Celebrating Asian storytelling: Singapore presents over 450 hours of diverse content for a global audience

SINGAPORE – This year, Singapore’s Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) will lead a delegation of 15 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2017, presenting over 450 hours of compelling stories from Asia across 50 titles. The Singapore companies at the market range from animation and factual content producers such as Tiny Island Productions, Monstrou Studio and Beach House Pictures, to distributors like Ying Group and Silver Wolf International. 

·         HALFWORLDS is an original dark action fantasy series produced by HBO Asia with Singapore-based Infinite Studios. Helmed by Thai filmmaker Ekachai Uekrongtham, season two of HALFWORLDS widens the universe established in the first season, shifting from the back alleys of Jakarta to the neon streets of Bangkok, where a tenacious researcher named Juliet tries to uncover a hidden world of demons and gets more than she bargained for. The series has received critical acclaim across Asia, and features an ensemble cast of actors from Thailand, Indonesia, The Philippines and Taiwan.

 

·         From the native Portuguese of Macau, to Nigerians raised in Korea – Strangers at Home explores the lives of minority communities in Asia, who though locally born and raised, are forced to adapt and cope with the challenges brought about by their unique identities as ‘foreigners’ in their homeland. Produced by The Moving Visuals Co., the Chinese-language documentary is available in market for the first time.

 

·         A neo-noir film set in Southeast Asia, The Block is a contemporary thriller and romantic love story that runs into themes of darkness, eroticism and violence. Directed by Singapore filmmaker Leonard Yip, the fiction feature is produced by M’GO FILMS and supported by the Singapore Film Commission, and is currently in development.

 

·         Special Delivery is a brand new television series capturing ‘the meaning behind a journey’, and is conceptualised around unique humanitarian missions that bring change and improvement to people around Asia – from a mail delivery to a Chinese village that communicates with the outside world solely via its postal system, to the delivery of medicine and other essentials to communities living in remote areas. The original show is distributed by Singapore-based Ying Group.

 

·         Pre-school animated TV series Counting with Paula features Paula and her friends as they go on exciting adventures to colourful and exotic places, solving problems while teaching children about numbers, math, shapes and more in a fun and entertaining way. The popular series is available on global platforms such as Amazon Prime, Kidoodle.tv, and Kakao Kids, as well as on a brand new companion Augmented Reality (AR) mobile app that leverages the curriculum established in the television series. Produced by Omen Studios, the programme’s third season is expected to premiere in February 2018.

 

·         The Adventures of Sherlock Sam follows the mystery-solving exploits of smart, witty and observant 12-year-old, Samuel Tan Cher Lock (a.k.a. Sherlock Sam), and his robot Watson, as they solve cases in and around their Asian city home. The new series is adapted from Singapore publisher Epigram Books’ award-winning children’s book of the same title, and is produced by August Media Holdings.

·         Salam Ramadan Italy & Salam Ramadan Taiwan follows the lives of Muslims living in Italy and Taiwan, and how they observe Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. The info-edutainment series is produced and distributed by Monstrou Studio, and presents the narratives of individuals from these local communities in an engaging and entertaining fashion. Both shows are currently in post-production.

·         Abigail’s Tales introduces Abigail Moon, who, armed with her imagination and a love for stories, dives into the world’s most famous tales to solve nagging mysteries and discover alternate happy endings for everyone! Mining classic tales from The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Mother Goose, and more, this animated children series by One Animation looks to explore stories in ways that promote creativity, problem-solving, and empathy. It is available in market for partnership and distribution opportunities for the first time.

 

·         Hiccup & Sneeze is a live action puppetry pre-school series, produced by Beach House Pictures and Northern Pictures. Returning to the trade market with a new third season this year, viewers can look forward to more fun and educational experiences with the lovable forest monsters Hiccup, Sneeze, and everyone’s favourite friend, Bibi.

 

·         Celebrity Car Wars 2 returns this year with a brand new season of highly-entertaining motoring action and rivalry, new challenges on the road, and six new charismatic high-profile celebrities from across Asia, all racing to enter the Celebrity Car Wars Hall of Fame. Produced by activeTV, this reality series leaves viewers with motoring knowledge in a fun and animated manner.

 

·         International trade partners can meet and network with the Singapore delegation during Singapore Hour, taking place on Monday 16 October, 4pm – 5pm at the Singapore Pavilion (P-1.C16, P-1.D15). Highlights of the upcoming Singapore Media Festival 2017 will also be available then.

·         Rounding off the series of international media events at the end of the year is the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), held in Singapore from 23 November to 3 December 2017.

 

·         A flagship annual event organised by IMDA, the SMF is Southeast Asia’s leading international media event celebrating the importance of innovative storytelling in Asia. SMF brings together established events across film, television, digital and immersive media, including the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asian Television Awards (ATA), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), ScreenSingapore (SS), and the Festival’s keystone digital event, SMF Ignite.

 

·         In line with the festival’s aim of driving investment opportunities into the region through collaborations, SMF 2017 will be spotlighting Indonesia as its very first Country-of-Focus. Commemorating 50 years of Singapore-Indonesia bilateral and diplomatic ties, the festival will highlight Indonesia’s rich stories, talents and achievements across all of its constituent events. Initiatives in the festival celebrating Indonesia include curated screenings of Indonesian films; a large Market presence with a dedicated Indonesian Lounge; a full-day digital content creation workshop between Singapore and Indonesian digital creators as part of SMF Ignite, and more.

 

·         In 2016, SMF saw the attendance of over 20,000 media and creative professionals, industry thought-leaders, and fans of television and film from around the world. A total of 161 feature-length and short films from 52 countries were showcased, while over US$244 million worth of deals and partnerships were made during the festival.