Taiwan Ministry of Culture Feature Film Production Grant

Overview

Taiwan's Ministry of Culture operates the Domestic Feature Film Production Grant (known in Chinese as 國產電影長片輔導金, or "Feature Film Guidance Fund"), administered by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development (影視局). The grant provides production financing for feature-length narrative and documentary films by Taiwanese filmmakers across four categories. In 2025, the Ministry launched the "Great Navigation Plan" (大航海計畫), adding a new International Flagship category with a maximum grant of TWD 100,000,000 (approximately $3,000,000 USD) to support films with international market potential.

The grant covers a range of production stages from screenplay development through production and post-production. The Ministry also separately supports VFX and marketing for funded projects, with International Flagship recipients eligible for 1.5x higher supplemental grants. Applications are submitted through the Ministry of Culture's grants portal at grants.moc.gov.tw.

Taiwan's government film funding has supported directors including Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang, Ang Lee, and Tsai Ming-liang, all of whom have produced work that competes at the highest levels of international cinema. The grant program is a primary mechanism through which the Taiwanese government invests in cinema as a cultural export.

What It Covers

The grant operates in four categories with distinct funding caps:

Key Funding Rules

• The grant cannot exceed 49% of the total estimated production cost specified in the proposal.
• For co-funded projects, the grant cannot exceed 80% of the applicant's total investment.
• International Flagship requires a minimum production cost of TWD 100,000,000 (~$3,000,000 USD).
• International Flagship recipients who later apply for VFX or marketing supplements receive 1.5x the standard supplemental grant amount.
• The Ministry plans to fund approximately 10 International Flagship projects over 3 years.

Supplemental Programs

The Ministry and its affiliated agencies also operate:

• TAICCA Innovative Content Grant for International Co-Funding/Co-Productions: Up to NTD 5,000,000 per project for co-productions with international partners (20-70% international investment or team composition). Up to 3 projects selected annually.
• Next Film Production Grant: For filmmakers whose previous work was nominated or won at major international festivals, funding their next feature project.
• VFX and Marketing Supplements: Separate application tracks for visual effects and promotional support, available to existing grant recipients.

Eligibility

Applicant Requirements

• The director or producer must hold Republic of China (Taiwan) nationality.
• The director or producer must have directed or produced at least 2 feature films previously.
• For the General and International Flagship categories, at least one of those prior features must have achieved TWD 1,000,000 in national box office or TWD 500,000 in Taipei-area box office. For International Flagship, the threshold is higher: one prior feature must have reached TWD 30,000,000 in box office or the director must have been nominated for or won a major international festival award.
• The applicant must be a production company registered under ROC law with authorization to produce films.

Project Requirements

• Projects must be feature-length narrative or documentary films.
• The grant cannot fund more than 49% of total production cost.
• Projects cannot have received other Ministry of Culture or affiliated agency funding for the same production stage.
• Projects cannot be government-commissioned or government-subsidized institutional productions.

International Flagship Specific Requirements

• Production cost must be at least TWD 100,000,000 (~$3,000,000 USD).
• The director or producer must have directed or produced 2+ features, with one achieving TWD 30,000,000 box office or a major international festival nomination/win.
• Projects are not required to be international co-productions. Domestic productions with international market potential also qualify.
• Priority goes to original works with international market potential, cross-media/IP extension potential, or innovative technology applications.

How to Apply

Application Portal

Applications are submitted through the Ministry of Culture's grants portal at grants.moc.gov.tw. The portal lists current application cycles, guidelines, and required forms.

Application Cycles

The grant operates on two rounds annually:

• First round: Typically April through May (approximately 1 month window).
• Second round: Typically September (approximately 1 month window). The 2025 second round ran September 1-30, 2025.

Required Materials

Applicants must submit:

• Application form
• Complete screenplay (including synopsis, character descriptions, and full dialogue)
• Director's statement and production plan
• Budget and financing plan (specifying self-funded vs. co-funded structure)
• Production timeline
• Team information (director, producer, writer, key cast and crew with nationality, experience, and contracts or letters of intent)
• Marketing plan (market positioning, distribution strategy, festival plans)
• Audience feedback plan (internship opportunities, campus screenings, industry lectures)
• Company registration documents
• For projects already in production: 3-5 minutes of footage; for projects not yet shooting: 10+ minutes of the director's previous work

Applications are primarily in Chinese. International co-production materials may be submitted with Chinese translations. All foreign-language documents must include Chinese translations.

Contract and Closing

Selected projects must sign a production grant contract within 9 months of notification. Grant recipients must complete closing procedures within 12 months of the film's first commercial theatrical release, including submitting audited financial statements, box office records, festival participation records, and a 10-minute promotional reel to the National Film and Audiovisual Cultural Center.

Who Should Apply

This grant is for Taiwanese production companies and ROC-national directors or producers with at least 2 prior feature film credits. The Newcomer category has a lower threshold, making it accessible to first or second-time feature directors who meet the nationality requirement.

Filmmakers whose work engages with Taiwanese culture, history, or contemporary life are well positioned for the General and Diversity categories. The International Flagship category targets filmmakers with a proven box office or festival track record who are producing commercial or internationally marketable projects with budgets of TWD 100,000,000 or more.

Non-Taiwanese filmmakers cannot apply directly but may participate as co-production partners through the TAICCA Innovative Content Grant program, which requires a Taiwanese legal entity as the applicant and 20-70% international investment or team composition.

See Also

For understanding Asian cinema markets and international co-production strategies, see International Film Markets. To plan your feature film budget before applying, use the Production Budget Calculator. For understanding distribution deal structures, visit the Filmmaker Glossary.