Taipei, San Francisco film commissions ink moviemaking assistance pact

2018/05/04

A memorandum of understanding on providing mutual assistance for movie productions was inked May 2 by Taipei City and San Francisco.
 
 Under the pact, the Taipei Film Commission and San Francisco Film Commission (Film SF) will collaborate on at least two projects each year through offering reciprocal support to filmmakers in such areas as accommodations, facilities and funding. The two bodies will also host exchange programs to enable Taiwan and U.S. talents to share best practices and expertise.
 
 Chung Yung-feng, commissioner of Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, which oversees TFC, said San Francisco has a dynamic film industry and rich cinematic heritage. It is hoped the accord will help further strengthen Taiwan-U.S. links in fields spanning art, culture and moviemaking, he added.
 
 According to Chung, the pact grew out of successful cooperation initiatives between the commissions. TFC and Film SF recently partnered to support production on the highly anticipated TV show “A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities.”
 
The 20-episode drama set in Taipei and San Francisco by director Yeh Tien-lun wrapped up filming April 30. It is the first Netflix original series produced by a Taiwan company and scheduled to debut on the online streaming platform in August.
 
 Film SF President Villy Wang said the San Francisco institute looks forward to deepening exchanges with TFC as the commissions share the same values and passion in advancing movie sector development. The accord can spur filmmaking industry growth in both cities while expanding the global reach of talents from the two sides, she added.
 
 Launched in 2008, TFC has assisted in the production of about 4,735 movies, TV dramas and commercials, among which 692 were collaborations with overseas companies. The commission has also established partnerships with counterparts in countries including France, Japan, Jordan, Singapore and New Zealand.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=133660)