Taiwan Makes Its Mark at Annecy With VR Innovation and Diverse Animation Slate

Taiwan is making a strong showing at this year’s Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market, with several projects across competition and market sections as the world’s premier animation event kicks off June 8-10.

Leading the charge is “Hungry,” a VR experience that reimagines traditional Taiwanese glove puppetry through immersive technology. Directed by Liu Yu-Shu and inspired by childhood memories of the folk art form, the project has landed a spot in Annecy’s VR Works competition section.

“Hungry” blends traditional performance art with cutting-edge VR and animation technologies. The project previously received support from Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)’s 2023 Future Content Grant and was selected for the 2024 FilmGate Interactive Media Festival in Miami. It’s currently featured in “Portals of Solitude: Virtual Experiences from Taiwan,” a VR exhibition co-organized by TAICCA and New York’s Museum of the Moving Image.

In the market sections, director Wu De-chuen’s “Poems of Life” is the sole Asian selection in MIFA Pitches – Immersive Experiences. The project combines paper sculptures, 3D animation and VR design to take audiences on a post-apocalyptic journey alongside a young boy and a colorful bird.

Representing Taipei National University of the Arts, Althea Huang’s stop-motion animation “The Translation of Wilderness” has been chosen for the MIFA Student Pitch. The project pairs rich visuals with “voices of the wilderness,” balancing artistic experimentation with commercial appeal.

The spotlight lineup spans multiple genres, headlined by “Bliss: Beyond the Edge of Time,” a sci-fi anthology featuring six standalone stories. The project’s creative team includes Golden Horse Award winner Chiu Li-wei and Liu Yu-Shu, exploring the tension between technological coldness and human warmth.

Other spotlight projects include “Blue Runners,” directed by Huang Shih-ming, known for his work on Golden Horse-winning animation “On Happiness Road.” The project adapts Chang Ying-min’s award-winning novel into a personal story of growth and endurance.

“Puringau” sees director Liao Tai-yu drawing on Taiwanese Indigenous mythology to craft a haunting tale of nature and the unseen, while Erik Lee’s “Tag” follows a gangster youth’s journey of redemption after mistakenly entering the underworld.

Rounding out the lineup is “Wacky Tidy Pals” from Golden Horse-winning animation director Redic Hsu, an adventure where four “cleaners” confront chaotic supernatural events while delivering entertainment and life lessons.

Four of the spotlight projects – “Blue Runners,” “Puringau,” “Tag” and “Wacky Tidy Pals” – previously received support through TAICCA’s Creative Content Development Program, which nurtures early-stage creative development.

This year’s Taiwan Pavilion showcases 31 companies and 47 works, reflecting the diversity of Taiwanese animation. Highlights include the second season of “Brave Animated Series,” Taiwan’s first animated series to land on Netflix, alongside shows like “Deer May,” “Flamie Rangers,” “Yaya’s Band” and “Beerua’s Yum Yum Time.”

Feature-length animations “Jhugeshiro – The Demon Society” and “Clouded Leopard,” winner of the Grand Prize at the 2024 TCCF Pitching, are also part of the lineup.

Alice Chang, deputy CEO of TAICCA, expressed excitement at seeing Taiwanese creators consistently impress on the global stage with Taiwan’s distinctive voice.

The Taiwan Pavilion and showcase are backed by the Ministry of Culture’s Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development.