Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) concluded its 2026 edition in Taipei, featuring a redesigned exhibition floor where animation and character IP companies took center stage.
These companies represented the largest exhibitor cohort, comprising 29 of 107 participants—an increase from 19 in 2025—according to post‑event data from the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA). This year, 69 exhibitors were Taiwanese and 38 were international, up from a total of 117 exhibitors in 2025.
Other sectors also saw growth, with television and media networks expanding from 20 to 22 exhibitors, and new‑media, streaming, and entertainment firms increasing from six to eight. In contrast, film and TV production and distribution companies fell from 22 to 16, while digital technology, VFX, and immersive media declined from 15 to eight, and publishing, comics, and webtoons shrank from 12 to five.
The Pitching program showcased 93 projects and stories—including submissions from TAICCA School—to industry participants representing 28 countries. TAICCA continues to gather data on attendee numbers and transaction values.
Hollywood’s AI Strategy Takes Hold in Taipei
The headline agreement was announced on the festival’s opening day, November 6, when New Zealand VFX powerhouse Weta FX entered into a memorandum of understanding with TAICCA to establish Taiwan as an AI hub for the region’s content industry. Weta FX will collaborate with Taiwanese animation and VFX studio Moonshine Studio, launching a technology platform to support local film and television productions and offering exchanges and internships for emerging Taiwanese filmmakers.
Weta FX Chief Executive Daniel Seah noted that the studio’s legal team had initially prohibited the use of generative AI. By early this year, however, clients began inquiring about Weta’s AI roadmap, primarily to assess the cost savings it could deliver.
Seah remarked, ‘If you don’t have an AI strategy, you’re better off not working with us,’ a sentiment he expressed since the third quarter of this year.
He added that AI has become a national priority in Taiwan, spurred by the country’s semiconductor sector, and Moonshine has been quick to capitalize on this momentum.
Japanese studios presented their AI initiatives in Taipei. Toei, the creator of “Kamen Rider” and the Super Sentai franchise that spawned Power Rangers, has instituted generative AI guidelines and is already applying the technology to background production, according to President Yoshimura Fumio, who said, ‘AI is not a job‑stealer but a tool that expands creative expression and business opportunities.’
During a TCCF panel on AI in animation, OLM Digital board director Yotsukura Tatsuo unveiled a coloring tool—created under a government‑backed Japanese research project—that infers a series’ visual style from three hand‑painted frames. Simultaneously, Charles Beirnaert, chief creative officer of French studio Blue Spirit, noted that the “Blue Eye Samurai” studio is prohibited from employing AI on its Netflix productions. Taiwanese tech firm imCore Corp. introduced Core Studio, an AI filmmaking platform equipped with over 24 specialized agents, at the conference on November 7.
Vietnam Gains Momentum, Japan Intensifies Focus
Grace Chan, a program planner in acquisitions and sales at Taiwan Television Enterprise (TTV), observed, ‘From a broadcaster’s perspective, we’ve seen a notable rise in Vietnamese buyers this year,’ adding that Korean purchasers and partners had dominated the market the previous year.
K7 Media’s Trang Nguyen shared a study of Indonesia—the region’s largest film market, which generated $352.9 million in box‑office revenue in 2025—highlighting horror as a natural fit for Taiwanese and Indonesian creators. Thai director Thiti Srinuan described how music‑video earnings sustained Taibaan Studio’s film universe until “The Undertaker” earned more than THB700 million ($20.8 million) in Thailand. The $35,000 TAICCA × CNC Feature Film Grand Award was awarded to “Somewhere in the South,” a Malaysian film written and directed by Tan Ce Ding and produced by Singaporean director Anthony Chen, known for “Ilo Ilo.”
Japan also turned its attention to Taiwan. Cinematographer Wayne Lo, attending TCCF for the first time, connected with several Japanese teams and discovered that emerging Japanese filmmakers view direct collaboration with TAICCA as a pathway to production. Lo noted, ‘At the pitching sessions I sensed growing interest in Taiwanese content in Japan,’ while acknowledging that Japan continues to offer a broader spectrum of film genres than Taiwan.
Toei’s Yoshimura reported that Japanese films accounted for the most releases in Taiwan during 2025, trailing only U.S. titles at the box office. He seeks enduring tokusatsu partnerships and international co‑productions with Taiwan.
Character IP Dominates the Exhibition Floor
The surge in animation and character IP exhibitors was reflected throughout the conference sessions.
Toei is introducing a games label whose inaugural three titles are original creations, not adaptations of existing IP. Yoshimura explained, ‘We intend to bring game creators on board over the long term, fostering a new vein of IP and positioning games as the launchpad for stories rather than novels or comics.’
Microdrama producers are adopting a similar approach. Sawamura Naomichi, founder of the Japanese microdrama app Bump, said the company is exploring adaptation of its microdramas into manga or animated series.
Although publishing, comics, and webtoon exhibitors declined, books and comics continued to attract interest via the Pitching program. Mirror Fiction’s “The Three Witches of Shetou” received both the TAICCA Best Story Award and the friDay Video Original Story Award. Chang Chen‑yu, producer at World Softest Production Film Co., noted that Taiwanese comic artist Gao Yan’s “The Song About Green” garnered strong attention after its TCCF debut, leading to a notable rise in meeting requests.
‘Companies from Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and even Europe have shown interest in collaborating,’ Chang said. ‘This year I’ve felt more strongly that creative talent and resources are concentrated in Asia, yet the material’s distinctiveness and audience appeal remain essential.’
TAICCA’s internal audience research supports this trend. Among Taiwanese film and TV viewers, 40% had also watched locally produced screen adaptations, and the study identified romance as a promising genre for cross‑platform development, with connections to comics, popular music, and mobile games.
Telecoms Invest in Taiwanese Content
TAICCA unveiled the slates of its four joint‑venture funds, which have financed 27 projects and attracted NT$4.9 billion in private capital, complemented by NT$740 million from the agency—approximately $180 million in total. Two of the funds are partnerships with Taiwanese telecom operators.
‘Beyond OTT streaming platforms, the steep decline in advertising has been the most visible challenge for television stations, while acquisition budgets have remained stable,’ TTV’s Chan explained. ‘Through the market connections we aim to identify content that meets our needs and pursue original productions and co‑productions to diversify risk.’
The Chunghwa Digital Cultural and Creative Fund, majority‑owned by Chunghwa Telecom, totals NT$1 billion ($32 million) and supports both projects and companies. Enjoy Entertainment, TAICCA’s partnership with telecom Far EasTone, invested in 15 projects during its first ten months. Its portfolio also features a Taiwanese remake of the Korean series “Our Blues,” slated for global release on Netflix on December 3. The momomini Kids Content Fund focuses on children’s programming, which COO Phoebe Tsai noted had not previously been regarded as a separate investment category in Taiwan.
One of Enjoy’s investments encapsulated the week’s momentum: “The Rope Curse 4: Kuntilanak,” a Taiwan‑Indonesia horror co‑production in which Toei also invested, earned NT$80 million ($2.6 million) at the Taiwanese box office—a franchise record.
