Dated: 4 October 2010
Singapore announces ASIA'S WILD TREASURES, a high-definition documentary series featuring Asia’s remote National Parks. This Singapore-Germany co-production highlights a special edition episode to be shot in 3D stereoscopic, one of the first in the world for television, to combine the excitement of 3D stereoscopic and the thrills of wildlife.
The six-part series is collaboration between EIKON Media GmbH (Germany), Wilde Bilder Fernsehproduktion GbR (Germany) and Oak3 Films (Singapore), in co-production with leading German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR Hamburg) and in co-operation with ARTE (France and Germany) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore. The series has already been presold to Italy, France, Switzerland, Hungary, the CzechRepublic, Slovenia and Slovakia. Other European territories are in discussion to pre-buy the proposed series. There is interest for the 3D episode from Japan, France and Canada.
Featuring some of the planet’s endangered species living in remote locations, the programme will transport audiences to far-off wilderness for an enriching and revelatory journey. ASIA'S WILD TREASURES takes the viewers on a personal and intimate journey to explore Asia’s National Parks, namely Nagarhole National Park, India;Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Borneo;Great Gobi National Park, Mongolia;Kanchenjunga and Singalila National Parks, India;CucPhuongNational Park and Halong Bay, Vietnam and the CommanderIslands, Bering Sea.
The 3D episode will be shot in NagarholeNational Park and will feature elephants.
A very special asset to the proposed series is the production team: Series Producer Dr. Sharmila Choudhury has worked on staff for BBC Natural History Unit for more than 15 years closely with David Attenborough. Her production credits include Planet Earth,The Ganges, Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, The Life of Birds, The Life of Mammals, Saving Planet Earth and Attenborough Explores our Fragile World. Specialist natural history cameramen Richard Kirby and Henry Mix have successfully filmed for the BBC’s Planet Earth, Wild China and Ganges series. Together with the Singapore team, ASIA'S WILD TREASURES will deliver high-quality wildlife and landscape images.
NDR controller Patricia Schlesinger, who is commissioning the series for NDR said: “These documentaries are high end quality and we are very happy about this international cooperation which works out very well. This will emphasize our interest in collaborations with Asia, especially with Singapore.”
EIKON's Ulli Pfau said: "The future of high end television with its demands for strong budgets lies in international co-production. I'm very happy to continue the excellent relationship between Oak3, EIKON and Singapore's MDA on board. Their involvement is a demanding challenge for an excellent result."
Oak3 Films Chief Executive, Zaihirat Banu Codelli said, “We had an outstanding experience working with Ulli Pfau in the past and we are thrill to collaborate with his team on this series. With the support from our broadcasters, I am delighted to embark on this exciting wildlife journey. Wild Asia will pioneer the growing demand for 3D content in television.”
MDA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Christopher Chia said, “MDA is happy to support Oak3 Films in embarking on yet another quality international co-production, this time a high definition documentary series with a stereoscopic 3D component. Singapore has been developing its stereoscopic 3D capability with the country in the midst of a nationwide 3DTV trial. This latest co-production by Oak3 Films will definitely add to Singapore's repertoire of stereoscopic 3D content.”
Aside from its 3D offerings, Wild Asia is set to explore its brand extension onto other digital platforms giving the audience a 360 degrees unique experience by combining technology and content.
ASIA'S WILD TREASURES will be aired in Germany at a prime time slot on the ARD network, in Germany and France on a primetime slot on ARTE; in Switzerland in a primetime slot on Swiss TV. UK's leading independent factual distributor, TVF International has taken on world sales.
MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
Formed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Trusted Global Capital for New Asia Media. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote industry growth I film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation 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, visit www.mda.gov.sg and www.smf.sg
OAK3 FILMS PTE. LTD.
Founded in 1996 in Singapore by Suat Yen Lim, Zaihirat Banu and Jason Lai, Oak3 Films has an established reputation for high quality work in the region. The Gods Must Be Hungry, a documentary co-produced with Discovery Asia, broke new ground in 2003 when it was rated with the highest viewership in 10 years for Discovery Asia. Other international co-productions with Discovery Asia includes Fun Taiwan, a 13-episode Travel and Adventure program, an episode for the prestigious Caltex Crossings Belt on Discovery Asia entitled, Crossings - Ju Ming, which is a biography of a Taiwanese sculptor, 5 Star Insider, a 10-episode Travel and Living program and currently in production, Culinary Asia, a 6-episode for Discovery Asia. Oak3 Films has also co-produced for ARD (Germany), ZDF (Germany), ARTE, Q Channel (Korea), ESPN Sports Asia, CNBC Asia and National Geographic Channel Asia.
THE EIKON GROUP
Founded in 1960 EIKON has been producing high-quality fiction, non fiction and children entertainment for cinema and television. Over the years EIKON has grown into a group of ten companies with affiliates in five cities and is today one of the largest independent production houses in Germany. EIKON's major shareholder is EKD, the Potestant Church of Germany.
EIKON's most recent non fiction programs include the multi-awarded feature length documentaries "THE REICHSORCHESTER" by Enrique Sánchez Lansch –the story of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the Nazis;THE PIER OF APOLONOVKA by Andrei Schwartz –a close look on kids in Sebastopol /Ukraine and their struggle for freedom and a prospective for their own life and THE HEART OF JENIN by Marcus Vetter and Lion Geller - the story of a Palestinian father who saved the lives of four Israeli kids by donating the organs of his son which was shot by Israelian soldiers. This film gained worldwide recognition and awards –among others were the "Cinema for Peace Award" (2009), "Deutscher Filmpreis" for "Best Documentary" (2010) and an Emmy Nomination for "Outstanding Informational Program (2010).
NDR
The NDR is the prominent electronic media company in Northern Germany, which has influence and meaning by success and quality of its programs as well as its cultural and social commitment far beyond its transmission area. Eight radio programs, and the NDR television provide people in Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, around the clock with high-quality programs, characterized by journalistic competence and program diversity.
The company aims to inform, form, advise, maintain and provide in particular contributions to culture. This is also true for the NDR state programs that target at the focus of their reporting to the respective northern German Region.
TVF INTERNATIONAL
TVF International's boutique approach to documentary and factual distribution has earned us a place within the media landscape as the leading independent factual distributor in the UK.
Our work contains close to 3000 hours of programming, encompasses everything from exceptional one-offs to long-running series, and represents some of the most innovative and creative producers from across the globe.
TVF has a strong presence on the international festival circuit, attending all major markets and events, and our team regularly offering their expertise on panels. TVF International is part of TVF Media, a cross-media group operating in television, internet and multimedia production.
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