Tag: Film & Sat

Weilu: The emerging trend of local vlog in China

BEIJING, Dec 24, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – On December 12th, 2020, Weilu won the prize of top ten tech brand during the Bsan Forum in Beijing, and begins a new trend of localized vlog in China.




Competition about vlog among internet giants in China starts in 2019. With 10.8 billion internet users and previous success in short videos, China seems to be the next big market for the vlog. As shown by the public record, the top ten video companies have offered 10 billion traffic incentives to vloggers in China since 2018. According to the Baidu index, in April 2019, vlog reaches its highest index 17479, then decreases to 2525 in December 2020. This leaves the question: "Why Chinese people don't like vlogs like the rest of the world."

"According to a survey conducted by Tencent's Penguin Intelligence, nearly 60% of the users surveyed have never heard of a vlog, and 70% of users claim to have never seen a vlog," says Duncan Du, founder of Weilu. "The main reason is that people speak mandarin in China, so to most local people vlog is a meaningless spelling of letters, impossible to remember or pronounce.

"When we came up with the idea of creating a local brand for vlog, we tried to make it sound like vlog and mean like vlog, which took us 6 months to finish the task, amongst 200 alternatives. It's easy to relate Weilu to vlog in Chinese by meaning or pronunciation. The other meaning of Weilu is from the Chinese idiom weibuzulu, which means too small to record. Our team removed the middle part to get the word Weilu."

So far, Weilu has been quoted on most search engines and online encyclopedias as the meaning for vlogs in China. "To my personal opinion, vlog hasn't entered into the Chinese market yet. It's not hard to understand if you don't assume everyone can speak English in China," says Duncan.

PC or mobile

According to a Chinese internet report, there are around 1 billion mobile devices in China and 300 million PC users in China. The penetration of short video is higher than 70%. Due to the nature of different types of videos, users tend to watch short videos on mobile while watching long videos on pc or pad. Watching long videos on mobile can be costly. However, internet giants are offering cheap data packs to users. With the 5G network upgrade, long video like vlog may boom in China on both mobile and pc platforms.

Vlog or short video

On Wikipedia, the vlog is described as a video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog, and is a form of blog for which the medium is video, and is a form of web television. Vlog entries often combine embedded video with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in one take or cut into multiple parts.

Some companies in China attempt to make the concept of vlog the same as a short video, which is not a fact according to Wikipedia. However, there may be some sort of short vlog grown on Chinese internet soil. On Weilu's official website, the requirement for uploading Weilu is 140 seconds or more, and Chinese font is required.

Local or international

There are two types of users for the vlog, the vloggers and the watchers. It is claimed by vlog tools that there will be 10 million vloggers in China by 2020. Vloggers have no problem understanding vlogs. To them, using vlogs is the word of fashion and international. However, on video websites, watchers are the majority. Weilu is trying to find a new path where vloggers can remain international while watchers can understand and most importantly can remember what they are watching.

Media contact:
Company: Chutong Tech (Shanghai) Limited
Room 2601, South Tower, No.300 Xuanhua Road, Shanghai
Website: https://www.Weilu.com
Telephone: +86 36360093
E-mail: dev@Weilu.com
Contact Person: Duncan Du





Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

The 3rd Hainan Island International Film Festival in Sanya, Hainan, China

SANYA, CHINA, Dec 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The 3rd Hainan Island International Film Festival runs in Sanya, Hainan, China on from December 5 through 13. Shen Xiaoming, secretary of Hainan Provincial Party Committee, and Shen Haixiong, deputy director of the Central Propaganda Department and director of the Central Radio and Television General Station delivered the opening speeches before Shen Haixiong announced the opening of the film festival.



This year's film festival is sponsored by the Central Radio and Television General Station and Hainan Provincial People's Government. The 8-day film festival has an exhibition show, an opening ceremony, a master class and an H!Future Newcomer Honor, H!Action Venture Capital Meeting, H!Market, special forum, closing ceremony and other main activities.

Shen Xiaoming expressed his congratulations on the opening of the film festival and welcomed the guests from around the world. He said that under the personal planning, deployment and promotion of President Xi Jinping, the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port went smoothly, and its unique policy advantages made Hainan an important platform for cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and the West. Located in the world's magical "golden tourism belt", Hainan is a "natural studio" that can take pictures all year round. It is accelerating the construction of cultural tourism industrial park, cultivating and attracting all kinds of film talents, creating a first-class business environment, and introducing high-quality resources from all over the world, which provides rich nourishment and high-quality environment for the development of film enterprises.

Hainan's development of film industry is in line with the trend of the industry. It has the advantages of geographical environment and humanities. It is expected that all guests will display good films and cooperate here; Welcome guests to invest here to make the free trade port a highland for the development of the film industry; It is hoped that everyone will promote the global economic recovery with the film art industry, strengthen the exchanges among people from all over the world, and jointly build the Community of Shared Future for Mankind.

Shen Haixiong said that this film festival was held in a special period, which is of special significance to filmmakers and audiences all over the world. Under the personal command and deployment of President Xi Jinping, China actively responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, and achieved staged success, taking the lead in controlling the pandemic, restarting work and restoring economic growth. The opening of Hainan Island International Film Festival is not only the proof of the rapid recovery of Chinese film industry, but also the hope that mankind will finally defeat COVID-19.

The Hainan Island International Film Festival collects the world's outstanding films. The various works are exchanged and shared to promote the mutual learning of civilizations. The outstanding films displayed at this film festival will surely bring more inspirations to the construction of the Community of Shared Future for Mankind. With the opportunity of Hainan Free Trade Port, filmmakers from around the world will gather here to make more contributions to the development of the world film industry.

Media Contact
Zhangyongpeng
media@hiiff.com.cn
https://www.hiiff.com.cn

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

AVIA Announces New Board Members and New Board Chair for 2021

SINGAPORE, Dec 11, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Following the recent Annual General Meeting of the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), four new members have joined the Board of AVIA and a new Chairman has been elected. The new Chairman and board members are from across the spectrum of the video industry, both geographically and functionally, and include heads of content companies as well as telecommunications leaders.

The AVIA board will be led by a new Chairman with the election of Clement Schwebig, Head of WarnerMedia for India, Southeast Asia and Korea, who takes over from Joe Welch, Vice President, Global Public Policy, Asia Pacific, The Walt Disney Company.

Louis Boswell, CEO of AVIA, commented, "The board of AVIA and I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Joe Welch for the last four years of his leadership, a period which has seen the reinvention of the industry association. It has been my great pleasure working with Joe to ensure that AVIA is clear in its mission and purpose to represent the video industry across all our common concerns. Equally, I am now looking forward to building on that legacy with Clement and to take AVIA to greater success in creating the strong and stable foundations required for our members to grow and prosper. The range of business that Clement is responsible for, together with his personal commitment to make time to support our entire industry, gives me great confidence in the future."

Addressing the subject of taking over the board chairmanship, Schwebig said: "WarnerMedia has had a long history with AVIA and I'm enormously proud to continue this relationship as Chair. I'm looking forward to working closely with Louis and the rest of the Board to represent the interests of all our members. In this time of change and uncertainty, we have a clear agenda to further the best interests and growth of the video industry in Asia Pacific."

The new board members are Ryan Shiotani, Senior Vice President & General Manager, South & Southeast Asia, and Tony Qiu, SVP & GM East and South East Asia and Head of Global Location Based Entertainment Business, who join from BBC Studios and Discovery Communications respectively. Meanwhile Maria Yolanda C. Crisanto, Chief Sustainability Officer, SVP and Head of Corporate Communications Group of Globe Telecom Inc. and Ongard Prapakamol, Chief Media Officer from True Corporation also join the AVIA board for the first time.

Board members are chosen from nominees among member companies at the Annual General Meeting of the Association and then the Board Chair is selected by the members of the Board.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

CITIC Telecom CPC won Asia Communication Awards 2020

SINGAPORE, Dec 10, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK:1883), is honored to announce the winning of "Digital Transformation Project of the Year" at the Asia Communication Awards (ACA) 2020 which applauds and recognizes the company for its innovative way to transform services by integrating augmented reality into business processes with DataHOUSE(TM) AR Remote Hand Service.



The ACA organized by Total Telecom is one of the top telecom industry awards in this region. ACA recognized companies and individuals for outstanding achievements and innovation that contribute to the development of the telecom industry.

During the award ceremony, Harry Baldock, Editor of Total Telecom commended that DataHOUSE(TM) AR Remote Hand Service gives field engineers access to information in real time to help them perform complicated operation according to customer own internal IT procedure. The winning solution leverage Augmented Reality to dramatically transform field engineering operations, streamlining installation, maintenance and troubleshooting processes

"CITIC Telecom CPC is very proud to receive the Asia Communication Award 2020 for our DataHOUSE(TM) AR Remote Hand Service. DataHOUSE(TM) AR Remote Hand Service enables enterprise to maintain operation in exceptional circumstances, it also allows field engineers across multiple locations to overcome the challenges of time zone, language, distance and skillset in a multi-technology environment." said Mr. Esmond Li, CEO of CITIC Telecom CPC. "In challenging time like now, we aim to deliver a "Global-Local" value proposition, giving our customer access to our carrier-class global infrastructure and world-class expertise."

Moving forward, CITIC Telecom CPC will continue to enhance DataHOUSE(TM) AR Remote Hand Service by expanding the range of supported vendor equipment and adding Artificial Intelligence capability for even more intelligent diagnoses. "As a trusted ICT solution partner, we are confident that we will be able to help our customers to drive their digital transformation journey with our innovation solution and extensive service coverage." Mr Li added.

About the awards
Organized by Total Telecom, Asia Communication Awards 2020 has become the independent mark of excellence for telecoms in Asia and has fostered a platform to recognize Asia's Telecoms Superstars.

Marking its 10th year anniversary, Asia Communication Awards is the region's longest-running and most prestigious industry award designed especially for the telecoms industry. 2020 has been an exciting year for the telecom industry, Asia Communication Awards aims to celebrate flexibility and innovation together with telecom industry coming together to deliver robust connectivity that keep the modern society moving forward.

For more information about CITIC Telecom CPC's awards and recognition, visit
https://www.citictel-cpc.com/EN/HK/Pages/about-us-accreditation

About CITIC Telecom CPC
We are CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited ("CITIC Telecom CPC"), a wholly owned subsidiary of CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited (SEHK: 1883), serving multinational enterprises the world over by addressing their specific ICT requirements with highly scalable tailored solutions built upon our flagship technology suites, comprising TrueCONNECT(TM) private network solutions, TrustCSI(TM) information security solutions, DataHOUSE(TM) cloud data center solutions, and SmartCLOUD(TM) cloud computing solutions.

As a leading Global Local ICT Solutions Partner with worldwide footprint across East to West and native presence, we truly live our motto, "Innovation Never Stops." Being a preferred Digital Society Enabler, we lead our key markets at the forefront of pioneering ICT development, embracing AI, AR, Big Data, IoT, and other cutting-edge emerging technologies to transform technical potential into real-world value for our customers, helping them achieve higher productivity, agility, cost-efficiency, and ultimately, Digital Globalization.

As one of the first managed service providers in Hong Kong to achieve ISO 9001, 14001, 20000, 27001, and 27017 ICT-related certifications, CITIC Telecom CPC delivers on our superior quality commitment through a broad global self-managed infrastructure encompassing some of the highest growth markets in Asia, Europe and America, with over 140 points of presence, 18 Cloud service centers, 30+ data centers, and two dedicated 24×7 Security Operations Centers.

For more information please visit www.citictel-cpc.com

Media Contact:
June Tay
CITIC Telecom International CPC Limited
(65) 6692 8357
Email: june.tay@citictel-cpc.com


Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

ATF Online+ Caps Off its First Week with Fresh Insights for 2021

SINGAPORE, Dec 8, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The 21st Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), Asia's leading entertainment content and conference, capped off the first week of its digital edition – ATF Online+, with 2,320 unique attendees from 60 countries and regions as of 4 December 2020. The platform is available on-demand until 28 February 2021.
Mr. Yeh Chien Ee, President, Asia Pacific, Reed Exhibitions



ATF Online+ kicked off with an Opening Ceremony at the new state-of-the-art Hybrid Broadcast Studio located in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore on 1 December 2020. Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Communications and Information, Singapore officiated the launch in front of a physical audience of key industry players. The event was concurrently streamed live to a global audience watching via ATF Online+ and on Facebook. The ceremony was followed by a fireside chat between the Minister and Mr. Steven Chia, Presenter/Senior Editor of Channel News Asia, on the future of the media and entertainment industry, where he mentioned how companies need to create a wider variety of content, and the opportunities the Asian media market presents.

Business as usual at ATF Online+, with new connections made and deals announced

ATF Online+ 2020 saw 1,215 companies and 15 official pavilions participating, with 4,156 programmes presented on the platform. The first official four-days also saw more than 15,500 meetings arranged, underpinning ATF's importance as a platform to facilitate business dealings. The meetings will continue until 28 February 2021.

ATF also continues to be a key year-end market where deals are sealed, with a host of partnerships and deals announced during the ATF week. Some of the announcements made during the week came from 7 Steps Production, iQiyi, ITV Studios, Mediacorp, Nippon TV, TechStorm and WarnerMedia.

141 industry experts delivered insights at ATF Online+ sessions

This year's conference saw a refreshed programme schedule, specifically tailored for the global online audience. Segmented into five broad areas that cut across 1 to 4 December, each component focused on bite-sized discussions specific to the various pillars within the industry.

Mornings with Industry Leaders – Decision makers from the media, telecoms and entertainment industry took centre stage in the morning, sharing insights and thought-leadership on navigating the tides ahead and staying relevant amidst the changes. Top executives who participated in the fireside chats included Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, Priya Dogra, President, WarnerMedia EMEA & Asia (excl. China), Dr Michael Gryseels, President, True Digital Group and Jacques du Puy, CEO, CANAL+ International.

Lunchtime Buying – Key buyers took over the lunch hour sessions to give an insiders' viewpoints and perspective on today's buying strategies. Some of the panellists included Daphne Yang, CEO, CatchPlay, Maarten Meijs, President Global Entertainment, ITV Studios, Chao Gan, Vice President, Youku, Alibaba Media & Entertainment Group and Agustinus Bagus Abimanyu, Head of International Acquisition 3 TV, MNC Media, sharing strategies in the dramas, formats, kids and docs spaces.

Coffee Hour Content Showcase – This segment saw top sellers from China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and Turkey showcasing the latest entertainment content and industry updates, together with a spread of scripted and unscripted formats opened for contracts for the industry.

Production Afternoons – Format experts, creative leaders and decision makers took the afternoon to address issues and present user cases to advance production capabilities in the industry. Some of the speaker that took the virtual stage include Seo Hye-jin, Executive Director, TV Chosun, Yi Seung-jun, Founder, Director & Producer, Bluebird Pictures and Evelina Lye, Head of Regional Marketing, Media Partnerships APAC Entertainment, News & Sports, Facebook.

Southeast Asian Film Financing Forum (SAFF Forum) – The annual film-focused forum rounded off the four-day event with discussions on Southeast Asian partnership in media – cutting across content, connectivity, and capability. Among those who took part were as Abhi Rastogi, CEO & Founder, 108 Media, Elliot Renton, Senior Director & Head of APAC, Grabyo and Rashid Karim, CEO, Iskandar Malaysia Studios.

Active Engagements and Feedback from the Industry

Attendees were actively involved in the digital journey, and generous in communicating feedback of the platform, which included the following:

– Francesca Ibanez, CEO, CESCA Films: The organization has been really good, the cost was not high and the online platform worked. Was very easy to use. Easy to make contacts, that for a seller is of utmost importance.

– Carl D-Broughton, Producer, Manque: After crippling lockdowns and the global industry coming to a standstill, the online ATF was quite the godsend! The pricing was fair, the matching system worked well and the chat/messaging function made communicating easy. I confess to missing most of the conferences, but there's the 'catch-up' option and, with the system available until the end of February, I'm still able to make new connections. In fact, given how these events usually end when everyone goes home, this ability to reach out for several weeks afterwards may yet prove to be crucial.

– Harry Kyoungwon, Manager, Gyeonggi Content Agency: Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, ATF Online+ has successfully linked content and media professionals with an easy and stable platform. With this platform, exhibitors could easily learn how to communicate with buyers and manage their video meetings. Hope to visit real Singapore next year!

– Shenthil Ranie, Vice President, Inflight Inc Pte Ltd: It was seamless experience to connect with potential companies and especially the My Schedule functionality was very useful.

– Kanji Kazahaya, Seller, Culture Connect Co., Ltd.: ATF is always one of the most important markets to meet key persons. Although it was challenging during a pandemic, the organiser has successfully created a decent online platform.

– Eugene Venkovsky, Sales Director, Open Alliance Media: ATF+ platform really works. Better than real meetings. So many effective meetings past few days.

– Rachel Wong, Assistant Commissioning Editor, Mediacorp: I really like the interface. It's really easy to navigate.

Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF said, "We invited the industry to join our discussions on 'Prelude to 2021', the theme for ATF Online+ 2020. We are encouraged by the industry's response, which shows the eagerness to engage towards a positive 2021. It also underscores the trust they placed on ATF to partner them to deliver the right leads and platform to continue doing so."

Under the umbrella of Singapore Media Festival, the next edition of ATF and ScreenSingapore is slated to return 1 to 3 December 2021.

About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region's leading entertainment content event – is the platform of calibre to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry's top players from around the world. It's where the best minds meet and the future of Asia's content is shaped.

ATF facilitates opportunities to discover vital trends, crucial statistics and significant foresight particularly in TV's digital, kids and formats arenas. Its business match-making programme open doors to new connections in the region. With over 5,700 international buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries and regions, ATF presents valuable business prospects for top- of-the-line benefits. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com

About ScreenSingapore 2020

ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia's definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape.

In 2020, ScreenSingapore will once again host the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international co-producing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg

About Reed Exhibitions (RX)

Reed Exhibitions is a leading global event organiser, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2019, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions' events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.reedexpo.com

About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)

The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia's leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for film, TV and digital media. Taking place from 26 November to 6 December 2020, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, and Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). SuperGamerFest will also be held in conjunction with SMF. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.

Press Contact
Ninemer Public Relations
Danielle Loh
Senior Account Manager
T: +65 9176 7502
E: danielleloh@ninemer.com

Janice Chew
Account Manager
T: +65 9685 7508
E: janicechew@ninemer.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

ATF Online+ Announces Full Event Line-up

Mornings with Industry Leaders

Mornings with Industry Leaders: Adam Lewinson, Dr Michael Gryseels, Archana Anand, Jon Penn, Jimin Fang, Priya Dogra and Jacques du Puy (L-R)

Singapore – Nov 26, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020 returns in less than a week with a jam-packed schedule tailored for the online audience.

Charging forward into 2021 and into the realm of content connectivity, commerce and beyond, the programme line-up will see industry leaders discuss and provide insights on a range of topics from digital transformation to partnership announcements and an exclusive look at how China’s Film & TV Industry has developed in 2020 with a 2021 forecast.

Leading the line-up are key Asian brands at the forefront of digital innovation and adoption. Dr Michael Gryseels, President of True Digital Group from Thailand and Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer of Zee5 will expound on the significance of sustainable models and investments in the digital economy while industry heavyweights such as WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks who are also doubling down on digital transformation efforts will be sharing strategies for manoeuvring the challenges in the year ahead.

At the forefront of partnerships in the new world, a panel discussion will see the Singapore Tourism Board, Studio Dragon and iQIYI come together to provide insights and share more about their latest partnership to promote the Destination Singapore story. Studio Dragon is best known for the popular drama series “Crash Landing on You”, while NASDAQ-listed iQIYI is a streaming giant from China, with over 500 million monthly active users.

Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF says “Digital convergence and COVID-19 have changed the way content is consumed, and they have also inspired new ways of collaborating and story-telling. This 21st edition of ATF underlines its coming of age in a new era and we look forward to facilitating conversations and connections, as we head into 2021.”

Grooming and discovering talents through In Development program

ATF has always been about providing talents, creators, and producers with a platform to launch their ideas further for development. This year, the intention is to offer an accelerated approach to content discovery and development regionally and globally through the ATF In Development program.

The In Development component comprises of its pitches and Speed Dating Program for co-production and commissioning. Producers and creators alike will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to key decision-makers who include commissioning editors, distributors, co-producers, investors, and talent agencies.

Following are the commissioners taking part:

  • Justin Deimen of 108 Media (Animation / Format / Drama)
  • Agathe Vinson of Film Development Council of the Philippines and Mil Alcain of Film Philippines Incentives (Animation / Format / Drama / All Genres)
  • Chelsea Yang of Hunan TV (Format)
  • Chenfei Zhu of IQIYI, Inc (Animation)
  • Janet Zhang and Lulu Zhao of IQIYI Kids & Family (Animation)
  • Brenda Bisner of Kidoodle.tv (Animation)
  • Jesslyn Wong and Doreen Neo of MediaCorp (Drama)
  • Ray Wang and Cici Zheng of Reesee Entertainment (Animation)
  • Qing Fan of Tencent Video (Animation)
  • Richard Rowe of WildBrain (Animation)
  • Danna Stern, Tal Amram and Maya Biton of Yes Studios (Drama)

The pitches have proven to be an effective platform to spot ideas and nurture young talents from the Asian region. The ATF Formats Pitch calls for new and exciting originals from unscripted (non-fiction) entertainment formats. Lending a critical eye to the judging panel this year are industry heavyweights from 108 Media, Nippon TV, ITV studios, MongolTV and The Format People.

The ATF Animation Pitch calls for the most original, creative animated programs with edutainment value for the children in our lives within Asia. This year, experts from Kidoodle.tv, Toonz Animation India, Warnermedia Entertainment Networks and WEKIDS are part of the judging panel that will decide on the winner.

“The competition was tough, but we are so grateful that the experts recognised the potential for Weatherville and our network of other Southeast Asian creatives and developers have grown exponentially. With that, the potential to take the show to the markets have increased as well,” said
Diana Yurinova, VP, International business development and distribution of Riki Group, winner of ATF Animation Pitch 2019.

The Chinese Pitch, which calls for original innovations in movie or drama formats that appeals to Chinese-speaking territories, is currently going through the judging process.

Winners of the pitches will be announced at ATF. ATF Online+ takes place from 1 to 4 December 2020, with on demand available up till 28 February 2021. ATF Online+ is part of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF). For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com.

Industry luminaries who will be speaking at ATF:
http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/5349/Annex.pdf

About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region’s leading entertainment content event – is the platform of calibre to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry’s top players from around the world. It’s where the best minds meet and the future of Asia’s content is shaped.

ATF facilitates opportunities to discover vital trends, crucial statistics and significant foresight particularly in TV’s digital, kids and formats arenas. Its business match-making programme open doors to new connections in the region. With over 5,700 international buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries and regions, ATF presents valuable business prospects for top-of-the-line benefits. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com

About ScreenSingapore 2020

ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia’s definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape.

In 2020, ScreenSingapore will once again host the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international coproducing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg

About Reed Exhibitions (RX)

Reed Exhibitions is a leading global event organiser, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2019, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions’ events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.reedexpo.com

About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)

The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia’s leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for film, TV and digital media. Taking place from 26 November to 6 December 2020, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, and Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). SuperGamerFest will also be held in conjunction with SMF. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.

Press Contact
Ninemer Public Relations
Danielle Loh
Senior Account Manager
T: +65 9176 7502
E: danielleloh@ninemer.com

Janice Chew
Account Manager
T: +65 9685 7508
E: janicechew@ninemer.com



Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

ATF Online+ Announces Full Event Line-up

SINGAPORE, Nov 26, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020 returns in less than a week with a jam-packed schedule tailored for the online audience.
Mornings with Industry Leaders: Adam Lewinson, Dr Michael Gryseels, Archana Anand, Jon Penn, Jimin Fang, Priya Dogra and Jacques du Puy (L-R)



Charging forward into 2021 and into the realm of content connectivity, commerce and beyond, the programme line-up will see industry leaders discuss and provide insights on a range of topics from digital transformation to partnership announcements and an exclusive look at how China's Film & TV Industry has developed in 2020 with a 2021 forecast.

Leading the line-up are key Asian brands at the forefront of digital innovation and adoption. Dr Michael Gryseels, President of True Digital Group from Thailand and Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer of Zee5 will expound on the significance of sustainable models and investments in the digital economy while industry heavyweights such as WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks who are also doubling down on digital transformation efforts will be sharing strategies for manoeuvring the challenges in the year ahead.

At the forefront of partnerships in the new world, a panel discussion will see the Singapore Tourism Board, Studio Dragon and iQIYI come together to provide insights and share more about their latest partnership to promote the Destination Singapore story. Studio Dragon is best known for the popular drama series "Crash Landing on You", while NASDAQ-listed iQIYI is a streaming giant from China, with over 500 million monthly active users.

Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF says "Digital convergence and COVID-19 have changed the way content is consumed, and they have also inspired new ways of collaborating and story-telling. This 21st edition of ATF underlines its coming of age in a new era and we look forward to facilitating conversations and connections, as we head into 2021."

Grooming and discovering talents through In Development program

ATF has always been about providing talents, creators, and producers with a platform to launch their ideas further for development. This year, the intention is to offer an accelerated approach to content discovery and development regionally and globally through the ATF In Development program.

The In Development component comprises of its pitches and Speed Dating Program for co-production and commissioning. Producers and creators alike will be given the opportunity to pitch their projects to key decision-makers who include commissioning editors, distributors, co-producers, investors, and talent agencies.

Following are the commissioners taking part:
– Justin Deimen of 108 Media (Animation / Format / Drama)
– Agathe Vinson of Film Development Council of the Philippines and Mil Alcain of Film Philippines Incentives (Animation / Format / Drama / All Genres)
– Chelsea Yang of Hunan TV (Format)
– Chenfei Zhu of IQIYI, Inc (Animation)
– Janet Zhang and Lulu Zhao of IQIYI Kids & Family (Animation)
– Brenda Bisner of Kidoodle.tv (Animation)
– Jesslyn Wong and Doreen Neo of MediaCorp (Drama)
– Ray Wang and Cici Zheng of Reesee Entertainment (Animation)
– Qing Fan of Tencent Video (Animation)
– Richard Rowe of WildBrain (Animation)
– Danna Stern, Tal Amram and Maya Biton of Yes Studios (Drama)

The pitches have proven to be an effective platform to spot ideas and nurture young talents from the Asian region. The ATF Formats Pitch calls for new and exciting originals from unscripted (non-fiction) entertainment formats. Lending a critical eye to the judging panel this year are industry heavyweights from 108 Media, Nippon TV, ITV studios, MongolTV and The Format People.

The ATF Animation Pitch calls for the most original, creative animated programs with edutainment value for the children in our lives within Asia. This year, experts from Kidoodle.tv, Toonz Animation India, Warnermedia Entertainment Networks and WEKIDS are part of the judging panel that will decide on the winner.

"The competition was tough, but we are so grateful that the experts recognised the potential for Weatherville and our network of other Southeast Asian creatives and developers have grown exponentially. With that, the potential to take the show to the markets have increased as well," said
Diana Yurinova, VP, International business development and distribution of Riki Group, winner of ATF Animation Pitch 2019.

The Chinese Pitch, which calls for original innovations in movie or drama formats that appeals to Chinese-speaking territories, is currently going through the judging process.

Winners of the pitches will be announced at ATF. ATF Online+ takes place from 1 to 4 December 2020, with on demand available up till 28 February 2021. ATF Online+ is part of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF). For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com.

Industry luminaries who will be speaking at ATF:
http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/5349/Annex.pdf

About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region's leading entertainment content event – is the platform of calibre to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry's top players from around the world. It's where the best minds meet and the future of Asia's content is shaped.

ATF facilitates opportunities to discover vital trends, crucial statistics and significant foresight particularly in TV's digital, kids and formats arenas. Its business match-making programme open doors to new connections in the region. With over 5,700 international buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries and regions, ATF presents valuable business prospects for top-of-the-line benefits. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com

About ScreenSingapore 2020

ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia's definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape.

In 2020, ScreenSingapore will once again host the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international coproducing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg

About Reed Exhibitions (RX)

Reed Exhibitions is a leading global event organiser, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2019, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions' events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.reedexpo.com

About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)

The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia's leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for film, TV and digital media. Taking place from 26 November to 6 December 2020, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, and Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). SuperGamerFest will also be held in conjunction with SMF. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.

Press Contact
Ninemer Public Relations
Danielle Loh
Senior Account Manager
T: +65 9176 7502
E: danielleloh@ninemer.com

Janice Chew
Account Manager
T: +65 9685 7508
E: janicechew@ninemer.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

AVIA closes the year on a high note with its biggest turnout yet for the Asia Video Summit

HONG KONG, Nov 23, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) held its annual state of the industry event, the Asia Video Summit (the Summit), which was supported by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor, on 10 to 12 November 2020 with resounding success as over 1000 delegates from the Asian video industry gathered for the Summit. With most sessions live and broadcast from the studio to a backdrop of Hong Kong or Singapore, the Summit was produced to a very high standard and caps what has been a successful series of virtual events and webinars for AVIA.

AVIA was honoured to have Mr. Edward Yau, GBS, JP, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region officiated at the Opening Session of the Summit by delivering a speech video-telephonically on the first day of the Summit.

The Summit opened with a macro-economic update from S&P Global Ratings' Managing Director and Chief Economist, Shaun Roache, who remained upbeat about the economy and how the potential of an early vaccine for COVID-19 could bring recovery forward, with less permanent damage. The way people consume goods and services would also change fundamentally and would be the key thing to watch over the next 1 to 2 years. However, it would take time for economic activity to resurrect, "A dimmer switch rather than a flick of the switch", commented Shaun.

This fundamental shift is also seen in consumer viewing habits, as the myriad of ways to access content and the development of technology has also revolutionized how consumers view TV and video today, shared Annette Kunst, Regional MD, Southeast Asia and New Zealand, Nielsen Media, during her session on The Fortunes of Free TV. As more broadcasters embrace change and adapt the models of streaming, the old adage of "Content is King" continues to ring true, as content is what drives people to platforms. With local content being the key connectors to audiences and driving viewership in SEA, collaboration too becomes key between content providers and producers. And in the pay TV world, this collaboration extends to streamers and partners as well. However, the tone of optimism remains across both free and pay TV, with our panel of industry leaders agreeing that both platforms still have a role to play despite an increasingly fragmented and diversified media landscape.

While content remains king, the title for queen is much contested, as our various panelists had differing views. With Parminder Singh, Chief Commercial and Digital Officer, Mediacorp, distribution is the queen, while according to Ivy Wong, CEO of VS Media "the community is the Queen". Her
experience with local creators showed the importance of not only building content but also the community around it. This sentiment was also shared by Agnes Rozario, Director of Content, Astro, on her panel on Content Cravings. Agnes reiterated the need to produce content that is relevant and close to the hearts of their viewers through data mining and analytics, to inform decision making on the content piece and to put consumers first in order to engage them.

Data is also the big focus in the world of Premium Advertising. Mitch Waters, SVP of South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, The Trade Desk, shared the need to showcase the true scale of consumption, and to have transparent access to data and information, which requires a lot of trust, collaboration and partnership from both the buy and sell sides, to get to programmatic faster.

However, questions remain about Cross Media Measurement and if it will ever happen. Added Nick Burfitt, MD, Asia, Kantar Media, "Audience measurement is now a team sport", with the issues being both technical and commercial. Anthony Dobson, VP, Media Partners Asia & MD, AMPD Research, commented on his panel, "We have found the holy grail but the goblet is broken, all the innovation and technology is available, it's missing the will and investment to make it happen."

Despite all the innovation, technology and data at hand though, Tom Keaveny, Chief Innovation & Information Officer, beIN Media Group, summed it up best at his closing panel, "It's not old media or new media… it needs to be all media. Great content… will always find its value and the ones who can curate it, treat it, market it and price it the best, will be the ultimate winners."

AVIA would like to thank the Asia Video Summit 2020's Lead Sponsor Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Community Outreach Programme which provided free passes for local SMEs in the video industry and tertiary students of relevant programmes to participate in the Summit and workshops; Gold Sponsors Baker McKenzie, Brightcove, DOCOMO Digital, Google, Magnite, Nielsen, SpotX, TV5MONDE, Viaccess-Orca, WarnerMedia; Silver Sponsors Alibaba Cloud, AsiaSat, Bounty Media, Digital Ocean, InMobi, InvestHK, INVIDI, Kaltura, MEASAT, MediaKind, Nagra, Netflix, PubMatic, SES, Vuulr, Xandr.

About the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA)

AVIA is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia-Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy and provides insight into the video industry to support a vibrant industry ecosystem.

About Create Hong Kong

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. Website: www.createhk.gov.hk

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market 2020 Finalists Announced

SINGAPORE, Nov 6, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – ScreenSingapore today announced finalists for the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market 2020.

Ten projects from China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were selected based on the project's co-production viabilities and the strength of the filmmaking team.

This year's SAFF Project Market sees entries coming in from 14 countries and regions across Asia, Europe and North America, including first-timers from Finland, France, and Iran.

Taking Asian Storytelling to the World

Since its launch in 2015, the SAFF Project Market has emerged as a recognised regional platform for established and upcoming content creators to come together and present their projects to the international marketplace.

Finalists will be able to meet with financiers, commissioners, and investors – albeit virtually this year – who will be able to bridge them with the resources needed to take their projects to a global audience.

Selected projects will join the ranks of SAFF Project Market alumni who have seen their projects produced, undergo production, or acquire financing.

"The SAFF Project Market funnels expertise and resource from people all-over the world and brings them 'to-the-table' with filmmakers for projects that have the potential for a world-wide audience. Their input gave me different perspectives that have been beneficial to the projects that we have in-development," said Anne Prado-Magadia, President, Atom & Anne Mediaworks, and a previous participant.

"SAFF Project Market creates concrete linkages between creators and buyers. The network is definitely getting bigger every year and we're always building new relationships with producers, financiers and distributors from the region and beyond," said Micah Tadena, Producer, Quantum Run, and also a previous participant.

Finalists for Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market 2020:
http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/598/Annex.pdf
Image download: https://we.tl/t-FIkQdXO1hk

Enabling Southeast Asia Partnerships in Media

Held alongside the SAFF Project Market is ScreenSingapore's SAFF Forum. The theme for this year's SAFF Forum – Southeast Asian Partnerships in Media: Content, Connectivity & Capability – will be centred on the changing landscape of content buying to discussing concepts that will lend fresh perspectives in Southeast Asian co-productions.

The fixed-timing afternoon sessions across all four days during ATF Online+ 2020 is not only a new format but will also be live streamed while meetings take place during the closed door SAFF Project Market Speed Dating sessions. Participants can attend the conference sessions while waiting for their meeting time slot.

Initial line-up of speakers and panellists for the SAFF Forum include:
– Abhi Rastogi, CEO, 108 Media
– Himanshu Shah, Owner, AV8 Media Pte Ltd
– Jeremy Chua, Founder, Potocol
– Rashid Karim, CEO, Iskandar Malaysia Studios
– Anthony Tulloch, General Manager, Iskandar Malaysia Studios
– Elliot Renton, Senior Director & Head of Asia-Pacific, Grabyo

Bridging Asian and European Producers

TIES THAT BIND (TTB), a workshop programme which combines producer training, project development and co-production meetings focusing on co-operation between European and Asian producers, returns this year as part of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore's line-up of events.

Five Asian and five European producers with their projects under development, have been selected to be part of the workshop which will take place online from 16 to 30 November 2020.

The selected producers will also have the opportunity to meet decision-makers at the ATF Online+ platform from 1 to 4 December 2020.

The line-up of decision-makers they stand to meet are:
– Alexis Hofmann of BAC Films (France)
– Bugno Vincenzo of World Cinema Fund (Germany)
– Carole Baraton of Charades (France)
– Charles Tesson of Aide aux cinemas du monde & Semaine de la critique Cannes (France)
– Emilie Serres of Orange Studio (France)
– Georges Goldenstern of Cinefondation (France)
– Keiko Funato of Alpha Violet (France)
– Per-Eirik Gilsvik of Sorfond (Norway)

Justin Deimen, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), which coorganises the SAFF Project Market and Forum, said, "SAAVA is excited to present these films to the market as year on year, we continue to have an eclectic and electric mix of projects from established and emerging voices in the region, even while the industry pivots to new ways of connecting to each other and keeping business lines open."

Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF and ScreenSingapore, said, "Our digital platform facilitates a smooth exchange of ideas and expertise between Asian producers and decision makers from the rest of the world. This is a great opportunity for Asian storytelling to go the distance, and we are encouraged by the level of support and participation received for our new format this year".

ScreenSingapore's SAFF Project Market and Forum, and TTB meetings will take place virtually at ATF Online+ from 1 – 4 December 2020. TTB workshops begin earlier on 16 November. ScreenSingapore is part of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF).

About ScreenSingapore 2020

ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia's definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape.

In 2020, ScreenSingapore will once again host the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international co-producing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg

About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region's leading entertainment content event – is the platform of calibre to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry's top players from around the world. It's where the best minds meet and the future of Asia's content is shaped.

ATF facilitates opportunities to discover vital trends, crucial statistics and significant foresight particularly in TV's digital, kids and formats arenas. Its business match-making programme open doors to new connections in the region. With over 5,700 international buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries and regions, ATF presents valuable business prospects for topof-the-line benefits. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com

About Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA)

The Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), a non-profit association that seeks to unify media producers and media financiers in the region. The association's mission is to advance creative development across the region, promote Southeast Asian audio-visual content and capabilities internationally, as well as stimulate business collaborations between its members. SAAVA's current board of directors include Teo Yi-Ling, Justin Deimen, and Yeo Kok Siew.

About Reed Exhibitions (RX)

Reed Exhibitions is a leading global event organiser, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2019, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions' events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.reedexpo.com

About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)

The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia's leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for film, TV and digital media. Taking place from 26 November to 6 December 2020, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, and Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). SuperGamerFest will also be held in conjunction with SMF. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.

Press Contact
Ninemer Public Relations
Danielle Loh
Senior Account Manager
T: +65 9176 7502
E: danielleloh@ninemer.com

Janice Chew
Account Manager
T: +65 9685 7508
E: janicechew@ninemer.com

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market 2020 Finalists Announced

Singapore – Nov 6, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – ScreenSingapore today announced finalists for the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market 2020.

Ten projects from China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand were selected based on the project’s co-production viabilities and the strength of the filmmaking team.

This year’s SAFF Project Market sees entries coming in from 14 countries and regions across Asia, Europe and North America, including first-timers from Finland, France, and Iran.

Taking Asian Storytelling to the World

Since its launch in 2015, the SAFF Project Market has emerged as a recognised regional platform for established and upcoming content creators to come together and present their projects to the international marketplace.

Finalists will be able to meet with financiers, commissioners, and investors – albeit virtually this year – who will be able to bridge them with the resources needed to take their projects to a global audience.

Selected projects will join the ranks of SAFF Project Market alumni who have seen their projects produced, undergo production, or acquire financing.

“The SAFF Project Market funnels expertise and resource from people all-over the world and brings them ‘to-the-table’ with filmmakers for projects that have the potential for a world-wide audience. Their input gave me different perspectives that have been beneficial to the projects that we have in-development,” said Anne Prado-Magadia, President, Atom & Anne Mediaworks, and a previous participant.

“SAFF Project Market creates concrete linkages between creators and buyers. The network is definitely getting bigger every year and we’re always building new relationships with producers, financiers and
distributors from the region and beyond,” said Micah Tadena, Producer, Quantum Run, and also a previous participant.

Finalists for Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market 2020:
http://www.acnnewswire.com/clientreports/598/Annex.pdf
Image download: https://we.tl/t-FIkQdXO1hk

Enabling Southeast Asia Partnerships in Media

Held alongside the SAFF Project Market is ScreenSingapore’s SAFF Forum. The theme for this year’s SAFF Forum – Southeast Asian Partnerships in Media: Content, Connectivity & Capability – will be centred on the changing landscape of content buying to discussing concepts that will lend fresh perspectives in Southeast Asian co-productions.

The fixed-timing afternoon sessions across all four days during ATF Online+ 2020 is not only a new format but will also be live streamed while meetings take place during the closed door SAFF Project Market Speed Dating sessions. Participants can attend the conference sessions while waiting for their meeting time slot.

Initial line-up of speakers and panellists for the SAFF Forum include:

  • Abhi Rastogi, CEO, 108 Media
  • Himanshu Shah, Owner, AV8 Media Pte Ltd
  • Jeremy Chua, Founder, Potocol
  • Rashid Karim, CEO, Iskandar Malaysia Studios
  • Anthony Tulloch, General Manager, Iskandar Malaysia Studios
  • Elliot Renton, Senior Director & Head of Asia-Pacific, Grabyo

Bridging Asian and European Producers

TIES THAT BIND (TTB), a workshop programme which combines producer training, project development and co-production meetings focusing on co-operation between European and Asian producers, returns this year as part of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore’s line-up of events.

Five Asian and five European producers with their projects under development, have been selected to be part of the workshop which will take place online from 16 to 30 November 2020.

The selected producers will also have the opportunity to meet decision-makers at the ATF Online+ platform from 1 to 4 December 2020.

The line-up of decision-makers they stand to meet are:

  • Alexis Hofmann of BAC Films (France)
  • Bugno Vincenzo of World Cinema Fund (Germany)
  • Carole Baraton of Charades (France)
  • Charles Tesson of Aide aux cinémas du monde & Semaine de la critique Cannes (France)
  • Emilie Serres of Orange Studio (France)
  • Georges Goldenstern of Cinéfondation (France)
  • Keiko Funato of Alpha Violet (France)
  • Per-Eirik Gilsvik of Sorfond (Norway)

Justin Deimen, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), which coorganises the SAFF Project Market and Forum, said, “SAAVA is excited to present these films to the market as year on year, we continue to have an eclectic and electric mix of projects from established and emerging voices in the region, even while the industry pivots to new ways of connecting to each other and keeping business lines open.”

Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF and ScreenSingapore, said, “Our digital platform facilitates a smooth exchange of ideas and expertise between Asian producers and decision makers from the rest of the world. This is a great opportunity for Asian storytelling to go the distance, and we are encouraged by the level of support and participation received for our new format this year”.

ScreenSingapore’s SAFF Project Market and Forum, and TTB meetings will take place virtually at ATF Online+ from 1 – 4 December 2020. TTB workshops begin earlier on 16 November. ScreenSingapore is part of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF).

About ScreenSingapore 2020

ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia’s definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape.

In 2020, ScreenSingapore will once again host the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international co-producing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg

About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region’s leading entertainment content event – is the platform of calibre to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry’s top players from around the world. It’s where the best minds meet and the future of Asia’s content is shaped.

ATF facilitates opportunities to discover vital trends, crucial statistics and significant foresight particularly in TV’s digital, kids and formats arenas. Its business match-making programme open doors to new connections in the region. With over 5,700 international buyers and sellers from more than 60 countries and regions, ATF presents valuable business prospects for topof-the-line benefits. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com

About Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA)

The Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), a non-profit association that seeks to unify media producers and media financiers in the region. The association’s mission is to advance creative development across the region, promote Southeast Asian audio-visual content and capabilities internationally, as well as stimulate business collaborations between its members. SAAVA’s current board of directors include Teo Yi-Ling, Justin Deimen, and Yeo Kok Siew.

About Reed Exhibitions (RX)

Reed Exhibitions is a leading global event organiser, with more than 500 events in 30 countries. In 2019, Reed Exhibitions brought together more than 7m event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed Exhibitions’ events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 38 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX, a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. For more information, please visit www.reedexpo.com

About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)

The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia’s leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for film, TV and digital media. Taking place from 26 November to 6 December 2020, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore, and Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). SuperGamerFest will also be held in conjunction with SMF. For more information about the Singapore Media Festival, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.

Press Contact
Ninemer Public Relations
Danielle Loh
Senior Account Manager
T: +65 9176 7502
E: danielleloh@ninemer.com

Janice Chew
Account Manager
T: +65 9685 7508
E: janicechew@ninemer.com



Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com