Three films coproduced by Taiwan and Italy have finished shooting, the Taipei Film Commission said on Wednesday, adding that it aims to hold international premieres of the shorts during the Venice International Film Festival later this year.
It is the first time local and Italian film companies have worked together, commission director Jennifer Jao (饒紫娟) said.
The coproductions are part of the second year of the Taipei Factory (台北工廠) project, which helps match the local film sector with foreign counterparts to “internationalize Taiwan’s film industry,” Jao said during a break at a press conference in Taipei.
The films were made in collaboration with Rai Cinema, the production and distribution arm of Italy’s national public broadcasting company Rai, with Taiwanese and Italian actors and Taiwanese directors.
The 30-minute films are: Luca (盧卡), directed by Hsieh Chun-yi (謝駿毅); Soap Opera (愛情肥皂劇) by Cho Li (卓立); and The Thrill is Gone (顫慄) by Hou Chi-jan (侯季然). They will be promoted as Taipei Factory II, the commission said.
At the press conference, Taipei Deputy Mayor Chang Chin-oh (張金鶚) and Mario Palma, representative of the Italian Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Office in Taipei, said the cooperation has provided a great opportunity for the two sides to get to know each other via cultural exchanges.
The films cover the genres drama, thriller and romantic comedy.
Both the Italian and Taiwanese casts praised the opportunity to work together, commending each other on their dedication and hard work, while the directors said that shooting the films was a challenging yet rewarding experience.
After the 12 days of shooting in Taipei, the Italian cast said they had a very good impression of the city, despite the rain and earthquakes.
The Taipei commission and Ria Cinema are to organize an Italian film festival in Taiwan and a Taiwanese film festival in Italy later this year, they said.
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