Series Mania, Europe’s biggest series festival, commenced in Lille last March 15, “Three Tears in Borneo,” a period drama from Taiwan Public Television Series, marks the first Taiwanese series selected for its International Panorama. As an official partner with Series Mania following an MOU in 2022, Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) will host multiple industry events to spotlight Taiwan’s talent and content, including the Taiwan Spotlight pitching event, “Shoot The Book” expert talk, and the Serial Bridges international series development workshop. Set against the backdrop of World War II, “Three Tears in Borneo” portrays the perspective of a Taiwanese monitor of POWs, debuting alongside 11 other international series contending for awards. Winners will be announced at the closing event.
Additionally, five other Taiwanese series will pitch to international industry delegates at Taiwan Spotlight with TAICCA, including “Maid of Revenge,” a gripping revenge narrative with a strong female lead, which received the Series Mania Award and Chunghwa Telecom Award at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) last November. “Age of Flora,” a coming-of-age story from director Angel Teng I-han, whose previous series “Fragrance of the First Flower” was included in the Series Mania Short Form Competition in 2021. “Our Quiet Days,” a suspenseful crime drama exploring the intricate family relationships of a female forensic pathologist. “No Hero,” set in the Japanese colonial period, follows a Taiwanese soldier’s mission to rescue prisoners of war. Lastly, “Seven Sins: Greed Kills” links the fates of seven unrelated individuals following an explosion.TAICCA has reinforced its partnership with France’s Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC) since last year, aiming to promote Taiwan’s audiovisual and animation content in Europe. Homme Tsai, TAICCA’s chairman, emphasizes these partnerships as vital for Taiwanese content makers to connect with the international industry.
This year, Series Mania and TAICCA initiated the Serial Bridges Workshop, an international series development program aimed at fostering talent development. Six selected series projects will commence their first workshops during Series Mania and participate in the Creative Bazaar networking events in March. The second phase entails online workshops, with script mentors continuing to consult with the teams, assisting them in reviewing their development progress. In November, during the TCCF Creative Content Conference in Taipei, an open proposal session will be organized to present proposals to platform representatives, buyers, investors, etc., participating in the TCCF, as well as to offer them freely.
Taiwanese stories are at the forefront of Series Mania’s forum. Sheng-Jung Phil Tang, a producer at Taiwan’s Greener Grass Productions, will discuss “Understanding the Stake of Owning IPs” during the Series for Global Platform. Furthermore, San Lin, senior film agent from Taiwan’s Grayhawk Agency, will share insights into pushing the novel “Before We Were Monsters” onto the international stage during the expert’s panel organized by SCELF: Shoot the Book!.
TAICCA has also set up its Taiwan Pavilion this year at the market and is showcasing 61 Taiwanese series. Include family drama You Are My Sister with Wen Chen-ling, Patty Lee and Derek Chang in the leads. Adapted from Hu Ching-Fang’s novel, Islanders depicts contemporary relationships from the perspectives of people in their twenties, thirties and forties. First Note of Love is a BL (boy’s love) drama supported by TAICCA’s Creative Content Development Program (CCDP) and Hoping, a spin-off from the series Island Nation, centering on political maneuvering during the SARS period. These series highlight diverse themes and genres, illustrating Taiwan’s solid soft power.
