Written by on Nov 1, 2013. Posted in On Location

Taipei pledges greater filming support as Scarlett Johansson shoots locally

Taipei has pledged to offer greater filming support for productions shooting in the Taiwanese capital, as French filmmaker Luc Besson has been filming with US star Scarlett Johansson. The pledge comes on the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Taipei Film Commission.

Besson's production was given an undisclosed incentive to film on location in Taipei for 11 days for new feature Lucy, but the production was persistently besieged by local media. The filmmaker in fact complained to the city’s authorities, but denied reports that he threatened to leave the city early.

“French director Luc Besson’s decision to film his latest movie in Taipei is a great affirmation of the city’s filming environment,” Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin told the Taipei Times: “We will work harder to get more foreign film crews to shoot in Taipei and promote the city’s international image.

“The previous incident has been resolved and Luc Besson told me that Taipei remains his top choice for shooting the film. The filming process is going smoothly and he said he has a good impression of Taipei and Taiwan.”

Taipei offers a million-dollar completion fund for international productions filming in the city, as well as a USD500,000 incentive towards marketing costs. There are plans to launch an additional international film fund within the next three years.

The previous incident has been resolved and Luc Besson told me that Taipei remains his top choice for shooting the film.

Hau Lung-bin, Mayor of Taipei

The Taipei Film Commission assists productions and initiates local training programmes. Forming co-production agreements with countries throughout Europe is also a strong focus for the commission – it already has a good relationship with France – and these ventures could help build a more experienced local crew base in Taipei.

To read The Location Guide's interview with Jennifer Jao of the Taipei Film Commission click here.