Three Dots Entertainment,the Taiwanese production company behind hit gay comedy Formula 17, hasunveiled a slate of three new productions for 2005.

The up-and-coming companyhas secured private equity investment of around US$1m for the three-pictureslate.

First off is horror film TheHeirloom to be directed by 23-year-old Leste Chen whose last film, Uninhibited,screened in Critics' Week at this year's Venice. Production is scheduled tostart in March with Terri Kwan (Turn Left, Turn Right) and Jason Chang (Formula17) heading the cast.

The Extra Zone (working title) reunites Formula 17 directorDJ Chen with star Tony Yang in a comedy about a film extra who becomesentangled with a group of con artists and the police. Production is scheduledto start in June. The third project, Metrosexual 101, is a romanticcomedy scripted by Formula 17 screenwriter Rady Fu.

Three Dots, headed byprincipals Aileen Li and Michelle Yeh, is striving to kickstart the depressedTaiwanese production sector with genre-driven films and young talent.Formula 17, released in Taiwan in April, was one of the few bright spotsthis year, grossing US$181,000 on home turf and selling to nine territoriesincluding the US, Germany and Japan.

According to Taiwan'sGovernment Information Office (GIO), local productions accounted for only 1.2%of the territory's box office in 2004 with three films - documentary Gift OfLife, Formula 17 and Sylvia Chang's 20:30:40 - accounting for 78% ofthat.

However, the government isintroducing tax rebates and changes to the subsidy system which could takeeffect next year and a few big-budget projects are currently in development."This year, our film and a few others proved that there is some hope," saysYeh. "Next year, the market should become more exciting."

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