Animation and character IP lead the exhibitor list at Taiwan's creative content fest
Animation and character intellectual property (IP) companies became the largest exhibitor group at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in 2026, according to figures released after the Taipei event wrapped. Variety reported that the group took 29 of the 107 exhibitor places, up from 19 in 2025. The numbers come from post-event figures released by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which runs the fest.
Character IP, the business of licensing a recognisable figure across toys, games, shows and merchandise, drew more firms than any other category. Television and media networks grew from 20 to 22 exhibitors, and new media, streaming and entertainment firms rose from six to eight.
Other groups shrank. Film and TV production and distribution companies fell from 22 to 16. Digital technology, visual effects (VFX) and immersive media went from 15 to eight. Publishing, comics and webtoons dropped from 12 to five. Overall, the fest had 69 Taiwanese exhibitors and 38 from overseas, against 117 in total in 2025.
The pitching programme presented 93 projects and stories to industry guests from 28 countries. Entries included work from TAICCA School, the agency's training arm.
Much of the buzz centred on artificial intelligence (AI). On opening day, Nov. 6, New Zealand visual effects house Weta FX signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), a non-binding agreement to work together, with TAICCA. The stated aim is to make Taiwan an AI hub for Asia's content industries.
Under the MOU, Weta FX will team up with Taiwanese animation and VFX studio Moonshine Studio. It will also set up a technology platform to support Taiwanese film and TV projects, plus exchanges and internships for young Taiwanese filmmakers.
Weta FX chief executive Daniel Seah said studio legal departments had ruled out any use of generative AI on projects early last year. By the turn of the year, though, clients were asking about Weta's AI strategy, keen to know how much money it could save.
Other studios described their own approaches. Toei president Yoshimura Fumio said the Japanese studio has adopted rules for generative AI and already uses it for backgrounds. OLM Digital board director Yotsukura Tatsuo presented a colouring tool built under a Japanese government-backed research project. It learns a show's look from three hand-painted frames. At the other end of the spectrum, Blue Spirit chief creative officer Charles Beirnaert said the studio behind Blue Eye Samurai is barred from using AI on its Netflix work.
Taiwanese technology firm imCore Corp. launched Core Studio, an AI filmmaking platform with more than 24 specialised agents, at the fest on Nov. 7.
For anyone who has wondered where a cartoon or a streaming series starts, the answer often lies in rooms like these. Pitches, licensing talks and tool demonstrations happen long before a finished frame reaches a screen.
