Our achievements

2024_ Public Television Service: FLYWAYS

The documentary FLYWAYS, co-produced by Taiwan Public Television and an international team, features waterbirds as the protagonists, exploring their epic migratory journeys in a four-year filming process. The scope covers Australia, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Arctic, documenting the astonishing annual northward migration and breeding journey of waders. Led by three groups of scientists, the film follows the journeys of three types of waterbirds - the Eurasian Curlew, the Common Redshank, and the Red Knot, revealing the stories of these super travelers, along with the threats they face and hidden warnings. Through this film, they aim to show the magnificent journey of migratory birds braving the sky, raising awareness about ecological crises, species survival, and the impacts and urgency of environmental and climate change on humanity.

2023_Hongqi Culture: Caring for Black-faced Spoonbill

Caring for Black-faced Spoonbill is the first environmental documentary about black-faced spoonbills to be released in Taiwanese cinema history. Directed by Chieh-Te Liang, a veteran nature photographer known for works such as Fly, Kite Fly and Enigma: The Chinese Crested Tern, the documentary spans over 30 years of dedication and explores various countries, including Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, and China. The documentary takes viewers on a journey from remote and untouched sanctuaries to the tense demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, providing a comprehensive glimpse into the mysterious breeding grounds of the black-faced spoonbill. Caring for Black-faced Spoonbill delves into the challenging circumstances faced by these graceful visitors as they struggle against the gradual loss of their habitats. This documentary bears witness to Taiwan's successful long-term conservation efforts for the black-faced spoonbill. In 1992, there were fewer than 300 of these birds globally, but the population has now exceeded 6,000. The journey to protect them goes on.

2023_Barly Productions: Good Morni MIT

Directed by Jue-Ming Mai, multiple-time Golden Bell Awards winner for his work on the documentary series Made In Taiwan, Good Morni MIT, which took 17 years to make, features five of Taiwan's unique salamander species. It also documents the tireless efforts of the heroes of Taiwan's mountains and forests—the salamander research team. For years, they crouched and turned stones in the high mountain streams, unraveling the secrets of these rare and precious species that can only be found in Taiwan, trying to decode the mystery of their survival. Their journey sometimes led them to these magnificent creatures, leaving their lives changed forever in the high mountains. In addition to providing invaluable insights into the world of the salamanders, the documentary also conveys a powerful story of the research team's dedication. The documentary was widely acclaimed upon its release, winning the first prize in the Audience Choice Award category at the 2023 Taipei Film Festival. It also grossed millions at the box office, making it one of the top six highest-grossing Taiwanese documentaries of all time.

2020 NGC: Night Hunters: Taiwan Grass Owls

The tropical grasslands of Southwest Taiwan are the homes of the mysterious Taiwan grass owls who are now facing extinction. There are now less than 500 of these beautiful nocturnal predators. On April 22, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, National Geographic broadcasted the world premiere of the important conservation documentary, Night Hunters: Taiwan Grass Owls.

With the sponsorship of the Wistron Foundation, the Golden Bell Award winning director, Yang Shou-Yi, partnered with Wan Jun-Ming to create another masterpiece over a period of two and a half years. The film brought the ecology of the dying grass owls to the screen for the first time. Each image conveys the conservation efforts related to this mysterious species and the love held for this land! We invite you to watch the Golden Bell award winning Taiwanese production team unlock the secrets of the Taiwan grass owl!

2018 Discovery: Secrets of the Pangolin

The Foundation and Discovery collaborated on the documentary Secrets of the Pangolin which was directed by Zhen-Long Feng a long-time filmmaker observing the ecology and humanities of Taiwan, together with Jing-Min Sun, a doctoral student at the Institute of Resource Studies at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology. This film documents the pangolins that inhabit the Lansan Village in Tulan Mountain, Taitung. This series of programs goes deep into the natural tribes of Taiwan to see how the aborigines and the native pangolin strike a balance between man and nature. In addition, we have to delve deep into the black market in China and Vietnam to see how the pangolin is treated as a prized product for health and is facing the fate of being eaten to extinction by humans. Through the program, the Foundation hopes to raise awareness of the importance of coexistence between humans and living things, and to draw more people's attention to the conservation of pangolins and shallow mountains.

2017 ChunLei Creative Consulting Ltd.: Heavenly Messenger

Heavenly Messenger was filmed by Chun Lei Creative Consultants Ltd. in 2017. A Siberian crane appeared in Taiwan's Jinshan and, in order to treasure this little guest, local efforts were made to create more friendly habitats. Such a story was even published on the front page of the Siberian Times in Russia as "Thank you, people of Taiwan" to thank the warmth of Taiwanese people.

2016 Gazing Element: Cycling Angels

With a winding road of 1,200 kilometers, a treacherous challenge of 2,000 meters above sea level, and an amazing journey of 14 days led by their teachers, Cycling Around the Island is a life education for the kids in a children’s shelter. Children use their own feet, endurance, and willpower to build self-worth and self-confidence, which may also give them the power to transform their life.

The Foundation supported this film in the hope that through the director's lens, audiences will follow the teachers and children of the children’s shelter through a round-the-island experience, during which the children gradually build up their self-confidence, open their hearts, and feel a life education of never giving up.

In 2017, Wistron especially held a public charity screening of the film Cycling Angels at the Tainan Daren village Activity Center for the teachers and students of Da Guang Elementary School and Chenggong Junior High School in Tainan. The director and the director of the children’s shelter in the film were invited to interact with the teachers and students to convey the positive energy of life education through the film.

2016 Public Television: Ocean

Director Chin-Yuan, Ke, who has long been documenting environmental changes through video, uses a twenty-year time scale to film Taiwan's oceans with and aim to document the relationship between people and the ocean. The documentary Ocean is like a reintroduction to the ocean. This documentary is a bold attempt to use thirty-five segments with the simplest video stories, no music, no narration, and fishermen’s minimal dialogue ― an example of expression through camera in it’s purest form. The documentary moves from domestic to abroad, presenting the diversity and richness of life in the nurturing ocean and the ocean from bountiful to barrenness, while reflecting on the way humans extract multiple nutrients from the ocean.

The film won the Best Director Award in the Non-Drama category at the 51st Golden Bell Awards in 2016.

2015 Raptor Research Group of Taiwan: Fly, Kite Fly

Fly, Kite Fly was a film directed by Chieh-Te Liang in 2015. The director documented the work done by Shen Zhen-Zhong for black kite over 20 years, from 1991 to the present day. The film records the damage to the habitats of black kite over that period and outside of Taiwan to explore the reasons why they are disappearing in Taiwan.

This film won the “Environmental Protection Award’ at the 12th World Nature and Wildlife Film Festival in Japan.

2015 National Geographic: Terraced Fields

Based on the Hsiao family of the Gongliao stepped fields, the documentary depicts the stepped fields and traditional agricultural methods of the Hsiao family, from generation to generation. The family uses the natural rhythms of the 24 solar terms and traditional methods without pesticides to protect many rare species in Taiwan and provide a habitat for them to thrive, showcasing the possible harmony between man and nature. Terraced Fields along with another 3 NGC Taiwan documentaries, (four altogether) were integrated into a month-long "Wistron Humanities: In love with the Real Taiwan" series, which attracted 228,000 viewers.

This film won the Gold Award for "Short Films under 60 minutes" at the 49th Houston International Film Festival and the "Environmental Protection Award” at the 12th World Wildlife Film Festival.

2013 Above Taiwan Cinema, Inc.: Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above

Produced by Hsiao-Hsien Hou, narrated by Nien-Jen Wu, scored by Ricky Ho, and directed by Po-Lin Chi, the documentary took 3 years’ worth of drone flight time to be made. Additionally, Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above is the first aerial documentary film in Taiwan's film history as well as being a dream of the director for more than 20 years. This film records the beauty and scars of the land for Taiwanese people from a bird's eye view, leading them to approach God's vision and allowing them to see Taiwan, our homeland, and to further reflect on and face the various conditions happening of this land through a true record of the scenery.
This film which aims to socially educate and has deep environmental reflection also won the Best Documentary Film Award at the 50th Golden Horse Awards. Won the “Special Jury Prize for Feature Length Documentary” and the “Gold Medal Award’ for Cinematography at the 47th Houston International Film Festival Special.

Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above, with a dream of more than 20 years, director Po-lin Chi spent three years of flight time documenting the beauty and scars of this land for the people of Taiwan as well as presenting our island to the audience with a height and attitude never before seen.

In 2014, the Foundation continued to show the audience the magnificent beauty of Taiwan through the camera, and again used the big screen to display the video to more people (Changhua County and Tainan City) in order to show the beauty and sorrow of Taiwan’s environment. At the same time, we also sponsored the Above Taiwan Concert at the Taipei Arena, hoping to plant hopes and visions for Taiwan and to awaken more environmental awareness and care for the land of Taiwan.

2013 Public Television: A Town Called Success

Produced by the international team of Public Television and featuring a British director, A Town Called Success records the unique beliefs of a particular fishing village, the culture of the sea, the life stories of the fishermen, and the rise and fall of the dart fishing method of the Chenggong Township in Taitung. Through HD international standard filming technology, the beauty of the ocean, the maritime battles of sailfish dart players, and the tears and joys in life are truly presented. The Foundation's support for this film not only preserves the true act of the disappearing dart fishing method and fishing village, but also allows the audience to reflect on issues such as the depletion of Taiwan's marine resources and the future legacy left through the research of Taiwanese scientists. The film won the award for "People, Places & Arts" in the fall 2013 CINE Golden Eagle Awards for television documentary films.

Bronze Award for Best Environmental and Ecological Program at the New York Film Festival, USA.

Presented with the “In harmony with Nature Award’ at the 12th World Nature and Wildlife Film Festival.

2012 The 3rd Vision Films: My Dear Stilt

In 2012, we sponsored the film My Dear Stilt, which was produced by The Movie Bird Films Limited Company, and The 3rd Vision Films. The film was directed by Yin-Chuan, Tsai, a painter and writer who won the 19th Ten Outstanding Young Women. The film took three years to complete and won the award for Best Screenplay and was one of the Top Ten Popular Movies at the 2012 Taipei Film Festival. Through the visual documenting of the breeding and general breeding process of the black-winged stilt and the unique and beautiful wetland scenery in Taiwan, the film delicately portrays the warm and touching relationship of two brothers as well as the value of commitment to marriage. The film displays the connection the family members have with each other through the story of the black-winged stilt.

2011 Public Television: A Year in the Clouds

Smangus Village is located at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan. This place was once called "Dark Tribe" by the outside world. The electricity supply was gradually completed after the opening of the road to the outside world in 1995. In addition, this the only area in Taiwan which realizes the co-ownership of the land and property. There are more than a hundred inhabitants on the mountain; however, there is only one "passbook" to manage the forest and land left by their ancestors.

Public Television headed to the Smangus tribe in the deep mountains to record the life of a community shared and governed by its people. From the tribal classroom made by hand, the seasonal and societal changes, and the millet planting season decorated by blooming cherry blossoms to the thanksgiving festival for the millet harvest, Smangus’s culture was recorded in the lush backdrop of the world class ancient forest that sounds it. The Foundation supported the individuality of the film's subject matter and its response to the universal values of caring for ecological sustainability on a global scale. The Foundation believes the film is worth being promoted and shown to the world so that Taiwan's unique story can be told.

This film won an award for Indigenous Tribe Documentary Category Award in the 2011 Montana CINE International Film Festival.

2011 Public Television: Ebb and Flow

The film was directed by Chin-Yuan, Ke who won the Golden Bell Award for TV Photography by using HD cameras to record the precious ecological landscape of wetlands in Taiwan. The fishermen were filmed over long periods of time to capture their simple lives along with the changes of the seasons. Taking aerial shots overlooking the magnificent landscape of the coastal intertidal zone of Changhua. Additionally, underwater cameras were used to record the ecological environment of sandy and muddy beaches after full tide.

The Foundation supported this film, which not only documented the Fang Yuan Wetland in Changhua, but also presented the story of people and the ocean from the perspective of a small fishing village through the director’s lens. Furthermore, allowing the audience to reflect on the possibilities and challenges of environmental sustainability.

This film won an award for Environmental Awareness in the 2011 Montana CINE International Film Festival.