mm2 Entertainment Announces Three-Year Plan to Develop Local Chinese Language Scriptwriters

mm2 Entertainment Pte Ltd (“mm2 Entertainment”) (a wholly owned subsidiary of mm2 Asia Ltd.) today announced a partnership with the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) to develop local Chinese language scriptwriters for Singapore’s film industry.

As part of a three-year programme with a total budget of S$8 million, mm2 Entertainment will train aspiring scriptwriters and hone the skills of established writers to improve the overall quality of Chinese feature film scripts. The programme will be carried out in three phases.

The first phase, the mm2 Chinese Scriptwriting Masterclass 2016, was launched and completed successfully in March 2016. This was a four-day workshop carried out over two weekends, attracting close to 100 applicants including professional scriptwriters, media practitioners and actors. Students attended lectures and seminars conducted by five renowned scriptwriters from Hong Kong and Taiwan whose works include “A World Without Thieves”, “Feel 100%”, “Red Cliff”, “Our Times” and “SPL”.

“This initiative is launched to upscale the capabilities of Chinese language scriptwriters in Singapore,” said Ng Say Yong, Managing Director of mm2 Entertainment. “We were highly encouraged by the positive response of the participants to the Scriptwriting Masterclass. Even industry veterans came up to me to tell me how useful the seminars were. We’re confident that Phase Two of the programme would build on the solid foundations set by the Masterclass.”

Phase Two is a Scriptwriter’s Lab, that will help scriptwriters develop and write a full-length feature film script. The Scriptwriter’s Lab is a six-month programme which will be helmed by two mentors to guide the participants through the development and scriptwriting process. Scripts of creative merit will be produced into feature films.

Angeline Poh, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Industry Group), MDA, said “We are delighted to launch this partnership with mm2 Entertainment as nurturing Singapore’s scriptwriting talent is one of the MDA’s priorities under our StoryLab initiative. A good script breathes life into a compelling story. It helps the director and actors interpret the story and create a powerful performance to move the audience. We hope that through partnerships like this one, we will see more great Singapore stories being told and enjoyed by audiences at home and abroad.”

More information on Phase Two and Phase Three will be released at a later date.

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About mm2 Asia Ltd.

Headquartered in Singapore, mm2 Asia is a producer of films and TV/online content. As a producer, mm2 Asia provides services that cover the entire filmmaking process, including securing financing, producing and distributing as well as securing advertising and sponsorship. mm2 Asia has strengthened its competitive advantage through the ownership of two Cathay cineplexes in Malaysia, as well as buying a stake in the 3D animation company, Vividthree Productions. In addition to Singapore, mm2 Asia also has a presence in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the PRC through its group of companies and/or strategic working partnerships. mm2 Asia has co-produced and/or distributed over 50 films across Asia since 2008 including co-producing well-known films such as the ‘Ah Boys to Men’ and ‘Long Long Time Ago’ series; and distributing titles such as Malaysia’s ‘The Journey’ and Taiwan’s ‘Café.Waiting.Love’. In 2014, mm2 Asia made its debut on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX stock code: 43D), becoming the first Singapore film production company to achieve this.For more information, please visit www.mm2asia.com.

About the Media Development Authority of Singapore

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 (http://www.mci.gov.sg).