BOOK MEETS FILM FORUM News Letter 2012/1/10

Marking its 20th anniversary this year, the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TiBE) 2012 will be held February 1 through 6 in the Halls 1, 2, and 3 of the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC). In light of the booming development of the Chinese-language film market in recent years, the TiBE will launch the cross-domain Chinese-language Publishing and TV/Film Matchmaking Platform, BOOK MEETS FILM FORUM, as an interface through which the film production companies seeking to adapt Chinese-language books into films or TV dramas can have a place to start with.

The Forum will see the participation of around twenty key Hong Kong film production companies, including Fox International Productions (The Butcher, The Chef and The Swordsman), Irresistible Films under Edko Film Limited (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Emperor Entertainment Group (Let the Bullets Fly), Media Asia Group, Tsui Hark's Film Workshop, Polybona Films, Tomson Films, etc. In addition, it is expected that approximately 100 Taiwanese filmmaking and TV professionals will take part in the Forum, too.

The TiBE has shortlisted sixteen Chinese-language books as recommendations for the pitching forum. The books will be presented by the writers and publishers to the film and TV producers on February 2, and there will be one-on-one meetings in the same afternoon. The shortlist covers a wide range of publications, including classic novella Heart Sutra, by Eileen Chang (author of “LUST, CAUTION”), the well received graphic book author, Jimmy Liao's latest book The Rainbow of Time, and Gold Mountain Blues by Zhang Ling, whose Aftershock has already been turned into a box office hit Chinese film, as well as the Internet sensation Wu Wei's historical mystery The Night Revels of Han Xizai.

In addition, FUSANG THE PROSTITUTE by Yan Gelin ((author of the novel The Flowers of War) , a 1996 literature award winner in Taiwan, is joining the one on one meeting. The optioned novel about a young Chinese girl sent to America to be a prostitute in 19^th century, is still waiting for adapting into a movie.

Also the well established Chinese author, Ha Jin, is invited to attend TiBE, many film production companies pay rather close attention to his latest novel Nanjing Requiem, a story taking place in the same background of The Flowers of War, and is recognized as the Schindler's List of China.

With the view to facilitating the pitching of adaptation projects, the Forum has enlisted the help of U.S. independent producer and cross-media publisher Jeffrey Sharp, who will fine-tune the projects for the publishers before they are pitched to the film / TV producers. Moreover, the Forum will give three case studies on the film adaptations of literary works as well as a talk between Jeffrey Sharp and renowned Chinese film producer Shi Nan-Sun, who will address Adaptation - Current Trends in Chinese and English Film and TV.

Shi Nan-Sun was named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the thirteen most influential females in the global film industry. She has produced many film adaptations of literary works, such as King of Chess, Swordsman, and Master Q 2001. Jeffrey Sharp is an independent film producer for several accolade-laden films, His credits include the Academy Award– and Golden Globe Award–winning film Boys Don’t Cry and You Can Count on Me, which was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.

In producing a series of Academy Award– and Golden Globe–winning films over the past ten years, he has distinguished himself in recognizing opportunities to better integrate the publishing and film industries in creating critically acclaimed commercial entertainment.