For Taiwanese participants in the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and film market, the Government Information Office (GIO) held a farewell press conference on Monday (May 15), sending good wishes for them and Taiwan Cinema. Attendees include Ms Chen Ya-nan, director of brand managing department of BenQ, Dr. Huang Te-jue, deputy director of Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories at the Industrial Technology Research Institute, film director and representative of Cannes delegation Wang Tung, Olivier Vayssey, director of cultural and cooperation division of the French Institute in Taiwan and other representatives of all participating film production and distribution companies.
“Silk”, the film selected in the Official Selection Feature Film – Out of Competition, was the highlight of the press conference. The film’s director Su Chao-pin and lead actors Big S (Hsu Hsi-yuan) and Chang Chen have also attended the meeting.
The press conference unveiled with the screening of short film “For Achievement and Opportunity in Asia, Look to Taiwan”, which is a film introducing current situation of Taiwanese film industry. “Taiwan cinema is now standing on a new starting point. More and more talents are devoting themselves in the industry, hoping to produce good movies that are closer to people’s lives and can touch their hearts,” said Cheng Wen-tsang, minister of Government Information Office.
Cheng pointed out two major goals for Taiwan’s participation in Cannes. First is to promote Taiwanese films in the international arena and to wish the best for “Silk” being the Official Selection Feature Film – Out of Competition. Second, the GIO hopes to promote the publicity of Taiwan International Film ＆ TV Expo in Cannes, which will be held at the end of the year. With Taiwan-born Ang Lee just won the Oscar’s Best Director Award few months ago, Cheng hoped that it’s a momentum for Taiwan cinema to reach its peak again.
From 2002 to 2005, the box office gross of Taiwanese local films have been reviving. With young talents joining in, there is a new vitality in the industry. Films with various genres and topics are appearing in the market. Cheng believed that with the joint effort of the filmmakers and the government, Taiwan cinema would surely raise a new wave and bring about prosperity for the industry.
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival and Cannes market will be held from May 17 to May 28 in Cannes, France. The GIO will set up a Taiwan Cinema stand during the period of Cannes market, assisting 45 Taiwanese film companies to promote their film, in total 76 Taiwanese films. On the evening of Thursday, May 25, there will be a “Taiwan Night” held on Majestic 59 Beach, in front of Hotel Majestic Barrière. It will be a star-studded party inviting movie stars, filmmakers, Taiwanese and international film companies, curators of all major film festivals and film markets and international press to join the gala.
The 2006 Cannes Film market also marks the third year BenQ sponsoring the Taiwan Cinema stand with its high quality audio-visual equipment, including 37”LCD Television, Notebook computers, LCD monitors and DVD players. Besides, the GIO for the first time cooperates with Electronics and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories at the Industrial Technology Research Institute. The laboratory offers the advanced FVD audio-visual projecting system, which transfers the HD format films into advanced FVD (High Definition Forward Versatile Disc) format. The system will serve to screen Taiwanese films at the market. The institute will also promote cutting-edge digital technology products that are developed in Taiwan.
As international co-production being the trend of global filmmaking, to let more international filmmakers shooting films in Taiwan, the GIO has prepared in Cannes market “Cinema Location and Production Guide in Taiwan” in both books and DVD formats. The guide features outstanding and suitable locations for film shooting. It also detailed the lists of contacts of all local governments and related filmmaking service companies that can facilitate the filmmaking process.
In November 9, 2005, the GIO has also announced the policy “Directions for Funding Foreign Motion Picture Production Enterprises to Produce Motion Pictures in Taiwan” taken into effect. For foreign filmmaking crew shooting films in Taiwan, their employment of Taiwanese directors, actors or technical crew, or related expenditure in Taiwan will be subsidized up to 20%. It is to encourage foreign films to choose Taiwan as the shooting location and thus to elevate the competitiveness of Taiwan film industry through the exchange and cooperation of funds, technology and talents between local and foreign film industries.
