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Taiwan's First! Central Taiwan Film Studio's High-Speed Rail Carriage Set Unveiled—Deputy Mayor Cheng: Leading the Industry Toward Internationalization

Taiwan's first! The Central Taiwan Film Studio's high-speed rail carriage set is unveiled. Deputy Mayor Cheng: Leading the industry toward internationalization.
Taiwan's first! The Central Taiwan Film Studio's high-speed rail carriage set is unveiled. Deputy Mayor Cheng: Leading the industry toward internationalization.

The film 96 Minutes began filming at the Central Taiwan Film Studios in February, where a high-speed rail carriage set, the first of its kind in Taiwan, was specially constructed. This unique set will be made available for future film productions. The studio was officially unveiled on the 14th. Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin of Taichung City praised the setup and invited local and international film crews to shoot at the location. Cheng noted how carriage and bullet train-themed films are common in Japan, Korea, Europe, and the U.S. and said that the high-speed rail set will offer more opportunities for film industry exchanges. It marked a milestone for both domestic and international cinematic collaboration and boosted the globalization of the industry.

According to Deputy Mayor Cheng, 96 Minutes is the first Taiwanese movie centered around the high-speed rail, utilizing advanced technology such as virtual environments and a realistic train carriage set. Chen Hsin-fa, who was responsible for the scenic art in Life of Pi, was invited to lead the design and construction efforts. Cheng expressed thanks to executive producer Tsou Chieh-chung and director Hung Tzu-hsuan for creating the high-speed rail set, saying that the city government will continue providing comprehensive filming support services for the film and TV industry. Cheng also thanked Minister of Culture Li Yuan and Director Wang Shu-fang of the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development for attending and recognizing Taichung’s filmmaking environments. The city government aims to establish the Central Taiwan Film Studios as a major filming hub, boosting Taichung's film production and tourism through cinema, sports, and festivals.

Minister of Culture Li Yuan noted that the production of 96 Minutes—subsidized by the Ministry of Culture, invested in by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, and strongly supported by the Taichung City Government—serves as a key example of cooperation between central and local governments. Taiwan’s film and TV industry needs greater government support and private sector involvement. In addition to subsidies and investments, the Ministry of Culture will help establish more film studios and virtual sets and improve filming technologies across the country to bolster the development of Taiwan's film and TV industry.

Executive Producer Tsou Chieh-chung expressed his thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Taichung City Government's Information Bureau, and the Taichung Film Development Foundation for their support and attention. Tsou hopes that the high-speed rail set will be available for both Taiwanese and international productions in the future. During the filming of 96 Minutes, production teams from Singapore and Hong Kong had already shown interest in using the set. Tsou hopes that in addition to benefitting film crews, the set will contribute to the development of local tourism and the film and TV industry.

According to the Information Bureau, about 80% of 96 Minutes was filmed on the high-speed rail set at the Central Taiwan Film Studios. Other filming locations included Xinwuri Station, Eternal-Life, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taichung Zhonggang Store, and a private vihara hall in Taichung's East District. The film started production in April and wrapped in May, with support and subsidies from the Taichung City Government. Starring Golden Horse Award-winning actors Lin Po-hung and Wang Po-chieh, 96 Minutes is set to be released in 2025.

The Information Bureau noted that the Central Taiwan Film Studios, located in Wufeng, Taichung, is the only production facility in Taiwan that meets international standards. It was built by the city government and is run by Central Motion Picture Corporation through the Operate-Transfer (OT) method to encourage private sector involvement. The studio features Taiwan’s only deep-water filming pool, a wave pool previously used by Ang Lee, and three of Taiwan's largest 16-meter-high sound stages. The operations team has also introduced cutting-edge equipment, including a six-axis hydraulic motion platform and the Oscar- and Emmy-recognized lighting brand “Luminys.” With the addition of the high-speed rail set, the studio further elevates its filmmaking services, leading the industry to go international.

The Central Taiwan Film Studios has been actively supporting projects such as the film Salute and the series -197°C, co-directed by Tsai Yueh-hsun, Feng Kai, and Chen Kuan-chung, along with the reality show Let's Go Kayaking and the series Black Tide Island. Productions at the studio enjoy not only the expertise of Central Motion Picture Corporation's operations team but also rental subsidies from the city government and friendly services by filming support teams, making the studio a solid and dependable partner for film crews.

Today, Deputy Mayor Cheng, Minister of Culture Li Yuan, Director Wang Shu-fang of the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, Deputy Director Chen Yu of the Taichung City Government’s Information Bureau, Deputy CEO Chang Wan-yu of the Taichung Film Development Foundation, and President Yang Hung-chih of the Central Taiwan Film Studio were present. Legislator Liao Wei-hsiang, the service office of Taichung City Council member Huang Hsin-hui, the Kaohsiung City Government, and the Nantou County Government also sent representatives to show support. Executive producer Tsou Chieh-chung, director Hung Tzu-hsuan, and actors Lee Lee-Zen, Ku Cheng-yi, and Yeh Ching-han were also on-site to share their filming experiences.

  • Data update: 2024-11-08
  • Publish Date: 2024-10-18
  • Source: Taichung City Government
  • Hit Count: 69
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