Taiwanese short film Tutti is set to world premiere in the 76th Berlinale’s Generation Kplus strand, competing for the coveted Crystal Bear prize. Directed by Zhuang Rong-zuo, the 18-minute film revolves around a struggling recorder student, who is keen to keep her place in the music club, and a boy who wants to quit. Through practising together, their playing improves while they discover growth beyond music.
This short film is the latest youth-focused content backed by Taiwan’s Fubon Cultural and Educational Foundation (FCEF), a not‑for-profit organisation established in 1990 with a rich history of empowering children and youth through cultural engagement, media education and social participation.
In 2018, FCEF expanded into film and TV production through the launch of the momo mini Incubator programme. It has also established a cinema initiative for family-friendly screenings and post-screening educational activities in communities across the country, and a free-to-use public education space on an OTT platform.
“We aim to enhance both the quality and quantity of locally produced content, build a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem for children’s media, and foster international exchange in children’s media creation,” says FCEF director general Ice Leng.
Grassroots talent
Priorities for momo mini include nurturing young Taiwanese creators and supporting stories rooted in the local culture. One of the first projects supported by the momo mini Incubator programme is 2023’s Genius Chef Junior, a two-season, 15-episode TV series produced by Phil Tang from Greener Grass Culture, who is a committee member of the incubator programme. The family fantasy comedy series celebrates the spirit of Chinese food culture from the perspective of a psychic child. The script was co-written by Tutti director Zhuang while he was in his last year of film school at National Taiwan University of Arts.
In 2024, a trio of children’s programmes supported by the momo mini Incubator programme earned recognition at the 31st Prix Jeunesse International, the world’s oldest children and youth TV festival, which is a biennial event held at the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation in Munich, Germany.
Having Fun In The Mountains, a children’s reality show about mountain adventure supported by FCEF in collaboration with Hakka TV, won the global first prize in the non-fiction category for children aged 7-10, while By The Sea (produced in collaboration with Public Television Service) and The Match scooped the second prize in the non-fiction category for children aged 11-15 and 7-10 respectively.
After Tutti, the momo mini Incubator programme will continue to work with director Zhuang on his next short film, Mi’s Milk, which is about a shy boy and a surprising adventure that happens on his way to buy milk. Zhuang is also working on feature-length children’s film A Heaven In The Wild Flower, the script of which has recently received a prize from the Excellent Screenplay Awards. He will direct alongside
Li Chuan-yang, a co-director of the Genius Chef Junior series.
“FCEF provides a platform for people interested in children’s content to come together, exchange experiences and build connections,” says Zhuang. He developed an interest in storytelling for youngsters after he joined a university volunteer group that cared for children, giving him the opportunity to discover their inner world.
As a filmmaker, he is determined to create a child-friendly filming environment in which youngsters can feel at ease during production and leave the set with fond memories.
The momo mini Incubator programme has achieved further key milestones. It is partnering with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) to establish a dedicated children’s film and TV development fund to provide creators with more stable and long-term development resources, while it is also embarking on international collaboration.
The Incubator programme has gathered a creative team to develop an 18x13-minute local version of Norwegian broadcaster NRK’s successful IP Bo Bear, a live-action pre-school series about a group of young children and their favourite teddy bear puppet.
“Through co-development projects, young Taiwanese creators are able to work alongside international partners, gaining broader creative perspectives and hands-on experience in global production practices,” says Leng. “This exchange will help strengthen both the quality of local content and Taiwan’s connection to the international children’s media industry.”
Contact: momo mini Incubator
Find out more: fubonedu.org.tw/content/info/aboutus
