First Singapore Production to be Recognised at the 4th International Emmy® Kids Awards

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), MediaCorp and Oak3 Films announced today that Spelling Armadillo has been nominated for the 4^th International Emmy® Kids Awards in the category of Kids: TV Movie / Mini-Series. This is the first time a Southeast Asian production is nominated under the Kids: TV Movie / Mini-series category in the International Emmy® Kids Awards. The Awards will take place on 5^th April 2016 at MIPTV in Cannes.

A collaborative effort between the three parties, Spelling Armadillo, is a telemovie that explores the themes of rediscovering self-confidence and finding the courage in pursuit of one's dreams. The telemovie, produced under the Public Service Broadcast Contestable Funds Scheme (PCFS) spearheaded by the MDA, was first broadcasted in Singapore on MediaCorp Channel 5 earlier this year. A sequel to Spelling Armadillo is currently being filmed in Singapore and is slated for release in the first quarter of 2016.

Chief Executive of Oak3 Films, Zaihirat Banu Codelli, said, "This nomination marks a milestone for Oak3 Films and Singapore.  We are delighted that Spelling Armadillo, produced by an all-Singaporean creative team and made for our local audience has garnered global recognition at the International Emmy's."  

MDA's Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Industry Group), Angeline Poh, said "We are proud of Oak3 Films for being the first Singapore company to be recognised at the International Emmy Kids Awards with Spelling Armadillo. This is a great endorsement of the quality of the Singapore-made show.  We hope that this achievement will inspire more of our producers to strive to create engaging content that resonates with their audiences and stand out in the highly competitive global market."

Spelling Armadillo tells of a heartwarming story about a boy, Tom, who wants to be left alone. He believes that by being inconspicuous, he will be able to stay out of trouble. But everything seems to be set against him. Thrust into the school's spelling competition, Tom and his motley crew of oddball friends must deal with the challenges of school, self-doubt and emotional life choices.

"We value the trust that families place in us to educate and entertain their children," said Bernard Lim, Head, Family Segment, MediaCorp. "Spelling Armadillo is an example of the quality content we work hard to create, to inspire imagination while reflecting the lives of our audience."

More information on the telemovie and awards can be found at www.spelling-armadillo.com and http://www.iemmys.tv/awards_kids.aspx.

- END -

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, 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).

MediaCorp Channel 5 

Channel 5 is Singapore's No. 1 English TV station under the MediaCorp group. It is a 24-hour general entertainment channel with a mix of local and international mass-appeal programmes.

Channel 5 has a heritage of creating highly-rated and award-winning local productions featuring Asian faces and themes, such as Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, Incredible Tales, Red Thread, Fighting Spiders, The Noose, The Pupil, There Was A Time, Spouse For House and Keong Saik Street.

The channel is also among the first in Asia to produce formatted versions of top-rated international game shows, like Minute To Win It, Sasuke Singapore and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. In 2004, it launched the highly successful Singapore Idol to record-high ratings and in 2011, it launched the popular game show, Million Dollar Money Drop.

As part of the channel's continued vision to produce relatable local content for all Singaporeans, Channel 5 launched a daily topical talk show, The 5 Show, in Jan 2015 and a daily family drama Tanglin in June 2015.

Channel 5 aspires to be a respected and recognised brand in Singapore as well as in the region. It has received numerous accolades, including Asian Television Awards, New York Festival Awards and Promax International Gold Awards. It is also the Terrestrial Channel of the Year 2010 as recognized by the Asian Television Awards.

MediaCorp has the widest range of media platforms in Singapore spanning digital, television, radio, print and out-of-home media. Its mission is to engage, entertain and enrich audiences by harnessing the power of creativity. MediaCorp pioneered the development of Singapore's broadcasting industry, with the radio broadcast in 1936 and television broadcast in 1963. Today, the company has over 50 products and brands in four languages (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil), reaching out to virtually all adults in Singapore weekly.

MediaCorp was named Terrestrial Broadcaster of the Year for the eleventh time at the Asian Television Awards in 2014.

For more information, please visit http://tv.toggle.sg/en/channel5  

Oak3 Films

Founded in 1996 in Singapore, Oak3 Films has an established reputation for creating original and high quality content, travelling across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa and more. As one of the leading companies in Asia, our content has been broadcasted across more than 30 channels and across multiple platforms worldwide.  Oak3 Films has also co-produced with various partners across the world, including ARD (Germany), ZDF (Germany), France5 (France), RAI Cinema (Italy), Q Channel (Korea), ARTE, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, History, and more.