No Signs of Slowing Down: The Renaissance of Taiwanese Cinema

Abstract

Taiwan’s film industry had begun its downward spiral since the mid-1990s on the back of extensive video piracy and fierce competition from big-budget foreign imports. This article examines and chronicles the development and historical highlights of the recent revival of Taiwanese cinema, set in motion in 2008 when Wei Te-sheng enthralled local audiences with his feature directorial debut CAPE No. 7. Aqualitative framing analysis is used to identify the key events and factors that molded the phenomenal growth of Taiwan’s small film industry. The author also speculates on the possible future directions of Taiwanese Cinema in light of the exponential expansion of the Chinese market.