20120203 The First Ever Book Meets Film Forum

The First Ever Book Meets Film Forum Enlists Four Heavyweight Consultants, Kicks Off to Enthusiastic Expectations (Press Release 2012/2/3)

(Report from the 20th Taipei International Book Exhibition)

The much-anticipated Book Meets Film Forum, a Chinese-Language publishing and film and television industries matching platform, was officially launched on February 2. The proposals presented in the first ever event are rich in both quality and quantity, thereby attracting many heavyweight players from the Chinese-language film industry. More than one hundred one-on-one sessions have been planned. Participating publishers have spared no effort to prepare for the pitching; in addition to receiving professional advice leading up to the book fair, they have been refining the content of their proposals, so as to promote their works from the perspective of the film and television industry.

Taipei Book Fair Foundation (TBFF) Chairman Wang Jung-Wen took this opportunity to announce celebrated film producer Nansun Shi (New Dragon Gate Inn, Detective Dee), who has been elected by the U.S. press as one of the world's most influential female entrepreneurs in the film industry, as a consultant to the forum. The second consultant is Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated producer Jeffrey Sharp, who was deeply impressed with the dynamism and vitality of the Chinese-language publishing market when he first came to Taiwan last November. As the Chinese-language publications can be an important source of materials for the global industry, he is glad to play a part in promoting them to the world.

Nansun Shi and Jeffrey Sharp, two producers from different fields, will give a talk on the "Current Status and Outlook for Literary Film Adaptations" at 10:30 on February 3 in the Theme Square.

The third consultant invited by Chairman Wang is Jacob Wong, Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) director and Hong Kong International Film Festival curator. Director Wong is not only much interested in the forum but also enthusiastic about further collaboration between the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) and the TIBE Book Meets Film Forum. Director Wong said that such a platform not merely is an innovative practice but has considerable potential and promise.

The fourth consultant is the acclaimed actress-turned-producer Lee Lieh, who has produced a string of successful films: Orz Boyz, Monga, and Jump! Ashin. Li began participating in the forum since last December and lent valuable advice to the selection of recommended books.

The first Book Meets Film Forum features distinguished guests from the Chinese-language film industry, including such celebrated producers as William Kong (Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War), Emperor Motion Pictures CEO Albert Lee (Let the Bullets Fly, After Shock), Hsu Li-Kong, who helped foster the careers of Ang Lee, Tsai Ming-Liang and Lin Cheng-Sheng, senior producer Wu Kung, and a new generation of Taiwanese producers, such as Yeh Ju-Feng and Liu Wei-Jan. These renowned film producers will all take part in the Book Meets Film Forum in person.

February 3 at noon in the Movie Pavilion, Jeffrey Sharp will show one of his productions, Evening, a film adapted from a literary work. At four thirty author Jimmy Liao, together with director Tom Lin (The Starry Starry Night, Winds of September), producer Liu Wei-Jan (The Starry Starry Night, Au Revoir Taipei), and Li Yu-Shan, who has been managing Jimmy Liao's multifarious career for years, will attend the The Starry Starry Night DVD launch party and forum.

FEEDBACKS OF THE ATTENDEES --

Emperor Motion Pictures CEO Albert Lee said there is a lack of fresh material in Hong Kong's film industry, which can benefit significantly through approaching Taiwan's publishers and accessing more Taiwanese publications.

William Kong, Executive Director of EDKO Films Ltd., also expressed his optimism in the Book Meets Film Forum, the launch of which is really off to a good start at this timing. He hopes this forum can achieve satisfying results by meeting the industry's needs.

Carrie Wong of Twentieth Century Fox International Productions hopes this experience can be introduced to Hong Kong as well. She said the audience needs more new content; although Taiwan boasts a wealth of good writers and books, they are not necessarily known to Hong Kong and China. Such a promotion platform will not only add to the audience's understanding of Taiwan's culture but also increase the reader base of Taiwanese publications.

Jürgen Boos, Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, pointed Taiwan's unique role in the Chinese-speaking region: with the immense market of China as its background, there is tremendous potential in store for Taiwan's publishing industry. Furthermore, Taiwan has already had many years of experience in digital publishing, and content, instead of the medium, is still the most important factor in this age of multimedia convergence. As the TIBE has set up the Movie Pavilion following in the footsteps of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Boos offered a warm welcome to the Book Meets Film Forum.

Jeffery Sharp thinks film adaptations of literary works can expand the reader base of the original works. However, it is a long and arduous task to turn words into images and it takes tremendous concerted efforts for a film to come into being. Sharp is confident in the future outlook of the Chinese-language film industry as the Chinese culture is increasingly gaining popularity around the world; as the market of Chinese-language films expands, it is expected that there will be more opportunities for collaboration between the East and the West.