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TaiwanPlus
An International Stage for Creators to Strut Their Stuff!

Taiwan is the world’s number one semiconductor producer, the birthplace of Austronesian languages, the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and home to Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, just to name a few. Now, we are looking for talented filmmakers like you to tell the stories of this vibrant and diverse country.

What else do you know or want to explore about Taiwan? Discovery has now teamed up with TaiwanPlus, Taiwan’s first English-language global news outlet and VOD platform, to commission content creators around the world to tell stories about Taiwan. Pitch your story ideas by following these easy steps:

  • Tell us your story idea in the form of a 600-1,000-word proposal.
  • Attach a portfolio of videos you’ve created.
  • Fill out the registration form.

Three filmmakers with the most compelling stories will each receive a grant of US$35,000 to produce their Taiwan-focused stories and have it featured on Discovery platforms across Asia (select markets) and on TaiwanPlus. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with one of Discovery’s producers and have your work seen all around the world!

Submission Period : April 25th to May 29th, 2022
Grant: The three filmmakers will be entitled to receive a grant of US$35,000 to produce their short-film (subject to the filmmaker signing a separate production agreement with Discovery)

Open Pitch Rules

Pitch a short film idea that explores any subject related to Taiwan. Submit a written outline (600-1,000 words) and include links to your past work. (Links to past work are required as proof of your filmmaking experience and skills.) For full terms and conditions please see Terms & Conditions of TaiwanPlus Open Pitch.

1. Eligibility

  • Entrants must be 18 years of age or older. For residents of Taiwan, Filmmakers under the age of 20 are required to provide a letter of consent from a parent or guardian.
  • Entrants must have experience in content and video production. Please attach the following to your online submission:
    1. Links to film/video work produced by the entrant in the last three years (Entries must include the following information about the film/video: program genre, title, number of episodes, runtime, year of production, position held by the entrant, and links to the works.)
    2. Entrants may be a company or an individual. Please note, Discovery reserves the right to request further supporting documentation or information from the entrant to confirm eligibility for the competition.
  • Discovery reserves the right to make the final decision on the eligibility and interpretation of the terms and conditions.

2. Entry Requirements

  • To enter, entrants are required to submit a 600-1,000-word written outline for the short film. The outline should include:
      • Short film title
      • Form of expression
      • Content arrangement
      • Highlights of the film
      • Shooting and production schedule (Filming should be completed by July 20th, 2022, followed by post-production editing in July, airing in Q3 2022.)
    1. Preferred crew members and their professional experience (i.e., producer, director, sound mixer, cinematographer, etc.)
    2. Past audio-visual works (please provide links to work produced within the last three years)
  • The content should appeal to all demographics of the target audience (ages 18 to 45).
  • Please aim to have your short film at least 8 minutes long. Narration should be primarily in English; interviews can be done in Mandarin/Taiwanese.
  • Please be noted that you must respect the legal rights of individuals included in your proposed work. For example, if you want to feature Hon Hai founder Terry Gou, you would need to get his consent first. Please also make sure the content doesn't overlap with existing Discovery-produced programs, such as the Taiwan Revealed or Portrait Taiwan series.
  • Be creative! The content must be original and not yet publicly disclosed, released or published in any form of media in whole or in part (including but not limited to personal blogs, Facebook, and YouTube). Plagiarism is strictly prohibited, and any entry found guilty of plagiarism will be disqualified.
  • The content must be rated G–suitable for watching by general audiences (as determined by Discovery).
  • Discovery reserves the right to change the requirements from time to time. Please ensure you check this website for updates.

3. How to Enter

  • Entrants are required to fill out the online registration form : submit the story outline, provide link(s) to past work for reference, and upload a shooting schedule before the deadline. Entry is only considered complete if all three aforementioned items are submitted.
  • Submission period: Opens April 25th, 2022 (Monday) and ends May 29th, 2022 (Sunday), Taiwan time (GMT+8). Registration will close at 23:59 sharp on May 29th, 2022. No late or incomplete submissions will be accepted.

4. Selection and Awards

  • Three filmmakers will be selected and granted USD$35,000 each for the production of their short film. The shortlisted filmmakers will be announced on June 6th, 2022 (Monday) Taiwan time (GMT+8) via this website, on Discovery Taiwan's Facebook page and via email. Selection criteria: The Discovery and TaiwanPlus review panel will select the filmmakers based on the following:
    • alignment with targeted themes
    • creative innovation
    • narrative structure
    • content appeal
    • relevance of the story's protagonist
    • presentation of reference work
    • team's execution capability
  • Once notified, filmmakers are required to sign a formal production contract with Discovery and undergo necessary background checks and due diligence. All intellectual property rights in the filmmaker’s work must be assigned to Discovery and TaiwanPlus as a condition of receiving the grant amount. Discovery reserves the right to reject any shortlisted filmmaker and select another filmmaker.
  • After duly execution of the production contracts, shortlisted filmmakers will be paid pursuant to the payment schedule and payment prerequisite prescribed in the production contracts. The award shall be used for the only purpose of production of the short film.
  • All costs related to the production of the short film including costs of travel, hotel, visa, quarantine, medical etc shall be the responsibility of the filmmaker.
  • The filmmakers shall also be responsible to comply with the regulations of foreign exchange and relevant banking rules to receive the award amount in US dollars.

If you have any questions, please contact us :Customer service at: tw_fanclub@discovery.com , or call our customer service hotline at (02) 6639-9360, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Online Registration

Winner announcement

Congratulations to the 3 winners of “TaiwanPlus Open Pitch”

First Place 神保映像有限公司 蔡侑勳
Second Place 好旅文創有限公司 辛翠芸
Third Place 惟識創意媒體有限公司 陳惟元

We also want to thank everyone who entered the competition. Before closing on May 29, “TaiwanPlus Open Pitch” had collected more than 100 wonderful Taiwan-themed stories, and the three winners were selected after careful deliberation by the judges. The winners will each receive a grant of USD 35,000 to finish their projects.
For latest updates and more news and program releases, please follow or message Discovery Channel Taiwan on FB or IG.

ABOUT TaiwanPlus

Based in a thriving democracy at the heart of the most dynamic and fastest growing region on earth, we are the first and only English language, global news and entertainment media platform from Taiwan.
TaiwanPlus delivers independent and impartial daily news by international journalists focused on global and local events, bringing you the stories from Taiwan that will resonate across the world. With our unique position in geopolitics and international trade, TaiwanPlus also provides an inside look at Taiwan-China relations with in-depth reporting and analysis.
We showcase Taiwan’s uniqueness in culture and lifestyle - as well as the best from Taiwan’s food, travel, music, and entertainment – and what binds us together as part of a global community.
TaiwanPlus produces three daily newscasts 5 days a week, develops long and short form features, curates movies and other entertainment programming, creates engaging social media content and much more.
Wherever you are, on whatever device, TaiwanPlus delivers world-class content from Taiwan’s perspective.

For more information, visit www.TaiwanPlus.com or follow us on social media via @taiwanplus.

About Discovery, Inc.

Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Discovery delivers over 8,000 hours of original programming each year and has category leadership across deeply loved content genres around the world. Available in over 220 countries and territories and nearly 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio of apps; direct-to-consumer streaming services such as discovery+, Food Network Kitchen and MotorTrend OnDemand; digital-first and social content from Group Nine Media; a landmark natural history and factual content partnership with the BBC; and a strategic alliance with PGA TOUR to create the international home of golf. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as the multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Network, in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of 3 locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. For more information, please visit corporate.discovery.com and follow @DiscoveryIncTV across social platforms.