It returns to the Venice Film Festival with a slate of productions ranging from the restored version of the late Edward Yang classic film “A Confucian Confusion,” work-in-progress film projects, as well as new VR, XR, and immersive content. These straddle the competition section and the Venice market.

Having demonstrated potential in previous years, this year’s Taiwan presentation in Venice is intended to move to another level.

It is no longer simply a matter of showcasing creative talents from the island, but about taking the lead in development and interpretation of the medium, says Izero Lee, CEO of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA). The body is an independent unit established under the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Culture that has been promoting the island’s creative and content industries internationally in recent years.

“It is not limited to VR anymore, but also XR [expanded reality], and immersive content. We have seen more and more talents coming into this industry and we hope to foster more international co-productions while elevating the visibility of Taiwan productions,” said Lee.

The self-governed island has long been home to some of the world’s biggest tech companies in hardware and is the world’s biggest producer of advanced microchips. Increasingly, there is a focus on software.

After years of cultivation, an ecosystem combining tech development and content exploration has gradually been established, Lee says. Notable companies including Serendipity Films, HTC Vive Originals, Vive Arts, and Funique VR Studio are earning recognition in immersive content production. Many have received the support from TAICCA and the Kaohsiung Film Archive.

As global demand for visual technologies grows, so too may opportunities. Brogent Technologies, for example, has already been working with international companies including Legoland, Dreamworld in Australia, Europa-park in Germany, and FujiQ Highland in Japan. It is also a key partner of “Ghost in the Shell: Ghost Chaser,” a hexaRide transcendent theater attraction that debuted in 2018 at the Diver City Tokyo Plaza amusement venue in Japan, and was based on the 2015 animated feature film “Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie.” “VR is not just VR anymore” says Lee.

Credited Source
Variety Media, LLC / Vivienne Chow