SINGAPORE, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Singapore will be a hub of media activity come 4 - 7 December when more than 4,000 film and television trade delegates from 60 countries converge in the island state to trade, market and screen their content at the Asia TV Forum & Market ScreenSingapore 2012.
The event promises to be exciting as it combines a converged film and television market with global industry players, including studios, broadcasters, production houses, distributors and financiers in attendance.
Singapore's film and television industry players are expected to have a strong showing at the event, with over 100 local media companies showcasing more than 600 hours of the best in local content at the Singapore Pavilion.
On the film front, local filmmakers will be making Singapore proud with its bumper crop of 13 new films to hit the market. These includes horror films, comedies, documentaries and coming-of-age stories about love, marriage and parenthood.
The 13 new Singapore films are The Wedding Diary II; Ah Boys to Men II; That Girl in Pinafore; Ghost Child; Mister John; Menstrual Man; Taxi Taxi; Wa is for Wayang; 3 Peas in a Pod; Afterimages; 3.50; Red Numbers and Pickles. For the details on the films as well as their expected theatrical release dates in Singapore, please refer to Annex A. Seven of these new films will be featured at "Sneak Peeks", an event organised by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) to market Singapore films to international distributors.
Today, the production volume of Made In Singapore films has doubled; rising from just six Singapore films in 2002, to 13 new Singapore films for next year. Box office takings jumped 1.5 times in 2011, with earnings of SGD$9.2m, compared to SGD$6m in 2002. Singapore also continues to have one of the largest film exhibition sectors in this part of the world.
The Wedding Diary II to make its World Premiere in Singapore
Of the 13 films, The Wedding Diary II by Clover Films has been selected as the Closing Premiere of ScreenSingapore. As part of its world premiere, the cast and director will be walking the red carpet at Golden Village Cineplex, Vivo City, at 8:30pm on 6 December.
Said Mr Lim Teck, Managing Director, Clover Films and ScreenSingapore Board Member, "We are proud that The Wedding Diary II is selected as the closing premiere at ScreenSingapore. The global spotlight will certainly help boost the film's profile, as well as add buzz and vibrancy to Singapore's film scene."
The Wedding Diary II is produced and distributed by Clover Films (Singapore), Golden Screen Cinemas (Malaysia), Asia Tropical Films (Malaysia), Star Chinese Movies (Hong Kong), Satellite Television Asia Region (Malaysia) and Mega Cineplex (Malaysia).
It has a strong Asian cast, including veteran Singapore actors Jack Choo and Marcus Chin, as well as Malaysia's Aniu (Homecoming, Ice Kacang Puppy Love), Hong Kong's Elanne Kwong (Love Lifting, The Wedding Diary) and Taiwanese singer-actress Cynthia Wong (Devotion).
Singapore filmmakers go on to the global stage to share insights with international film community
With ScreenSingapore's spotlight on Asia, local filmmakers will share their personal perspectives gained from years of working in the China market, and on financing and co-production matters with international filmmakers:
Film director Jack Neo will speak at the film co-production & financing panel on "South East Asia: New Filmmaker, New Money" (6 December). Mr Neo is a 32-year veteran of the film and television industry and a Cultural Medallion winner. His films have achieved overseas success in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. His film I Not Stupid was named one of the Ten Best Chinese Movies at the 8th Golden Bauhinia Awards. In 2009, he was voted The Most Popular Male Artist at the 18th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in China.
Mike Wiluan, Chief Executive, Infinite Studios will be moderating the film co-production and financing panel on "South East Asia: New Filmmaker, New Money" (6 December). His company, Infinite Studios, has invested in film and television content with global partners from Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Mr Wiluan's company is currently shooting Serangoon Road, one of South East Asia's largest television co-productions, with Australian Broadcasting Corporation and HBO Asia.
Kenneth Tan, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Assessment), MDA, will be the moderator for the Film Keynote panel featuring Bona Film Group's Yu Dong (5 December) and "Theatre Innovation: A Conversation with Dolby" panel (5 December). Mr Tan was the former Managing Director of Golden Village and Chief Executive Officer of MediaCorp Radio and Chief Operating Officer of MediaCorp TV.
Joachim Ng, Director (Industry Operations), MDA, will moderate the animation co-production and financing panel (6 December). Mr Ng is responsible for overseeing MDA's industry operations, including, converged content.
Converged Singapore productions and new TV formats on show at ATF/SS 2012
Moving from film to broadcast, our local media industry will be showcasing their content innovation, particularly on the converged format.
For instance, Singapore companies will showcase converged content, such as the highly-successful The Kitchen Musical, a musical television drama by The Group Entertainment which was nominated for "Best Drama Series" in the International Emmy Awards 2012. Operating on a fresh format i.e. TV musical, the series is expanding its footprint to Asian countries such as Vietnam, Philippines and even as far as US and UK, in the form of a theatre musical, book and adaptations of its TV series.
Still on content innovation, MediaCorp will showcase its latest transmedia drama, 96�C Cafe. The mini drama will be telecast online in xinMSN and continue its run as a 20-episode serial on Free-to-Air TV and stars Tay Ping Hui, Chris Tong, Cynthia Koh, Desmond Tan, Julie Tan and Ian Fang. The drama's theme song is also supported under MDA's Development Assistance grant, which provides funding support for original Singapore compositions.
Television programmes made by Singapore production houses are seen by audiences in over 70 countries around the world.
Dialogue, networking and collaboration opportunities
With Singapore's continued efforts to tap opportunities for Singapore companies in the China market, MDA is supporting the China-Singapore Dialogue where Singapore TV producers can network directly with representatives of China's top broadcast stations for collaboration in dramas and documentaries. This will be attended by some 50 producers including representatives from China Central Television (CCTV), Shanghai Media Group, MediaCorp and MyChinaChannel. Melvin Ang, Executive Director, MyChinaChannel and Executive Director mm2 Entertainment will also share his experience on working in the China market at this session.
In line with the converged market, MDA continues to place emphasis on cross-content collaboration. To further catalyse such projects, MDA is organising a business matching session on 5 December bringing together local film, television and music talent with international players for such collaboration opportunities.
Said Mr Yeo Chun Cheng, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Industry), Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), "This market provides tremendous opportunities for global media players to capitalise on business opportunities created by Asia's expanding media sector, and to do so from Singapore, a great place to inspire talent and create compelling international content. The various platforms that MDA has created will bring people together, and those who know how to tap on them will certainly find their time at the market to be extremely rewarding."
The 500-sq m Singapore Pavilion, located at H02, G02, G13 and J02 at Sands Expo and Convention Centre Hall C, Marina Bay Sands comprises a good mix of companies from a good mix of television, film, music, animation, and media services sectors, mirroring the converged nature of the market. Catch a preview of selected Singapore content at the Singapore Pavilion at https://www.youtube.com/user/MDASingapore.
The Singapore entertainment and media market is projected to have a 5.8 per cent compounded annual growth rate, while Singapore's digital spending is projected to grow at 10 per cent per annum from 2012 to 2016 according to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2012-2016.
About Media Development Authority (MDA)
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive Animation, Broadcast, Film, Games, Interactive Media, Music and Publishing industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interest of consumers and promotes a connected society. MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information (www.mci.gov.sg).
13 new Singapore films for 2013 Annex A S/No Title Synopsis Language Director Production Company Expected Release Date 1 * Taxi! Taxi! 'Taxi! Taxi!' follows the trials and tribulations of a retrenched microbiology scientist, Professor Chua, as he turns to taxi driving after several failed job attempts. He befriends a veteran driver, Ah Tau. The two men, polar opposites of each other, from educational level, personality, attitude towards life and even the languages they speak, eventually find themselves interdependent and influencing each other in positive ways. Chinese Kelvin Sng SIMF Management, RAM Entertainment, PMP Entertainment, Galaxy Entertainment, SgLanded, Scorpio East Pictures 3 Jan 2013 2 Pickles Five unlikely characters form a film company to achieve their individual dreams. Arvind, a metrosexual male, who dreams of becoming a great filmmaker starts forming his team. There's Sruthi, his childhood friend; Walter, a James Cameron wannabe director; Thanes, the ruthless dictator; and finally, Kaly the village playwright. Clueless about filmmaking, this team of misfits attempt their childhood dream of producing a film. English- Tamil JK Saravana Tantra Films Jan 2013 3 Ah Boys to Men II This army story depicts the enlistment of young boys, who have lived a sheltered life. In the army, life is no longer a bed of roses. It's a place where boys undergo harsh military training and face life's challenges, such as in their relationship with family, friends and bunkmates. The boys learn to be responsible, and their enlistment marks their transition to manhood. Chinese Jack Neo J Team Productions & mm2 entertainment 7 Feb 2013 4 The Wedding Diary II Soon after marriage, Weijie and Zhixin face pressure to conceive. When it finally happens, the couple realise that having a child is not a matter concerning only them, but actually involves their families too. Will parenthood be a bed of roses? Or does the arrival of their baby mark the start of many challenges to be faced by the young couple? Chinese Adrian Teh Clover Films, Golden Screen Cinemas, Asia Tropical Films, SCM, Mega Cineplex 14 Feb 2013 5 Red Numbers 'Red Numbers' revolves around a guy, who, according to a fengshui master, only has three lucky minutes in his miserable life. His fortune is wrapped up with a greedy family whose grandfather holds the key to the winning combination in the 4D lottery. Chinese Dom Ow Supernova Media 22 Feb 2013 6 * Ghost Child Unable to come to terms with death of her mother, 15-year old Kim suddenly has to deal with a new mother in her life. Na, her stepmother hails from a remote village in Indonesia. A series of mysterious and strange incidents starts to occur at the family home when she arrives in Singapore. Chinese Gilbert Chan Gorylah Pictures, mm2 Entertainment, Clover Films 21 Mar 2013 7 3.50 When a young Cambodian girl is abducted from her village, a brash American documentary filmmaker ventures deep into the underbelly of Phnom Penh to rescue her, and crosses paths with various other lives affected by the city's harsh rules of survival. English Eysham Ali & Chhay Bora Supernova Media June 2013 8 Afterimages 'Afterimages' is about a group of artists who burn cameras as offerings to the dead, and in return, receive a collection of footages from hell in the form of short horror movies. English Tony Kern Mythopolis Pictures Aug 2013 9 * Menstrual Man There are men who squirm at the mention of a woman's period. And then there's Muruganantham, a man who went as far as to analyse strangers' used pads in his quest to produce low-cost sanitary napkins for India's poor. In telling Muruganatham's inspiring story, "Menstrual Man" underscores the role of social entrepreneurship in combating poverty, and highlights the importance of economic empowerment of women to enable a better world. English Amit Virmani Coup Communications TBC 10 * Mister John An Irishman whose marriage is in crisis travels alone to English Fran Borgia Akanga Films TBC Singapore after the sudden and suspicious death of his estranged brother, and soon finds himself immersed in the daily life of this man he never truly knew. 11 * That Girl In Pinafore 'That Girl in Pinafore' revolves around four teenagers - Jiaming, Xiaopang, Haoban and Caogen. The story follows the teenagers' efforts to bring business back to a struggling folk music pub, and the blossoming love between Jiaming and May, an ardent fan of Singaporean folk music. Chinese Chai Yee Wei mm2 Entertainment TBC 12 3 Peas in a Pod '3 Peas in a Pod' is a story about friendship, love and obsession. Three university students from three different countries are good friends whose love lives are intertwined with one another's. Just before they graduate and go back to their respective countries to embark on their working lives, the three friends decide to go on a road trip in the country they've been studying in for the last 4 years: Australia. Little do they know, this farewell holiday is a trip that will change their lives forever. Chinese-English Michelle Chong Huat Films In development 13 Wa is for Wayang 'Wa is for Wayang' is about an immigrant boy from India who gets caught between a clumsy teacher who vows to preserve a fading cultural art and an obsessive school principal who strives to rid the aged old tradition. Discover the new family comedy about hope, values and harmony that is told through a misfit Indian boy and the mystical Chinese Opera. English Raymond Tan Brainchild Pictures In development * Supported under MDA's Production Assistance Grant Scheme Information accurate as at 21 Nov 2012
SOURCE Media Development Authority
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