Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI)

Overview

The Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI) is Taiwan's only national administrative institution specializing in the collection, preservation, restoration, research, and promotion of audiovisual cultural heritage. Located at No. 2, Wenyi Road, Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, the TFAI houses approximately 20,000 film titles and 400,000 artifacts across more than 10 vaults. Its annual budget is approximately NT$170 million.

The TFAI is a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). It follows FIAF guidelines for restoration, prioritizing faithful restoration over "beautification." When the institute restored Tsai Ming-liang's Vive L'Amour in 4K, the director personally supervised color grading to ensure the result matched the original intent.

For Taiwanese filmmakers, the TFAI provides archive access, development support through programs like the Golden Harvest Awards and Short Film Grants, and international promotion. For international producers, the TFAI offers access to one of the most significant collections of Chinese-language cinema history and a connection point to Taiwan's film industry. Visit tfai.org.tw for current programs and collection access information.

History and Evolution

The TFAI traces its origins to 1978, when plans for a film library were announced through the Government Information Office (GIO). The Film Library of the Motion Picture Development Foundation opened on January 19, 1979, as Taiwan's first film library, carrying the mission of film art promotion and aesthetic exploration.

The TFAI hosted the Golden Horse International Film Festival in its early years and administered programs that became the creative cradle for celebrated directors including Ang Lee, Tsai Ming-liang, and Wan Jen. The Golden Harvest Awards for Outstanding Short Films, Short Film Grants, and Excellent Screenplay Awards all originated under the institution that became the TFAI.

Film Preservation and Restoration

Collection Scope

The TFAI holds nearly 180,000 reels. The collection includes:

• Taiwanese-language Hokkien films (1955-1981 period): an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 films were produced; fewer than 200 survive, though others may be rediscovered
• Mandarin-language cinema from the studio era
• Contemporary Taiwanese productions
• Artifacts, documents, and audiovisual records related to Taiwanese cinema history

Digital Restoration Program

The TFAI began digitally restoring films in 2008. As of 2024, the institute had completed 70-71 advanced digital scans and 98 digitally restored titles (69 with partners, 29 in-house). In January 2026, the TFAI completed its 100th restoration.

Key facts about the restoration program:

Each restoration can cost millions of New Taiwan Dollars per film. The current pace of 10-12 films per year means processing the existing archive will take decades. Taiwan lacks a comprehensive training pipeline for film preservation, with only Tainan National University of the Arts offering a lone graduate program in the field.

Notable Restorations

• Brother Wang and Brother Liu Tour Taiwan and The Fantasy of Deer Warrior: Classic Taiwanese films rescued from deteriorating reels during the 1990s rescue efforts
• Vive L'Amour (Tsai Ming-liang): 4K restoration with director-supervised color grading
• The Clown and the Swan: Survived only because its producer kept the negatives; became the TFAI's 100th restoration in 2026
• Love in Ryukyu: A Taiwanese-language color film rediscovered among 200 reels found in the basement of a San Francisco Chinatown theater

Golden Horse Awards and Film Project Promotion

The TFAI maintains a close institutional relationship with the Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, held annually in Taipei. The Golden Horse Awards recognize outstanding achievement in Chinese-language film across mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the global Chinese-language diaspora.

Golden Horse Film Project Promotion (FPP)

The FPP is a Chinese-language film project matching and co-production platform operated alongside the Golden Horse Film Festival. In 2025, the FPP selected 64 projects (38 FPP Projects, 12 WIP Projects, and 14 Series Projects), with 22 international co-productions setting a new record. The 2025 edition facilitated 1,730 private pitching meetings and nearly 400 cross-industry matching sessions with the Golden Indie Music Awards.

Key FPP 2025 cash awards:

Total prize money approached TWD 7 million. The 2026 Golden Horse FPP is scheduled for November 17-19, 2026. WIP submission fees are NTD 1,500 per project, with the online system open from June 1 to July 31, 2026.

WIP Submission Requirements

WIP projects must be in production before July 31, 2026, or in post-production. Selected projects must display the FPP logo in the opening or closing credits of the final film. A 20% tax deduction applies to foreign award recipients; 10% for national recipients.

Taiwan Co-Production and Development Support

TAICCA Programs

The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) administers several funding programs relevant to filmmakers:

Taiwan Stories on the World Stage (2026): Supports development of Taiwanese original feature films with international co-production potential. Maximum support: NTD 6 million per project, up to 7 projects selected. Application period: March 2 to April 30, 2026, with results announced by end of June.

Innovative Content Grant for International Co-Funding or Co-Productions (2026): Supports Taiwanese teams co-developing cultural tech projects with global partners. Maximum grant: NTD 5 million per project (up to 3 projects), not exceeding 49% of total budget. Application period: through July 6, 2026. An additional Technology Enhancement Proposal of up to NTD 3 million is available exclusively to selected teams.

Streaming Platform Presence

Netflix and other international streaming platforms have acquired Taiwanese series and films for global distribution, creating new production and co-production opportunities that extend reach well beyond the Taiwanese domestic theatrical market.

Notable Taiwanese Filmmakers

• Hou Hsiao-hsien: A City of Sadness (Golden Lion, Venice), Flowers of Shanghai. Central figure of the Taiwan New Wave.
• Edward Yang: Yi Yi, A Brighter Summer Day. Taiwan New Wave director known for intimate social observation.
• Tsai Ming-liang: Vive L'Amour, Stray Dogs. Slow cinema tradition with international festival recognition.
• Ang Lee: Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi. Began with Taiwanese films before directing major Hollywood productions.
• Wei Te-sheng: Cape No. 7, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale. Contemporary commercial Taiwanese cinema.

The Taiwan New Wave of the 1980s established a distinctive tradition of slow cinema and intimate social observation that achieved major international critical recognition.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Taiwanese Filmmakers

TFAI resources form the institutional backbone of a career in Taiwanese cinema. Archive access, development support through Golden Harvest Awards and Short Film Grants, and international promotion through Golden Horse FPP are the primary programs. For feature film development with international ambition, the TAICCA Taiwan Stories program offers up to NTD 6 million. For projects in post-production, the Golden Horse FPP WIP section provides matching opportunities with international investors and distributors.

For International Co-Productions

Taiwan offers a distinctive co-production environment for Chinese-language content outside mainland China's regulatory framework. The TFAI and Golden Horse FPP together constitute the institutional center of Taiwan's film culture. TAICCA's 2026 Innovative Content Grant offers up to NTD 5 million for co-funding or co-production projects with international partners (20-70% international investment or team composition). Taiwan's common law business environment, creative talent, and streaming platform presence make it an attractive partner for Chinese-language and international co-productions.

See Also

For the Golden Horse Awards in the film awards directory, see Golden Horse Awards in this directory. For Hong Kong's equivalent film institution, see Directors Guild of Hong Kong (DGHK) in this directory. For estimating co-production budgets, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For the TFAI's restoration program and collection access, see tfai.org.tw. For the Golden Horse FPP submission guidelines, see goldenhorse.org.tw.