Films Focus on Sunny Kaohsiung's Charisma
◎Text by Yi-Chun Lin
◎Photos Courtesy of Chung-Hui Pao, Chia-Tse Kao, Kaohsiung Film Archive
Literature and films are a romantic way to present a city to an international audience. Some examples of this include Roman Holidays starring Audrey Hepburn, and A City of Sadness directed by Hsiao-Hsien Hou, Who introduced Taipei County to the world.
Film festivals can also have a similar effect and bring great fame to its host city. Kaohsiung's Film Festival has been held every year, for eight years. Every year there is a massive increase in participating movie screenings and box office ticket sales.
The Kaohsiung Film Festival 2008 opened with presentations of My So Called Love and Gachi Boy: Wrestling with A Memory. It ended with screenings of Genius Party and Running The Sahara.
Kaohsiung Film Festival 2008 was held over fourteen days and took in a record NT$1,500,000. This was double what was made in 2007 (NT$800,000). Mr. Wen-Tang Cheng (Festival Chairman) felt Kaohsiung's film lovers don't mind paying a nominal fee to view good films. People attending the festival every year has also been increasing steadily. In 2006, about 3000 people attended the festival, however in 2007 this more than quadrupled with about 14,000 in attendance. This year, more than 18,000 people came to see more than 200 different movies, breaking both audience and box office records.
Initially the goal was to establish a film festival relevant only to Kaohsiung's residents. Its aim was to give filmmakers from southern Taiwan a platform to display their work. More recently, the festival aims to cultivate a more culturally sophisticated audience and broaden residents' international outlook. Productions have also become more creative and refined. The content of the films presented at the festival have also become more diverse. International filmmakers come from as far away as Hollywood and as nearby as Kaohsiung to participate in the festival.
Kaohsiung Film Festivals previously focused on promoting the local film industry. It now welcomes a host of international guests and international themes. In 2004, the central theme "Ocean in Motion" , was designed to showcase films from various international coastal cities. The 2005 film festival, focused on the film culture of twin cities-Kaohsiung and Nantes. Festival organizers invited one of the founders of the Festival of Three Continents, Mr. Allain Jalladeau to be a keynote speaker. The festival focused on the similarities of Kaohsiung 
and Nantes, through still photographs and motion pictures. In 2006, the Festival adopted the theme "The Pulse of a Modern Maritime Generation". Chairman of Pusan's International Film Festival, Mr. Kim Dong-Hol came to deliver a speach. In 2007, the theme "Fantasy" combined two festivals: Kaohsiung Film Festival and Mega Port Music Festival. This year's theme "Kaohsiung Spirit", featured films from all over the world. The focus was to demonstrate the passion and vitality of Kaohsiung.
As the Film Festival evolved, Kaohsiung has provided a very supportive environment for film makers. It also offers assistance for film makers who need to shoot on location in Kaohsiung. Kaohsiung City Government has even created a NT$10,000,000 award for Taiwanese films. This award is granted to films that have had more than a quarter shot in Kaohsiung City and won at least one award at one of the six major international film festivals. Film festivals must include one of the following: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Cannes International Film Festival, or at any other International Film Festival hosted in Venice, Berlin, Tokyo or Pusan. One of the most well known recipients of this award was the crew of the 2005 film The Wayward Cloud by Ming-Liang Tsai. This film won three prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival, including the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution, the Alfred Bauer Prize and FIPRESCI Juries Prize.
In recent history there has been a tremendous increase in films and TV programs made in Kaohsiung, including ten films in 2008. Over half of the film, Pranja Works directed by Dennis Y. H Tsai, was shot in Kaohsiung. Film locations included Singuang Ferry Wharf, Love Pier, Love River, Dream Mall and various Kaohsiung MRT stations. The Information Office of Kaohsiung City Government offered tremendous support for this project and Mayor Chen hosted a press conference with the crew.
Kaohsiung City Government is very supportive of the film industry. Not only does it grant monetary awards and half-price tickets subsidies, it has also set up a film production support center. This center provides equipment, professional crews, screening resources, audition services, film editing, administration and production spaces. Kaohsiung City Government also provides accommodation subsidies for production crews. Subsidy limits have recently been raised from NT$600,000 to NT$1,000,000 for accommodation. Subsidies of up to NT$2,000,000 are granted for films, TV series and TV movies. Subsidies of up to NT$6,000,000 are also granted for documentaries and promotional videos. The City Government also increased the hotels contracted to house crews so that filmmakers can focus more on the filming and less about the logistics.
The Information Office has set up a website called Film Kaohsiung, to make location hunting easier for film crews. It uses real-time information and provides tri-lingual (Chinese, English and Japanese) resources. It provides information about scenic spots in Kaohsiung and sets that give insight into the ordinary lives of the local people. Locations are categorized into historical buildings, cultural spots, harbors and piers, the cityscape, ecological areas and the suburbs. This allows prospective filmmakers a chance to survey Kaohsiung City's versatility.
In 2007, Kaohsiung City Government invested in a documentary to present Kaohsiung's cultural heritage and diversity. Outstanding film crews worked hard to present the city's tremendous beauty. Kaohsiung City has since attracted seven more film and documentary projects of entirely different styles to produce movies in Kaohsiung.
從電影聚焦高雄
南方陽光城市─高雄的魅力
◎文／凌卓民
◎攝影／鮑忠暉、高嘉澤、高雄市電影圖書館
如同城市文學一般，電影也能將一個城市的魅力發揮的淋漓盡致，奧黛麗赫本的「羅馬假期」讓羅馬永留廣大影迷心中，侯孝賢的「悲情城市」把台北的九份推向國際，透過影像，不論是電影的拍攝地點，或是一個屬於城市的影展，形塑了一個城市的樣貌。
2008高雄電影節在10月24日以《愛的發聲練習》、《記住我，青蜥魔》揭開序幕，由閉幕片《天才狂歡派對》與《橫越撒哈拉》劃下充滿熱血的句點。回顧已辦了八年的高雄電影節，今年不論是在映演場次、觀影人口、或是票房收入上，都有顯著的成長。
◎來高雄作伙看電影
2008高雄電影節為期短短14天，票房突破150萬，相較於2007年的80多萬，成長近乎二倍，電影節主席鄭文堂便表示，這代表高雄市觀眾「觀影者付費」習慣的養成；在觀影人口方面，2006年之前皆大約維持在三千多人，2007年成長至一萬四千多人，足足多了四倍，今年2008年，更超越一萬八千人；兩百多場映演場次，是歷年來最高紀錄，票房與人口同樣也創下歷年最高紀錄。
高雄電影節從一開始的「建立屬於高雄自己的影展」，引介優秀南台灣電影人作品，到往後逐漸調整目標，朝培養觀影人口、拓展國人視野、鼓勵影像創作的方向前進，而使得影展片單越來越多元，來自世界各地的創意不斷湧入，將不同於好萊塢的電影世界呈現在高雄影癡眼前。
影展前幾屆多以本土影業關懷為出發，近年走出歷史緬懷氛圍，以更開放的態度製作更多元化的電影題材，如2004年以海洋城市為主軸，讓高雄市民看見來自世界其他濱海城市的瑰麗影像；2005年增加「台灣高雄vs.法國南特雙城記」專題，邀請到南特三大洲影展創辦人之一亞倫‧賈拉杜先生擔任電影節貴賓，透過兩個城市的圖片與影像，帶領觀眾一覽高雄與南特之間，相似且迷人的雙城故事；2006年則以「躍動海洋新生命‧引爆影像新勢力」為主題，邀請韓國釜山影展金東虎主席來訪；2007年影展主題為「前進未來」，大膽結合大港開唱，首創台灣在地電影節與音樂演唱會結合的「大港祭」文化活動；今年更以「鬥魂」為主題，來自各地的片單充分展現陽光港都的熱血活力。
◎幸福城市 拍片友善環境
不只影展越來越好看，高雄的拍片環境對電影工作者而言，更是越來越友善。高雄市對電影工作者前來拍片取景，一向抱持鼓勵的積極態度。令人印象最深的，便是祭出一千萬新台幣的獎勵金，只要是國片來高雄取景拍攝，超過全片場景的四分之一，並且獲得國際六大影展正式競賽單元的正式獎項，包括法國坎城影展、義大利威尼斯影展、德國柏林影展、美國奧斯卡影展、日本東京影展及韓國釜山影展，高雄市政府將提供新台幣一千萬元獎金作為獎勵。眾所周知，在2005年蔡明亮導演的《天邊一朵雲》囊括柏林影展「最佳藝術貢獻獎銀熊獎」、「亞佛瑞德鮑爾獎」、「影評人費比西獎」等三個獎項，市府便發出了這筆巨額獎金。
此後，不論是電影或電視，來高雄取景的比例大為增加，光是今年就已經有十部影片在高雄開拍，如蔡岳勳導演的《痞子英雄》便在高雄取景超過全劇的二分之一，包括像是新光碼頭、真愛碼頭、愛河、夢時代、捷運站等地，拍攝過程更是得到新聞處鼎力相助，市長還與劇組一塊舉行記者會引來大批粉絲呢！
◎拍片支援再升級
高雄市政府對於影業從業人員的友善態度，可不僅止於發放獎勵金及票房半價補助，還成立拍片支援中心，提供器材、人員、審片、甄選演員、影片粗剪、行政、藝文活動空間，透過預算編列，補助影視業者在拍片期間的拍片住宿費用，將單一劇組原本的新台幣60萬元，提高補助上限至新台幣100萬。其他補助範圍還新增了電視連續劇、電視電影最高可達新台幣200萬元、紀錄片及廣告片最高新台幣60萬元，並且陸續增加簽約飯店的數量與等級，讓影業從業人員無後顧之憂放心拍片。
為了方便劇組勘景，尋找適合場地，新聞處架設了「高雄拍片網」，利用各項即時資訊，建立包含中、英、日三種語言的互動機制，除網羅高雄市知名景點之外，還有更貼近常民生活的場景，規劃分成歷史建築、人文、河港、城市、生態以及高雄周邊地區，完整呈現高雄多樣的城市風情。
2007年高雄市政府更首度投資拍片，公開徵求以高雄市人文風土為題材或場景之影片企劃案，鼓勵優秀團隊至高雄取景，期望藉由公部門有限的資源與影視業者無限的創作活力，呈現高雄之美，高雄市更吸引七部風格迥異的電影及記錄片，前來本市進行新一波的影片投資案。