Markets

Taiwanese films and projects made a strong showing at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, with three titles selected for the festival's official sections, dedicated screenings for two Oscar contenders and the launch of TIFF: The Market creating new opportunities for Taiwanese producers and creators to connect with international partners. The inaugural market brought together nearly 7,000 industry professionals from more than 80 countries, while the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) led 53 Taiwanese companies to Toronto with a lineup of 71 films and 47 series. The agency also organized matchmaking ahead of the market, connecting international buyers and partners with selected Taiwanese titles based on their acquisition interests.

Among the Taiwanese titles featured in TIFF's official programme were Happily Ever After, The Age of Goodbyes and Arrested Memory, all of which held premieres during the festival. Directed by Fiona Feng-i Roan, Happily Ever After explores the different ways people understand happiness. “This film follows a journey to find out what happiness means to each of us — one that can be confusing, hesitant, even difficult,” Roan said.
Edmund Yeo's The Age of Goodbyes draws on the director's memories of Ipoh and his family history. “This film carries my feelings for Ipoh, for family memory, and for the years I grew up. I hope audiences from around the world can see, through this film, the Ipoh that lives in my heart,” Yeo said. Meanwhile, Arrested Memory, directed by SABU, underwent 58 edited versions during its development. The film combines classical and dance elements in its score and uses judo as the fighting style of lead actor Ethan Juan's character, reflecting both the protagonist's police background and the concept of muscle memory as he attempts to recover his past.

TAICCA also used the festival to increase the international profile of Taiwan's two Oscar contenders, A Foggy Tale and Fragments of Herstory, organizing dedicated market screenings for industry professionals and international media. A Foggy Tale director Chen Yu-Hsun said: “It's a great honor to represent Taiwan, especially with a film like this one, since its historical background isn't widely known. Helping more people see A Foggy Tale and want to learn about Taiwan's present and past is the greatest meaning this film holds for me.” For Fragments of Herstory director Hsu Hui-Ju, the response offered further encouragement for the team. “Every life story carries its own history and culture, and seeing Fragments of Herstory move audiences through its images has been a tremendous encouragement to our team,” she said.

Taiwanese projects also featured prominently in TIFF: The Market's industry programme. VR work The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up was presented at the Innovation Hub, where producer Chin-Hsuan SUNG joined a filmmaker panel to discuss the intersection of technology, art and immersive storytelling. The project adapts a novel whose narrative incorporates dreams, memories and multiple timelines. “the novel itself is already layered — dreams, memory, multiple timelines — which resonate with VR's immersive qualities. From there, the team kept returning to one question: how do we present this story in VR?” SUNG said.

Another Taiwanese project, Argus Inside, used the International Financing and Packaging Market (IFPM) to hold one-on-one meetings with buyers and production companies from the US, Canada and Europe. The feature, which is currently in development, is built around Taiwan's semiconductor industry and combines artificial intelligence, brain-computer interface technology and espionage elements.

TAICCA Chairperson Sue Wang said: “Taiwan's film industry turned in a strong result at this year's TIFF. Three works reaching the world stage through TIFF's official sections, and A Foggy Tale and Fragments of Herstory building further momentum in North America through dedicated screenings, both show that Taiwanese stories are ready to engage international audiences. Just as encouraging is that The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up and Argus Inside both connected with the global industry through this year's inaugural market — proof that Taiwanese content can not only be seen, but genuinely enter the ecosystem of international co-production and investment. This doesn't just mean Taiwanese content is being seen by the world — it means we are genuinely entering the core ecosystem of international co-production and investment.”