Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

A movie set in Taipei has won the Best Asian Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival! Au Revoir, Taipei, produced by German director-turn-producer Wim Wender and directed by Arvin Chen, is one of the movies filmed in Taipei with the help of the Taipei Film Commission. During a public event on February 21, Mayor Hau Lung-bin said the city government is supportive of movie-making efforts in Taipei. In addition to location assistance, Taipei Film Commission also provides financial incentives for movie productions. In the case of Au Revoir, Taipei, the city government offered NT$1.5 million in production subsidies and helped the production crew during on-site filming at locations including local MRT stations and Shida Night Market. Au Revoir, Taipei spotlights many scenes and landmarks of Taipei City, including the 24-hour Eslite Bookstore, local night markets, and MRT stations. The mayor praised the film for helping to promote Taipei to an international audience. This also demonstrates the city government’s determination in helping the development of the film industry. According to Taipei Film Commission, 25 film production crews from 15 countries around the world came to Taipei to shoot scenes in 2009 alone.