Singapore Film and Television ends 2013 with a high

Singapore will be a hub of media activity this December, rounding up a good year for film and television.

From 4 – 6 December, more than 4,000 international film and television trade delegates from 60 countries will set foot in Singapore to trade, market, distribute and screen their content at this year’s Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, held at Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

Hosted by the Media Development Authority (MDA) and organised by Reed Exhibitions, this year’s combined ATF and ScreenSingapore will see Singapore put on a strong showing with more than 70 film, television and animation companies bringing over 600 hours of content to the Singapore Pavilion, for sale and distribution.

Running alongside ATF and ScreenSingapore, the ASEAN Film Festival will be held for the first time in Singapore, offering free public screenings of ASEAN films at Filmgarde, Bugis+ from 3 – 6 December.

18 new Singapore films for the coming year

Ahead of the market, Singapore reveals a fresh crop of 18 Made-by-Singapore films set to be released locally and regionally, from 2014 onwards. The titles include homegrown films, as well as regional collaborations with Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, spanning drama, comedy, love and horror flicks. Noteworthy is a rare Malay musical-dance love drama Sinaran: The Movie by Sinaran Pictures, set against popular Malaysian diva Sheila Majid’s music, about how a college freshman learns about life and love in the face of challenges. Little Medium Boy aka A Chinese Ghost Wedding, a Singapore-Hong Kong-Taiwan collaboration by Singapore’s Scout Pictures, Hong Kong’s Sundream Motion Pictures Ltd and Taiwan’s One Production Film Company, is a comedy-drama starring local king of comedy, Mark Lee and veteran Hong Kong actress Sandra Ng, which tells of a young superstar medium who is hired to find a spouse for a dead teenage boy. In addition, there is horror-suspense movie The Second Coming, also by Scout Pictures, inspired by true traumatic experiences of poor migrants; and I Want You, a production between mm2 Entertainment Shanghai, Star China Media, Zhejiang Star TV and Beijing Enlight Pictures, which is also Chai Yee-wei’s directorial debut of a China film, which captures the passion of contestants on The Voice of China. For details on the new films and their expected theatrical release dates in Singapore, please refer to Annex A (789.12KB).

Singapore media content take spotlight at ATF and ScreenSingapore 2013

a) Film:

MDA has curated onsite events at ATF and ScreenSingapore to help filmmakers explore business opportunities and monetise their content. On Day 3 of the market, five films will be showcased during “Sneak Peeks”, as an exclusive preview to international buyers and distributors. They include Everybody’s Business, a comedy about sanitary loos; and four of the upcoming 18 film titles -- The Lion Men, Afterimages, Kiasu and Meeting the Giant. Please refer to Annex B (571.13KB) for more details.

There will also be a business matching session for 50 Singapore and international film companies on Day 2, tailored to stimulate business opportunities for local film companies, who will be matched with foreign filmmakers interested in pairing up with Asian coproduction partners.

The SGFilm Channel (www.youtube.com/user/sgfilmchannel) will also be available at the Singapore Pavilion. It will give international visitors a taste of our filmmaking capability, through 50 quality made-in-Singapore short films produced by local directors, such as Kat Goh, Yong Mun Chee and Han Yew Kwang. Among the short film titles on show are The Team by Ray Pang, about the exploits of a bunch of football-crazy kids set during the days of the Kallang Roar, when all were united by a common passion for football, regardless of colour and background; and Penghulu by Lilian Wang, which captures the challenges of a former Malay village headman as he adjusts from village living to high-rise, urbanised living.

b) Television:

Singapore-made television content will receive dedicated attention this year. Television producers will have their own business matching and “Sneak Peeks” sessions on Day 2 and 3 of the market respectively, for local producers to meet with international trade investors looking to finance Singapore television content.

In addition, four locally-produced television productions will be showcased during “Sneak Peeks”. They are animated series Ella Bella Bingo Season 2 by August Media and The Insectibles by One Animation; as well as documentary series Break-Neck Business by Ochre Pictures and Animal Emergency by The Moving Visuals Co. Please refer to Annex B (571.13KB) for more details.

At the Singapore Pavilion, television titles which feature uniquely Singaporean content include Singapura Syok, an info-tainment programme which showcases the typical Singaporean life and what is closest to the hearts of Singaporeans; History from the Hills 2, a documentary that re-tells significant historical events and landmarks in Singapore through one of the country’s most symbolic vantage points – Fort Canning.

Singapore media talent share insights with international film and TV community

Sharing their experiences and business insights into the Asian film and television scene, during the market, are:

• Anthony Chen: Fresh from winning 20 international awards for his debut feature film Ilo Ilo, director Anthony Chen will speak at “Insights with Film Personalities”, on his experience and challenges in film-making. Ilo Ilo won Best Feature Film, the highest accolade at the 50^th Golden Horse Awards; and the highly-coveted Camera d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.

• Jack Neo: Film director Jack Neo, whose Ah Boy To Men 2 is Singapore’s biggest box office champion, will be part of the panel at the “Asia Super Producer Panel”. He will share his ideas on how to create successful box office movies in Asia. Other than in Singapore, Mr Neo’s films have also found success in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. His film I Not Stupid was named one of the Ten Best Chinese Movies at the 8^th Golden Bauhinia Awards. In 2009, he was voted The Most Popular Male Artist at the 18^th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in China.

• Mike Wiluan: Mike Wiluan, Chief Executive of Infinite Studios, will be moderating the “Asia Super Producer Panel”. His company has invested in film and television content with global partners from Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, and owns Singapore’s largest soundstages in Mediapolis. Mr Wiluan’s company is also the co-producer for Serangoon Road, one of Asia’s largest original television co-productions, with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and HBO Asia.

• Ng Say Yong: Ng Say Yong, Managing Director, mm2 Entertainment, will be speaking at the “Film Financing Panel-Southeast Asia”. A veteran in the media industry, Mr Ng has produced and directed some of Singapore’s most successful TV dramas in the past 15 years such as Growing Up, Triple Nine and Shiver. Mr Ng moved from TV into the movie industry, and has produced several movies including We Not Naughty, and made his movie directorial debut in 2012 with My Dog Dou Dou.

ASEAN Film Festival

The ASEAN Film Festival will be held for the first time in Singapore, running alongside ATF and ScreenSingapore 2013, from 3 to 6 December. It will offer free public screenings at Filmgarde, Bugis+, at various timings: 5pm, 7pm, 7.30pm and 9.20pm, from 4 December onwards. Spearheaded by the Singapore Film Commission, MDA under the ASEAN City of Culture initiative, the festival will showcase notable and award-winning titles from eight ASEAN countries, kicking off with Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo on 3 December, and featuring appearances by filmmakers who will speak about their work. The festival aims to create greater awareness and appreciation of ASEAN cultures. To register for the tickets, please log on to www.objectifs.com.sg/ from 26 Nov. For a list of the ASEAN titles, please see AFF programme insert (375.13KB).

A great year for Singapore’s Film and TV Sector

2013 has been an exceptional year for Singapore’s film and broadcast industry. Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo put Singapore Film on the world map by winning Best Feature Film at the 50^th Golden Horse Awards and the Camera d’Or at Cannes Film Festival; and Jack Neo, smashed the local box office with hit movie, Ah Boys to Men 2, which raked in $8 million.

The year also saw international networks and cables coming to Singapore to work with our scriptwriters, crew and talent to produce original Asian-inspired content, chief of which was Serangoon Road, one of the first major international TV series produced in Asia. Serangoon Road aired in September on HBO Asia to 23 territories and has received very positive feedback from viewers. It also won the Digital and Film Award at the Australian Art in Asia awards in August 2013.

“Singapore has had a good showing this year with quality, original Asian-themed content such as Ilo Ilo and Serangoon Road. With these successes, I hope more international media players will look to Singapore as good storytellers and good co-production partners, and join us on this continuing journey to make innovative and quality programmes which can appeal to a global audience,” said Mr Yeo Chun Cheng, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Industry), MDA. “The various platforms created by MDA at ATF and ScreenSingapore are a good way to kick-start collaborations with Singapore talent and companies, and I am sure all media companies will find their time at the Singapore Pavilion fruitful and rewarding.”

Singapore Pavilion

You are invited to drop by and visit the 400-sqm Singapore Pavilion, located at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Hall C, Booth J02, H02 and H12. Or catch a preview of selected Singapore content on show at the Pavilion, at https://www.youtube.com/user/MDASingapore.

Please see Annex C (412.94KB) for the Calendar of Activities at ATF and ScreenSingapore 2013.

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About Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation and interactive digital media industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interests of consumers, and promotes a connected society. MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information (www.mci.gov.sg).