The Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) opened in Taipei yesterday, along with the launch of two investment funds totaling more than NT$1.5 billion (US$48.53 million), one of which involves South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM.
The fund established by CJ ENM along with Taiwan’s Far EasTone Telecommunications and TVBS, called the Taiwan-Korea Entertainment and Cultural Content Fund, is aimed at backing coproductions between Taiwan and South Korea and their global releases, while also helping Taiwan’s entertainment industry connect with international markets.
The Far EasTone-Enjoy Entertainment Fund, launched in partnership with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and Far EasTone, would invest in and promote local film and television productions.
Photo: CNA
The initiatives mark a milestone for Taiwan’s film and television industry in terms of systematic investment and international cooperation, TAICCA chairwoman Sue Wang (王時思) told a news conference.
Wang, who is also deputy minister of culture, expressed hope that Taiwan can learn from the success of South Korean entertainment companies.
CJ ENM executive vice president Sean Cho said that “the Taiwan-Korea Entertainment and Cultural Content Fund represents CJ ENM’s belief that cooperation between Taiwan and South Korea can bring more outstanding works to the global market.”
Far EasTone president Ching Chee (井琪) said the company, which has been involved in the creative content business for at least a decade, increased its investment in production due to rising challenges in content acquisition, citing the dominance of Netflix as a major factor.
Now in its sixth year, the TCCF features pitching, marketing and forum sections, and represents one of Asia’s premier creative industry events, bringing together global buyers and sellers to connect, collaborate and explore business opportunities.
More than 700 works from 44 countries were submitted to the pitching section, underscoring the growing importance of the annual event, Wang said at the show’s opening ceremony.
The selected works would compete for 41 awards with a record NT$10.1 million in prize money, TAICCA said.
This year’s TCCF, which runs through Friday at the Nangang Exhibition Center, is to feature 118 institutions and organizations, highlighted by the French Pavilion’s second appearance and the debut of a Korea Pavilion.
Josue Serres — head of the culture, science and education department at the French Office in Taipei — said French companies were drawn to Taiwan after seeing local firms’ ambition to produce original content, describing them as not merely “service providers,” but “equal partners.”
More major Taiwanese tech companies — including HTC and Chunghwa Telecom — are investing in related productions, some offering expertise in augmented reality and virtual reality technologies, he said.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
Fung-wong has been downgraded to a tropical storm from a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The storm has weakened, but would still pose a major threat to Taiwan and its surrounding waters as it comes closer, CWA forecaster Chu Mei-lin (朱美霖) told reporters. As of 9am, the center of Tropical Storm Fung-wong was 360km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point, and moving north-northeast to northeast at 12kph. It was carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 108kph and gusts of 137kph, compared with 119kph and 155kph respectively recorded at about 7am
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS