For our August Distributor of the Month interview, we remain outside of Europe, heading to Taiwan to speak to Albert Yao, of Swallow Wings. Our conversation focused mainly on the challenges of handling European films as well as the peculiarities of the local market.

Cineuropa: How would you describe Swallow Wings Films’ editorial policy and business model, particularly regarding the acquisition of European titles?
Albert Yao: Our work spans distribution, festival programming, sales and production. From an editorial and curatorial perspective, we focus on films that combine strong artistic quality with the potential to emotionally connect with Taiwanese audiences. This includes European titles that stand out at major festivals or have earned critical acclaim and generated strong word of mouth in their home countries.

Commercially, our model balances artistic ambition with market viability. While we’re committed to introducing culturally significant and unique European films to Taiwan, we also carefully assess their theatrical potential, the level of competition and whether the movie can sustain audience interest beyond its initial release – for example, through extended festival screenings or curated retrospectives that revisit a filmmaker’s body of work.

Overall, I believe that all distributors are simply doing their best to find films they genuinely love or believe in, and to share those works with their audiences.

In what ways has your approach to acquiring and distributing European films evolved in response to changes in the Taiwanese market and global industry dynamics?
When it comes to arthouse or so-called indie titles, the Taiwanese market is relatively small and highly competitive compared to other East Asian markets. Over the years, I’ve seen theatrical distributors and cinemas continuously searching for new strategies. Many have moved beyond traditional roles and now take on PR and marketing, and even organise special screenings or curated programmes to keep audiences engaged.

While my core acquisition strategy remains focused on films with artistic strength and emotional resonance, I’ve become more cautious. If a title requires too much time, cost or effort – or if the competition is particularly intense – I may pass, even if I personally appreciate the film. Sometimes, it’s not entirely my decision either, as the final outcome can also depend on the choices made by rights holders or sales agents.

There’s still a market for indie films, especially among cinephiles. But the reality is that box-office performance has become more polarised, and audience attention is limited. With many people seeing only 10-15 movies in cinemas a year – some even fewer – our titles must now compete head-to-head with “films of the year” and Hollywood tentpoles for an even smaller window of attention.

Even Hollywood blockbusters aren’t exempt from this challenge. With VoD releases arriving too soon, we've seen even Oscar contenders or Marvel titles lose theatrical momentum. That said, there are still success stories, like F1: The Movie or Japanese animation, which manage to draw audiences into cinemas because of their strong appeal and the shared experience of watching them with friends or family.

How do you position European cinema within your overall slate? Are there any specific countries, genres or themes that you tend to prioritise?
If a European film stands out at major festivals like Cannes, the Berlinale or Venice, it naturally becomes a top priority for us. We also look for distinctive titles with unique qualities, and at times, we consider lighter European comedies that bring warmth and humour, as these often resonate well with audiences.

While we’re discussing European cinema, I interpret it in a broader sense. Our definition isn’t strictly tied to geography; it includes co-productions and, in some cases, films from Asia, MENA or Latin America if they involve European partners. For instance, All We Imagine as Light [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], winner of the 2024 Cannes Grand Jury Prize, was directed by an Indian filmmaker but was a European co-production. It’s an exceptional film that cinephiles will appreciate. Although we anticipate box-office challenges, we were still drawn to its uniqueness and decided to acquire it.

Beyond the movie itself, we also weigh up factors related to negotiation with sales agents and production companies. From a critic’s or the audience’s perspective, a distributor with a strong line-up is attractive. But for us, it’s not just about awards or reviews; we must carefully assess the overall cost, resources and time needed to successfully acquire and release each film.

Could you share a few recent or upcoming European titles in your line-up?
We currently have a strong line-up coming from Cannes, including Sentimental Value [+lee también:
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ficha de la película]. Looking ahead, our 2025 slate features a diverse range of European titles. In July, we released the Sex [+lee también:
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entrevista: Dag Johan Haugerud
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entrevista: Dag Johan Haugerud
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entrevista: Dag Johan Haugerud
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ficha de la película]. In October, we’ll screen The Glory of Life [+lee también:
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How does the Taiwanese audience generally respond to European films compared to other international content? Are there any particular promotional or cultural challenges you encounter?
There is definitely an audience for European films in Taiwan, but it remains more of a niche market compared to Japanese or Korean films, which are generally more mainstream and commercially dominant. While there is still a solid space for European cinema, the competition is intense, and the market capacity is limited given the large number of films released in cinemas every year. This makes it challenging to position and market European titles effectively. Cultural nuances can also be a factor – certain themes or storytelling styles in European cinema may not immediately resonate with local audiences, so we often need to develop tailored marketing approaches to bridge that gap.