Sinjhuang District (新莊) is to become a hub for Taiwanese cinema, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) told a ceremony yesterday to open the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute’s new base.
With the new facility completed, the city government hopes that a plan to build a cinema museum nearby would start soon, Hou said.
The museum and the institute would make the area a hub for Taiwan’s cinema and audiovisual industry, while introducing a wider audience to Taiwanese movies, he said.
Photo: Chen Yi-chuan, Taipei Times
With the central government’s help, hopefully the plan to build the film hub, which was proposed by previous New Taipei City mayors, would be completed, he said.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said that the Cabinet last year approved a budget of NT$5.4 billion (US$195.02 million) for the planned 1.6-hectare museum and would provide more if necessary.
“The central government will give its full support” for the project, Su said, adding that the museum would bolster the institute’s film archive.
Photo: CNA
The archive, which consists of about 18,000 film reels and more than 200,000 artifacts, is in rented factory space in the city’s Shulin District (樹林).
Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute president Lan Tsu-wei (藍祖蔚) said that the institute would strive to educate more people on the importance of film archives, which are a testimony of the nation’s history, collective memory and personal stories.
“Preserving the memories of Taiwanese is our responsibility,” Lan said. “We hope to help Taiwanese understand the stories of their fellow citizens and allow the world to better see Taiwan.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) lauded the institute’s efforts to preserve and remaster Taiwanese films so that young people and foreigners have a chance to see them.
Tsai said she hopes that the institute would expand its focus from cinema to promoting television and radio work.
The institute is tasked with preserving film archives, conducting research, and promoting Taiwanese film through exhibitions and special screenings.
It had a soft opening of its new facility last year.
The new building is the institute’s first permanent base in the 44 years since it was established.
It has offices, theaters, a film library and exhibition spaces.
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