Taiwan-France film workshop to get underway

2015-01-13

The Taiwan-France Coproduction Workshop will kick off Jan. 15 at National Cinema and Animation Center in Paris, bringing industry professionals together from both countries to identify areas for cooperation.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and French Office in Taipei, the two-day event involves a 10-member Taiwan delegation comprising directors and producers pitching joint development and funding proposals for one animation and four features.

The animation “City of Lost Things,” recipient of the 2011 Golden Horse Film Project Proposal Award, is expected to generate a great deal of interest at the workshop. Budgeted at NT$200 million (US$6.7 million), the movie is half-finished and in need of a capital injection.

Lee Lieh, acclaimed director and the animation’s producer, said since receiving the Golden Horse prize of NT$1 million four years ago, work has continued nonstop on the project. “But the costs are higher than anticipated and we need additional funding to complete the film.”

The four features are ‘Double Fantasy” directed by Wang Ui-lin and Chan Ching-lin, “Songs of Siren” by Shen Ko-shang, “Surviving Hai” by Chuang Ching-shen and “The Road to Mandalay” by Midi Zhao.

According to Myanmar-born Zhao, his follow-up to last year’s sleeper hit “Ice Poison” is unusual in that it faces casting as opposed to financing problems. “Finding actors willing to play poor couples for six months on location in the border between Myanmar and Thailand is not easy,” he said.

“We hope to gain more access to international marketing and sales opportunities,” he said, adding that a possible tie-up with French-German TV network Arte is on the cards.

In addition to exchanging ideas and fostering collaboration, the workshop will review submissions for Producing in the South, the film development company of France-based Three Continents Film Festival. Five selected movies from Africa, Asia and Latin America are to receive assistance with marketing and scripting skills in November in Nantes.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=226171&CtNode=413)