “cheap labor,” saying that Taiwan’s domestic market is not large enough to support its film industry.
It is therefore important for Taiwan to seek international cooperation, Guo said, citing collaboration with China’s film industry as one possibility. Taiwan should also introduce policies to attract foreign investment in Taiwanese films, Guo added.
Taiwanese director Chu Yen-ping (朱延平) said the film, TV and music industries provide the cheapest and most effective ways to promote Taiwan to the world.
Chu urged the government to hold separate forums for the three industries to tackle the specific needs of each industry.
In response, Hau said the city government would consider holding at least three separate forums to meet with representatives from each industry.
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