Taiwan’s glove puppetry project Hungry has been selected for the VR works competition section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In addition, two Taiwanese projects will be featured in the market which are Poems Of Life in the Mifa Pitches Immersive Experiences and the animated short The Translation Of Wilderness in the Mifa Student Pitch.
Hungry is directed by LIU Yu-Shu. The project is inspired by the childhood memories of Taiwanese glove puppetry, blending traditional performance art with VR and animation technologies. It was previously supported by Taiwan Creative Content Agency’s (TAICCA) 2023 Future Content Grant and was selected at the 2024 FilmGate Interactive Media Festival in Miami. It is currently showcased in the ‘Portals of Solitude: Virtual Experiences from Taiwan’ VR exhibition, co-organised by TAICCA and the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York.
In the Mifa Pitches Immersive Experiences section, the only selected project from Asia is Poems Of Life by director WU De-chuen. Combining delicate paper sculptures, 3D animation, and VR design, the work invites audiences into a post-apocalyptic journey alongside a small boy and a colourful bird.
Representing Taipei National University of the Arts, Althea Huang‘s The Translation of Wilderness is featured in the Mifa Student Pitch. This stop-motion animation pairs a visual style with the voices of the wilderness, balancing artistic experimentation and commercial potential.
In a continued effort to foster international collaboration, TAICCA will once again host the Taiwan Pavilion at Mifa. In partnership with the festival organisers, TAICCA will also present the Taiwan Spotlight pitching session, showcasing five projects to a global audience of industry professionals. This initiative underscores Taiwan’s commitment to supporting its creative talent and strengthening its presence in the global animation landscape.
The Taiwan Spotlight lineup spans genres from fantasy, thriller to sci-fi and coming-of-age drama. Bliss: Beyond the edge of time, a sci-fi anthology featuring six standalone stories crafted by a team of directors, including Golden Horse Award winner Chiu Li-wei and Liu Yu-Shu, with Hungry in this year’s Annecy competition. The project explores the tension between the coldness of technological worlds and the warmth of human emotion.
Blue Runners, directed by Huang Shih-ming, known for his work on the Golden Horse-winning animation On Happiness Road, is adapted from the award-winning novel by Chang Ying-min, telling a deeply personal story of growth and endurance.
Puringau, director Liao Tai-yu draws on Taiwanese Indigenous mythology and spiritual beliefs to craft a haunting tale of nature and the unseen. Tag, directed by Erik Lee, follows a gangster youth who mistakenly enters the underworld and embarks on a journey of redemption. Lastly, Wacky Tidy Pals, by Golden Horse-winning animation director Redic Hsu, presents an adventure where four cleaners confront chaotic supernatural events, offering both entertainment and subtle life lessons.
Four of these projects—Blue Runners, Puringau, Tag, and Wacky Tidy Pals—were previously supported through TAICCA’s Creative Content Development Program (CCDP), aimed at nurturing early-stage creative development.
This year, Taiwan Pavilion showcases 31 companies and 47 works, reflecting the creativity and genre diversity of Taiwanese animation. Highlights include the second season of Brave Animated Series, Taiwan’s first animated series to step on Netflix, as well as 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, winner of the Grand Prize at the 2024 TCCF Pitching, are also part of the lineup.
TAICCA deputy CEO Alice Chang, expressed her excitement at seeing Taiwanese creators consistently impress the global stage with the distinctive voice of Taiwan. TAICCA remains committed to supporting creative talents through professional development and international market expansion, helping more outstanding works reach a global audience and shine on the world stage.
The Taiwan Pavilion and showcase at the Annecy International Animation Festival and Market are backed by the Ministry of Culture’s Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development.
