Taiwan Creative Content Fest begins; NT$1.5 billion funds launched

Taipei, Nov. 4 (CNA) The 2025 Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) opened in Taipei on Tuesday and saw the launch of two investment funds totaling over NT$1.5 billion (US$48.5 million), one of which involves cooperation with South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM.

The fund established by CJ ENM along with Taiwan's Far EasTone Telecommunications and TVBS, called the Taiwan-Korea Entertainment and Cultural Content Fund, is aimed at backing co-productions between Taiwan and South Korea and their global releases and helping Taiwan's entertainment industry better connect with international markets.

The other, the Far EasTone-Enjoy Entertainment Fund, was launched in partnership with the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and Far EasTone. It is designed to invest in and promote local film and television productions.

At a press conference announcing the funds, TAICCA Chair Sue Wang (王時思), who concurrently serves as Taiwan's deputy culture minister, said the initiatives mark a milestone for Taiwan's film and television sector in terms of systematic investment and international cooperation.

Wang expressed the hope that "Taiwan can learn from the South Korean companies' journey and the experience behind their success."

According to CJ ENM Executive Vice President Sean Cho, "the Taiwan-Korea Entertainment and Cultural Content Fund represents CJ ENM's belief that cooperation between Taiwan and South Korea can bring more outstanding works to the global market."

Far EasTone President Ching Chee (井琪) noted that the company, which has expanded into the creative content business for at least a decade, has increased its investment in production due to the rising challenges of content acquisition, citing the dominance of Netflix as a major factor.

Now in its sixth year, the TCCF features pitching, market, and forum sections and represents one of Asia's premier creative industry events, bringing together global buyers and sellers to connect, collaborate, and explore new business opportunities.

At the show's opening ceremony, Wang said more than 700 works from 44 countries were submitted to the pitching section, underscoring the growing importance of the annual event.

According to the TAICCA, the selected works will compete for 41 awards totaling a record NT$10.1 million in prize money.

This year's fest will feature 118 institutions and organizations, highlighted by the French Pavilion's second appearance and the debut of the Korea Pavilion.

Josué Serres, head of the culture, science and education department at the French Office in Taipei, said French companies were drawn to Taiwan after seeing local firms' ambition to produce original content, describing them as not merely "service providers" but "equal partners.

He said more major Taiwanese tech companies -- including HTC and Chunghwa Telecom -- are investing in related productions, some offering expertise in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies.

The 2025 TCCF is being held at the Nangang International Exhibition Center and runs through Friday.