To boost Taiwanese films' global success, consider creating a bilingual thriller or filming a popular novel partly in the U.K. These strategies were proposed at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest panel with directors Nelson Yeh and Weiko Lin, along with actress Herb Hsu, so reports Variety.
During the session, the trio discussed obstacles faced by the Taiwanese industry, including viewer diversion from short videos, lack of audience support for domestic productions (especially art house and minority language films), shortage of female filmmakers, and overreliance on Hollywood content. Lin stated that Taiwanese audiences are used to watching Disney and Hollywood films with Chinese subtitles since childhood. The goal is to blend local elements with Hollywood to create unique productions.
Lin is inspired by movies like “Minari,” “Past Lives,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and “Wedding Banquet” for his upcoming projects. He acknowledges the significance of “Crazy Rich Asians” as a Hollywood production. His next film, “Chalk,” set to be filmed in Boston next summer, follows a single mother in the U.S. witness protection program who finds out her bodyguard is her estranged son. The film will feature crime and drug elements in English, with family scenes in Chinese.
Hsu is developing a historical drama series "Oriental Beauty" based on Jade Y. Chen's novel "The Merry Leaf," focusing on the origins of Taiwan's bubble tea in the 19th century. Chen may re-release the novel to coincide with the TV series. Producer Yeh and Good Image company are involved in both projects. Hsu emphasizes the importance of international market considerations for distributing Taiwan films abroad.