Anthony Chen-Produced ‘Somewhere in the South’ Wins Top Prize at Taiwan Creative Content Fest Pitching Awards, ‘Reunion Dinner’ Takes Three

“Somewhere in the South,” a Malaysian feature written and directed by Tan Ce Ding and produced by Anthony Chen, the Singaporean director of Cannes Caméra d’Or winner “Ilo Ilo,” won the $35,000 TAICCA × CNC Feature Film Grand Award at the 2026 Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) pitching awards in Taipei.

The project is produced by Giraffe Pictures, the Singapore-based company co-founded by Chen, and Evil Genius Studio. The prize is backed by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which organizes TCCF, and France’s National Center for Cinema (CNC). The other Grand Award winners were series “Saga,” from BiZ Productions and Elephant Story; Eddy Cinéma’s animated project “Wilderness of the Greenriver”; and Singing Cicadas’ documentary “A Day’s Worth.”

Set in a forgotten town in southern Malaysia, “Somewhere in the South” follows 25-year-old Boon, who helps his mother run their struggling temple. When a by-election brings his charismatic childhood friend JC back to town to lead a campaign, Boon is hired as JC’s driver and reluctantly becomes the party’s tiger mascot. Then the mascot is stolen, and his fragile sense of identity is thrown into question.

“Reunion Dinner,” from Make A Deal International Production, led the awards with three wins: the Videoland Ingenuity Award, MPA Asia Pacific Grand Award and the award from NAFF, the Network of Asian Fantastic Films project market at South Korea’s Bucheon festival.

Several other projects received two awards each. “Saving Tuvalu,” produced by Media Stockade and Filmtank, won the Hakka Public Communication Foundation Confluence Award and Taiwan Mobile: Content Power Award. Critical Hits Production’s “Turns Out It’s Not BL But BFF” received the 2026 TCCF MyPick Project Award and Kaohsiung Film Archive’s KFA Original Award. Mirror Entertainment’s “Romance in Hell” won the Hami Video Creativity Award and udnFunLife IP Potential Award.

In the series category, Model Universe’s “Sunlight Delivery” received the Blintn Next Hit Award and EBC Original IP Potential Award. Seika Works’ “The 16th Night Kitchen” won the Mediacorp Award and TVBS Storytelling Impact Grand Award. In the documentary category, “Parachute Kids,” from Walking Iris Media and Your Sister Films, received both the Doc Edge Award and Mega Bank C&E Foundation Best ESG Award.

Mirror Fiction’s “The Three Witches of Shetou” won both the TAICCA Award: Best Story and friDay Video Original Story Award. In her remarks, Mirror Fiction sales director Sharleen Liu thanked author Chen Si-hong for creating the story.

“On the surface, it is absurd and funny, but underneath it explores loss and pain, asking how we keep living after losing so much. Even when life feels as absurd as a disaster, we can still live with gusto. We hope this distinctive Taiwanese story can reach audiences around the world,” Liu said.

TAICCA chair Sue Wang said that this year, the agency saw progress among the pitching teams and their projects were resonating more strongly internationally. “They are ready to pursue co-productions with international partners, and both Taiwanese and overseas teams are approaching these collaborations with a strong sense of ambition,” Wang said.

Wang added that animation pitches showed a clearer, more precise vision for IP and a broader sense of how it could develop. “For documentaries, TAICCA hopes to develop more tailored support. Cultural ESG [environmental, social and governance] can be a good entry point, and we are seeing writers and pitching teams think more commercially,” she said.

This year’s TCCF Pitching slate featured 92 project and story pitches across film, series, animation, documentaries, publishing and comics. Industry participants from 28 countries attended. The wider TCCF program included 107 Market exhibitors from seven countries and territories. Its four-day Forum held 12 sessions with more than 20 speakers discussing international co-production, streaming-platform consolidation, IP, short-form content and AI.

Complete List of Winners

Grand Awards

TAICCA × CNC Feature Film Grand Award
“Somewhere in the South” (Giraffe Pictures, Evil Genius Studio)

TAICCA Series Grand Award
“Saga” (BiZ Productions, Elephant Story)

TAICCA × Weta FX Animation Grand Award
“Wilderness of the Greenriver” (Eddy Cinéma)

TAICCA Documentary Grand Award
“A Day’s Worth” (Singing Cicadas)

Project: All Sessions

Hami Video Creativity Award
“Romance in Hell” (Mirror Entertainment)

HPCF Confluence Award
“Saving Tuvalu” (Media Stockade, Filmtank)

Mediacorp Award
“The 16th Night Kitchen” (Seika Works)

NMEA Award
“Ghost Month” (Rivenoak Media, Reno Studios, Lusasa Animation)

PHAH Chiayi – Chiayi Story Development Award
“My Cringe Love Notebook” (Yoosonn Entertainment, CJ ENM)

Taiwan Mobile: Content Power Award
“Saving Tuvalu” (Media Stockade, Filmtank)

THSR Beautiful Journey Award
“Time in a Bottle” (Happy Makers)

2026 TCCF MyPick Project Award
“Turns Out It’s Not BL But BFF” (Critical Hits Production)

Commercial Content Creation Talent Program
Zou Wan-zhen

Project: Feature Film & “From IP to Cinema”

KFA Original Award
“Turns Out It’s Not BL But BFF” (Critical Hits Production)

udnFunLife IP Potential Award
“Romance in Hell” (Mirror Entertainment)

Videoland Ingenuity Award
“Reunion Dinner” (Make A Deal International Production)

MPA Asia Pacific Grand Award
“Reunion Dinner” (Make A Deal International Production)

NAFF Award
“Reunion Dinner” (Make A Deal International Production)

Udine Focus Asia Award
“Honey Milk” (ENLA Media, Stories We Tell)

Project: Series

Blintn Next Hit Award
“Sunlight Delivery” (Model Universe)

EBC Original IP Potential Award
“Sunlight Delivery” (Model Universe)

First Bank Award
“Leaf and Tree” (Mirror Entertainment)

TVBS Storytelling Impact Grand Award
“The 16th Night Kitchen” (Seika Works)

Project: Animation

Taiwan Original Animation Highlight Award
“Operation Maomao” (Shaogao, Brilliant Animation Studios)

Project: Documentary

Doc Edge Award
“Parachute Kids” (Walking Iris Media, Your Sister Films)

Docs by the Sea Award
“Firstborn Daughter, Firstborn Son” (Moon Heart Films, Hydroblast)

Mega Bank C&E Foundation Best ESG Award
“Parachute Kids” (Walking Iris Media, Your Sister Films)

Story: Fiction, Non-Fiction & Comics

TAICCA Award: Best Story
“The Three Witches of Shetou” (Mirror Fiction)

friDay Video Original Story Award
“The Three Witches of Shetou” (Mirror Fiction)

Taipei International Film Award
“The Defense Attorney: Miss Umeko” (udn.com)

Formosa TV Award
“Alpha Scorpii in Summer: Tadao Kano’s Experience Growing Up in Taiwan” (Liu Ka-shiang, Taiwan Interminds Publishing)

Gala Pictures Best IP Award
“Ghost Map” (Millionstar Entertainment, Delight Press)

SET TV Next Star Award
“Female General, Formation” (Cai Yi Color Paper Products)

2026 TCCF MyPick Story Award
“Gangster Mei’s Diner” (Ami, Loosiong)