Taiwan cinema, possessing its own distinctive character, vaulted onto the world stage with its New Wave Movement of the 1980s. Cinematic works, involving much more than techniques of motion picture image production, are fusions of multifaceted cultural and artistic elements as well as investment arrangements. In view of the interplay of such diverse factors, BAMID formulates and administers a wide variety of programs to advance technological sophistication, boost creative energy and talents, enhance the quality and quantity of domestic film productions, facilitate multi-source financing, and promote international cooperation.
Cultivation of Talents
. Assistance in conduct of cinema-related training activities in order to nurture outstanding internationally competitive talents; encouragement of cooperative intern work programs between film enterprises and educational institutions so as to advance coordination between academia and industry, and to promote transmission of experience and skills.
. Administration of funds for assistance in production of short films, aimed at encouraging enthusiastic creative talents who lack funding for film shooting and, thereby, to steadily develop their abilities to produce feature-length motion pictures.
Production Assistance
. Administration of funds for assistance in domestic production of feature-length films deemed to have good market potential, multi-faceted creative features, and/or superior cultural and artistic value.
. Provision of assistance and subsidies enabling filmmakers to employ professional screenwriters to develop story concepts, or to produce screenplays adapted from existing works of literature or comic books for movies which have good market potential.
. Provision of administrative coordination to facilitate governmental agencies’ interaction with filmmakers who wish to use film-shooting sites under their respective jurisdictions.
Scene from the film KANO (Courtesy of ARS Film Production)
Scene from the film Twa-Tiu-Tiann (Courtesy of Green Film Production)
Director Hou Hsiao-hsian on location while shooting the film Assassin (Courtesy of photographer Tsai Cheng-tai/Spot Films)
Utilization of New Techniques
. Encouragement of domestic filmmakers to acquire advanced digital production equipment to enhance digital content quality.
. Provision of subsidies aimed at encouraging domestic filmmakers to utilize digital visual special effect techniques to develop innovative story lines and produce a greater diversity of film genres.
Marketing Promotion
. Provision of diversified assistance for conducting as well as participating in marketing and exhibition activities abroad, to elevate Taiwan cinema’s distinctive international profile.
The Taiwan booth at an overseas motion picture trade fair
Awards and Incentives
. Stimulation of cinematic screenplay production by supporting competitions for eliciting and promoting outstanding screenplays, and by sponsoring of the Golden Harvest Awards in recognition of highly original screenplay works.
. Provision of assistance to Taiwan’s motion picture enterprises and related key creative artists for participation in international film festival activities; granting of financial rewards to key film production personnel and creative artists whose cinematic works have won awards at major film festivals.