Dated: 10 December 2015
The Singapore Media Festival (SMF) concluded last weekend, registering a record number of attendees. Over the last two weeks, more than 20,000 1media, creative professionals and members of the public gathered in Singapore to network with like-minded peers, industry leaders, and attend exciting programmes including a trade market, conferences, labs, film screenings and award ceremonies.
The five SMF partner events – Asian TV Forum (ATF) and Screen Singapore (SS), Asian Television Awards (ATA), Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) and Digital Matters – collectively create a unique platform for media and creative professionals in the region to network, forge strategic partnerships and discuss creative collaborations.
Driving greater investment opportunities into the region and stronger focus on digital content
Partnerships inked position SMF as a platform that connects media professionals from all over the region. This year's ATF&SS saw an all-round record breaking performance; from the show attendance to sales transactions on the market floor. Sales transactions with an indicative value of US$263.19 million were charted during the active three-day market, with these collaborations promise to inject more energy into the industry. This year, SS launched the inaugural Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market, created in partnership with Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Europe's Ties that Bind producing programme. A total of 148 project submissions from 22 countries were received and the top 10 shortlisted projects were matched with potential investors and co-production partners to bring the projects to fruition.
The inclusion of Digital Matters under the SMF umbrella is a nod towards the power of digital content leading the way forward across platforms. The conference featured a senior audience of over 400 digital media, brand and marketing decision makers for its 2-day B2B2Fan conference, and YouTube stars Alfie Deyes and Marcus Butler conducted a meet-and-greet session with more than 400 fans. 300 budding online content creators attended the first Digital Matters University, an initiative to grow and develop a local creators' community by providing them with international expertise and learnings to help guide their development. The programme included topics ranging from storytelling to planning a career as a content creator.
Robert Gilby, Chairman of the SMF Advisory Board and Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company (SEA) said, "The Singapore Media Festival has greatly deepened the pool of investment opportunities for media players, establishing itself as a key connector and platform for global media players venturing into Asia, and for Asian media professionals going global. Our stronger focus on the impact of digital technology on media at this year's SMF harnessed synergies between the various media sectors and created opportunities for collaborations and partnerships across the Film, TV and Digital Content sectors.
He added, "The board is heartened by the meaningful partnerships forged and vibrant exchange of ideas that took place during SMF 2015. We look forward to expanding the relationships and industry discussions in an even more successful edition next year."
Celebrating the best of content and talent in the region and beyond
Content continues to lead the way at the SMF. At the Singapore Pavilion, Singapore presented more than 1,050 hours of compelling Asian stories made for the global audience at the ATF &SS.
The SGIFF also concluded its 26th edition on 6 December, drawing over 12,000 festival-goers from Singapore and across the region, with 14 sold out screenings of international and local films. SGIFF also recognised festival goers' desire for greater involvement with its first Audience Choice Awards. This year, Sailing A Sinking Sea by Olivia Wyatt was voted by audiences as their favourite feature film.
As the region's most prestigious industry award, the Asian Television Awards enchanted the audience with live performances by heavyweight celebrities and honoured outstanding achievements across 40 categories. This year also saw tight competition with more than 1,400 entries vying for the top prize, from markets spanning across Asia and as far as Qatar in the Middle East.
More information on the highlights from partner events – Asia Television Forum & Market, ScreenSingapore, Digital Matters, Asian Television Awards, and Singapore International Film Festival – can be found in the attached press releases.
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1The inaugural SMF in 2014 saw more than 15,000 attendees.
About Singapore Media Festival
The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by Media Development Authority is set to become one of Asiaʼs leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and contents in Asia for Film and TV. It brings together established media events – Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore (SS), Asian Television Awards (ATA) and Digital Matters, which will take place from 26 November to 6 December 2015. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.sgmediafestival.com.
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