Taiwan is poised for a significant showing at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market (MIFA), which is now open from June 8 and 10. The event highlights Taiwan’s creative output in animation, featuring projects in competition and at the market.
The Taiwanese glove puppet project, Hungry, directed by LIU Yu-Shu, has been selected for the festival’s VR Works competition section. This project blends traditional Taiwanese glove puppetry with VR and animation technologies, drawing inspiration from childhood memories. The title previously received support from TAICCA’s 2023 Future Content Grant and was featured at the 2024 FilmGate Interactive Media Festival in Miami. It is also part of the «Portals of Solitude: Virtual Experiences from Taiwan» VR exhibition in New York.
At the Mifa Pitches – Immersive Experiences section, Poems Of Life, by director WU De-chuen, is the sole selected project from Asia. This work combines paper sculptures, 3D animation, and VR design to invite audiences into a post-apocalyptic journey. Additionally, Althea HUANG’s stop-motion animation, The Translation of Wilderness, representing Taipei National University of the Arts, is featured in the Mifa Student Pitch.
TAICCA is once again hosting the Taiwan Pavilion at Mifa. In collaboration with festival organizers, and is presenting the «TAIWAN SPOTLIGHT» Pitching Session, showcasing five projects to international industry professionals. This initiative aims to support Taiwanese creative talent and enhance its global animation presence.
The «TAIWAN SPOTLIGHT» lineup spans various genres, including fantasy, thriller, sci-fi, and coming-of-age dramas:
- Bliss: Beyond The Edge Of Time: A sci-fi anthology featuring six standalone stories from acclaimed directors, including Golden Horse Award winner CHIU Li-wei and LIU Yu-Shu.
- Blue Runners: Directed by HUANG Shih-ming, adapted from an award-winning novel.
- Puringau: By director LIAO Tai-yu, drawing on Taiwanese Indigenous mythology.
- Tag: Directed by Erik LEE, following a gangster youth’s journey into the underworld.
- Wacky Tidy Pals: By Golden Horse-winning animation director Redic HSU, an adventure where «cleaners» confront supernatural events.
Four of these projects—Blue Runners, Puringau, Tag, and Wacky Tidy Pals—previously received support from TAICCA’s Creative Content Development Program (CCDP), which nurtures early-stage creative development.
The Taiwan Pavilion at this year’s event showcases 31 companies and 47 works, reflecting the diversity of Taiwanese animation. Highlights include the second season of «Brave Animated Series», described as Taiwan’s first animated series to appear on Netflix, alongside other animated shows such as Deer May, Flamie Rangers, Yaya’s Band, and Beerua’s Yum Yum Time. Feature-length animations like Jhugeshiro – The Demon Society and Cloud Leopard, a Grand Prize winner at the 2024 TCCF PITCHING, are also part of the lineup.
Alice CHANG, Deputy CEO of TAICCA, expressed optimism regarding Taiwanese creators’ ability to make an impression on the global stage with their distinct voice. TAICCA remains committed to supporting creative talents through professional development and international market expansion, aiming to help more works reach a global audience. The Taiwan Pavilion and showcase at Annecy are supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development.
