Dated: 6 October 2009
Southern Star Singapore, Southern Star Entertainment (Australia) and Nord Deutscher Rundfunk (Germany) today launched their US$9million international co-production of A gURLs wURLd, a children’s live-action series supported by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and Screen Australia, Australia’s film and television agency.
A gURL’s wURLd, distributed by Endemol Worldwide Distribution, will premiere on Germany’s ARD Network and Australia’s Channel Nine reaching out to more than five million viewers across these countries.
Southern Star’s Noel Price, producer of the series, said that ‘a gURLs wURLd’ was a clear demonstration that Singapore was an ideal location for shooting mainstream, contemporary drama for the international market. “This has been a ground breaking exercise for Southern Star and we look forward to many more such projects with our Singapore partners in the future.”
Conceived as a multi-platform project, producers of the series will be creating specially designed web material for a gURLs wURLd’s audiences around the globe. International broadcasters –including those in non English speaking countries - will be able to draw on this material to help create community spaces in each country where fans of the show can meet, chat and exchange stories, just like the series’ protagonists. The web material will be jointly developed and built by Southern Star Singapore and Southern Star Entertainment.
Commenting on the nature and scope of the project, Dr Christopher Chia, Chief Executive Officer, MDA said, “a gURLs wURLd is a good example of how content can go beyond the traditional television screen. By making it available on several platforms, a gURL’s wURLd has the opportunity to travel well beyond geographical boundaries and across cyberspace and be enjoyed by more viewers. We are pleased that this collaboration with Australia, Germany and Singapore will enable us to tell stories that can be enjoyed by all”.
A gURLs wURLd is a 26-episode children’s live action drama series targeting tweens. It focuses on the lives of three young teenage girls from Australia, Germany and Singapore who become friends while studying together at an international school in Singapore. At the end of the school term, when the girls return home to their respective countries, they discover that their mobile phones and computers can somehow combine to transport them through a chat room portal into each other’s homes. This leads to fun, mayhem, adventure and romance as the three teens spend their days moving freely between Australia, Germany and Singapore.
The series, which features Singapore actors Julie Wee and Chervil Tan, was shot one-third in Singapore, at numerous places including the Esplanade, the city’s centre for performing arts, the popular ethnic neighbourhoods of Little India and Chinatown as well recreation and entertainment sites along Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Sentosa and the East Coast.
A gURLs wURLd will be officially launched at MIPCOM on 5 October 2009.
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Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)
Formed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers. For more information, please visit www.mda.gov.sg and www.smf.sg.
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