Hou urges greater support for Taiwan filmmaking

2015/06/11

Taiwan possesses the potential to become a global film center, but more public and private sector efforts are needed to achieve this goal, according to local director Hou Hsiao-hsien June 9.

“The country’s agreeable climate, rich biological diversity and varied geological formations, as well as an abundance of post-production and computer graphics professionals, are of great appeal to movie producers around the world, especially those from mainland China,” Hou said.

“But given the limited size of Taiwan’s market, it is imperative the local sector reaches out to the world. If the necessary infrastructure is in place, related industries are capable of generating tremendous output.”

The director made the remarks during a news conference attended by Minister of Culture Hung Meng-chi and Cabinet spokesman Sun Lih-chyun.

Earlier the same day, Hou was bestowed with an Order of Brilliant Star, second rank, by President Ma Ying-jeou for winning best director at Cannes International Film Festival for the martial arts epic “The Assassin.”

According to Hou, massive financial demands and market-orientation issues have made movie production extremely challenging in Taiwan. “I hope the government can look into the needs of filmmakers and work with the business sector to tackle this predicament head on.”

In particular, the director urged greater assistance for young directors through the establishment of a national cinema fund with standardized management procedures.

Although “The Assassin” was 100 percent produced by Taiwan professionals, half of the funding came from mainland Chinese investors, a collaboration strategy deemed necessary by Hou given the huge market on the other side of the strait.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=231335&ctNode=413)