Daily Capital Raises 70% of $3.1 Million Target for Cross-Strait Screen Projects

Daily Capital has secured 70% of its $3.1 million fundraising target for a new investment vehicle dedicated to Taiwan-Japan film and television co-productions. The fund launched on the opening day of TIFFCOM, the market segment of the Tokyo International Film Festival, during a showcase event titled Taiwan Originals. Founder Chang Chen-yu stated that the fund aims to raise NT$100 million and expects to begin operations by the end of this year.

The investment strategy involves backing at least five projects across film, television, and animation during the fund's first two years. Chang explained that capital injections will vary based on the scale of each production. The fund intends to enter projects during development or pre-production stages to assist with script discussions and team assembly. Chang noted that the fund targets a primary capital recovery period of three years for its investments.

In Japan, the fund has established co-development partnerships with K2 Pictures and Remow. K2 Pictures, founded by producer Kii Muneyuki, works with directors including Iwai Shunji, Miike Takashi, Nishikawa Miwa, and Kore-eda Hirokazu. Remow is supported by major Japanese media entities such as Shueisha, Toei, Amuse, Shochiku, TBS Holdings, and Fuji Media Holdings. These partners provide access to established intellectual property libraries and distribution networks.

The fund plans to combine Japanese production expertise and IP with Taiwan's financing structures and co-production experience. It will also utilize local production incentives to distribute content to audiences outside of Japanese and Mandarin-speaking markets. Chang said the fund will measure success based on whether its projects reach Japanese broadcasters, regional platforms, and global streamers while meeting projected financial returns.

The first announced investment is the 10-episode series Love Ends in Bloom. The historical romance and business drama is set in 1930s Chiayi and Alishan during the Japanese colonial period. The story follows a Japanese geisha who arranges a cross-border marriage to save her mother and subsequently enters a forbidden relationship with a Taiwanese timber magnate. The narrative explores the era's cypress industry through the perspective of a Japanese woman.

The project originated from Chang's return to his hometown of Chiayi in 2023. He observed the renovation of the local railway station, which prompted reflection on the city's forestry and railway history. Juliana Hsu, known for Gold Leaf, is writing the series. Sun Jie-heng, director of Three Tears in Borneo, will direct the project.

Filming for Love Ends in Bloom is scheduled to begin in February 2027. The production targets a release in mid-2028. Chang indicated that positive results from the first fund could support the creation of a larger second fund focused on wider Asian co-productions.