Although Taiwan is still trying to find its footing in the film industry, the country stands as a promising player in movie production, according to Variety. Significant companies such as Netflix and HBO Asia are funneling their best efforts into promoting Taiwan’s production capacity. Netflix just produced the thriller “Nowhere Man” and rom-com series “Triad Princess”. These undertakings are a step toward placing Mandarin language films in the global arena. HBO Asia will be filming “Dream Raiders”, entirely in Taiwan, with this being their first attempt at producing a sci-fi series.

While it may seem that mainland China poses as a lethal competitor to Taiwan, in reality, the nature of their policies opened up a pathway for Taiwan’s rise. Their censorship system and high costs for actors and production has led individuals to see Taiwan as an alternative for filming. Taiwan’s openness and a vast pool of Mandarin-speaking actors help explain the traction the country is receiving.

Since Taiwan is a Mandarin-speaking region, its content easily disseminates throughout Asia but more specifically to Chinese audiences. In order to support larger productions, Taiwan is looking to foreign investors, who they hope to acquire through financial incentives such as subsidies. The Taipei Film Commission is willing to offer $1 million to film production teams, annually, to film in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.