Chunghwa TelecomTaiwan’s largest telecom operator, announced 10 new investments at its “Chunghwa Telecom Content Slate and Partnership Showcase,” spanning film, TV and music projects as well as stakes in two production companies.
The company pitched the slate as a way to back Taiwanese original IP and link local creators with partners abroad. The event was held at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF), which Chunghwa has sponsored for five consecutive years. Taiwan’s Minister of Culture Li Yuan attended, alongside Chunghwa chief business officer and senior executive VP Lin Wen-chiyh, consumer business group president Hu Hsueh-hai and representatives from the presenting teams.
“Chunghwa Telecom is like a pyramid,” Li said. “I am grateful that, beyond building a strong foundation through its thriving core business, the company is also willing to invest at the very top of the pyramid, supporting film and television professionals as they continue moving forward and creating even better work.”
The slate includes four scripted series: police crime drama “Gunshot,” made with PTS Taigi TV, the Taiwanese-language channel of public broadcaster PTS, and S11 Partners; family fantasy “Yesterday’s Daughter, Tomorrow’s Mother,” from producer Phoebe Ma and director Hung Tzu-peng; fantasy adventure “Guides to the World Below,” adapted from a popular Taiwanese comic; and “C’est la Vie,” an urban drama about food and women’s personal growth, with actress Esther Liu as executive producer. Chunghwa has also invested in “Next Z Chef,” billed as Taiwan’s first cooking competition show for young people.
Film investments include “Demon of the East: Black Condo,” a horror project tied to a cinematic universe that crosses four Asian countries, and “Call of Lobster,” which won the Chunghwa Telecom Award at TCCF’s 2024 pitching sessions and has since been selected for the Culture Ministry’s first international flagship cohort under its Great Voyage Project.
The investments also extend to music, including “Speak in Silence,” an Asian tour by Taiwanese indie band Shallow Levée. The tour will run to about 50 shows in Taiwan and eight other countries across Asia.
Alongside project financing, Chunghwa and Chunghwa Digital Cultural and Creative have taken equity positions in DaMou Entertainment and Horiza Creations. DaMou has produced series including “The World Between Us II” and “Wave Makers.” Horiza uses community engagement and crowdfunding to gauge what audiences want.
“Chunghwa Telecom is more than just a platform operator; we are also a driving force behind the long-term development of the content industry,” Lin said. “Moving forward, we will continue to connect funding, creative talent, and domestic and international partners, leveraging our group’s resources and industry partnerships to help Taiwanese content reach international markets.”
Chunghwa-backed films “Arrested Memory” and “The Photo From 1977” received a combined 12 nominations at the 63rd Golden Horse Awards. The company operates mobile and broadband networks as well as the MOD IPTV service and the Hami Video streaming platform, which together have more than 3 million subscribers.
Source: variety.com
