Bringing made-with-Singapore content to global audiences at the Singapore Virtual Pavilion

SINGAPORE – 01 DEC 2021

Original, made-with-Singapore content takes centre stage at this year’s ATF Online+, the digital extension of ATF, with works from 41 local media companies to be showcased under the Singapore Virtual Pavilion. Presented by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the robust selection highlights the thriving media industry in Singapore and includes over 600 hours of stories from Singapore and Asia, spanning over 160 titles and genres such as documentaries, dramedy, feature films, and original content spearheaded by local companies. ATF is part of the ongoing Singapore Media Festival hosted by IMDA and runs from 1 - 3 December 2021.

Upcoming titles to watch for in 2022

• 153, Singapore’s first hostage negotiation drama by Taipan Films uncovers the unusual motives of a bus driver who parks his bus as a bomb threat in the underground carpark in the heart of the financial district, throwing the chief negotiator into the crossroads of justice. This original production is slated for release in 2022.
• SUNDAY, a star-crossed story of a Filipina domestic worker and a Vietnamese bus boy who find love and construct a mirage of love and dreams in Singapore, but are ultimately forced to face the broken shards of their fantasies and confront unintended consequences. Jointly co-produced by local companies mm2 Entertainment and Amok Pte Ltd, this film is supported by IMDA’s New Talent Feature Grant (NTFG).
• Geylang, an intriguing tale of how a criminal doctor, an ambitious Politician, a Fixer, a Social Escort, and a Food delivery rider cross destinies in one thrilling night in Geylang. This is a co-production between J Team Productions and mm2 Entertainment, supported under IMDA’s Production Assistance Grant.
• Confinement features an unwed mother forced to face memories of her past, when she discovers an old painting of a door numbered 32C. Things escalate quickly as events take a sinister turn. The horror flick directed by award-winning Singapore director Kelvin Tong and co-produced by Clover Films and Boku Films is currently in development. This film is supported by IMDA’s Capability Partnership Programme (CPP).
• Following up from the highly successful Season 1 of the first multilingual drama in Singapore, 128 Circle by Weiyu Film finds the hawkers and their families and friends grappling with new changes in their lives as around them, Singapore and the world is thrust into the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Journey by Desert Wine Productions follows a helpless couple who have just lost a child, while their remaining daughter has terrifying and bloody visions. When the girl starts speaking in a strange tongue, the couple piece together clues that lead them to a 50-year-old unsolved murder that their daughter successfully investigates in order to stop her horrifying hallucinations.

Elevating Asian storytelling and talents through local showrunners

• Originally a successful Singaporean short film on Viddsee, Home is Where the Heart is will be refreshed in the form of an eight-episode drama series by the film’s original creators and Viddsee Studios. Worlds collide when a privileged young lawyer takes on pro-bono cases to improve the lives of vulnerable members of society. Through her contact with a cynical yet compassionate social worker, she embarks on a journey of personal growth and empathy that re-examines her principles and perspectives. This original production is slated for launch on MediaCorp Channel 5.
• Sci-fi comedy Venus on Mars, showrun by Mocha Chai Laboratories, tells the quirky tale of how one plain Jane desperate for attention in school gets accidentally transported into a parallel universe where only men exist, causing her to re-evaluate her own thoughts on feminism, gender equality and true love. The production was commissioned by CJ ENM Hong Kong (regional office of Korean media conglomerate CJ ENM) and brings on board Taiwanese co-producers Greener Grass Production and Ju Chen Production. This film is supported by IMDA’s Capability Partnership Programme (CPP).
• Shibil, represented by Wave Films, is the beautiful adaptation of the famous Bulgarian story written by Yordan Yovkovset and set in the 19th century Ottoman Empire. A story of impossible love between a fearless brigand and a noble lady as seen through the eyes of an unexpected character - the incarnated soul of the protagonist’s horse - it has been released on Netflix Europe and is set to premiere internationally soon.

Transcending borders through made-with-Singapore content

• Set in Thailand during the little-known Japanese invasion of World War 2, Hell Battalion is a zombie survival tale shot to capture a sense of terror in real time and descent into paranoia over one long, bloody night as an undead advancing army overwhelms defending ranks of soldiers. It is co-produced by award-winning Singapore production house Threesixzero Productions and Thailand-based Thongkham Films.
• A three-way co-production amongst Singapore, France and Italy, Alex Player follows the story of a pre-teen video gamer extraordinaire as he juggles life at school in the intensive lead-up to win the national interschools ‘Land of Titans’ championship. This project will pioneer Asia’s digital native animation pipeline in Singapore by adopting the latest technology from Unreal Engine, such as real-time engine and advance motion capture technology.
• Pōtocol returns with a refreshing slate of original feature films made possible through international partnerships:
  • In Autobiography, a loyal housekeeper under the employ of a retired military general running for mayor, galvanises an increasingly violent chain of events after his employer’s election poster gets vandalised. Projected for release in 2023, it is co-produced with KawanKawan Media (Indonesia), In Vivo Films (France), Staron Film (Poland), and NiKo Film (Germany). This film is supported under IMDA’s Southeast Asia Co-Production Grant (SCPG)
  • Follow Ami, a 13-year-old empath who can see into the world of the dead in Last Shadow at First Light as she embarks on a journey to Japan in search of her long-lost mother to reconnect a family torn apart by time, geography and an unspoken tragedy buried in the past. The co-production involves Fourier Films (Japan), Harakiri Films (Japan), Black Forest Films (Germany) and SS Kobo (Japan). This film is supported under IMDA’s New Talent Feature Grant (NTFG).
  • Glorious Ashes tells the tale of three women in a coastal village in Vietnam, as they each attempt to get the attention of their estranged men in their lives in unique ways, and how their lives are inextricably linked to each other. As a production slated for release in 2023, it is co-produced with Annam Films (Vietnam), and Mat Productions (France). This film is supported under IMDA’s Southeast Asia Co-Production Grant (SCPG).
• Snow in Midsummer follows the story of Su Mei and her daughter Xiao Ying, who survived a riot in the city Kuala Lumpur, on 13th May 2969, from seeking shelter behind an opera stage. Unfortunately, Su Mei lost her husband and son, who were both killed in a theatre. A state of national emergency was declared, Su Mei’s husband and son’s body vanished from the aftermath of the riot. 49 years later, Xiao Ying finally found the “May 13 cemetery” where the vanished victims were buried. Slated for release towards the end of 2023, this film is produced by Janji Pictures Production Sdn Bhd, and co-produced by August Pictures and Taiwanese company Swallow Wings Films.
• Selected as Singapore’s submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature Film 2022, Precious is the Night follows the story of a writer who stumbles upon an idea for a novel based on the murder of a beautiful starlet. Set in Singapore in the 1960s, a handsome doctor is having an affair with the starlet he attends to. The couple decides to seize the night in their last bid for love, but it might be too late. The film is produced by mm2 Entertainment, and had also received two nominations for the Golden Horse Awards 2020 (Best Cinematography and Best makeup & Costume Design).

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Resources:

• Annex A: Participating Singapore Companies at ATF Online+ (138.61KB)
• Annex B: Information on the Singapore Media Festival and its partner events (302.23KB)