Chapter 2.2
Going Global
Showcasing Singapore’s media content and talents on the world stage is key in opening new markets and forging more partnerships. During the year in review, MDA continued to support activities and initiatives that help local media companies and professionals gain greater international exposure.
Europe
At the Cannes Film Festival in May 2015, MDA hosted a Singapore Networking Party attended by 70 members of the local and international film industry.
Also at Cannes was MDA’s Media Education Scholar Kirsten Tan to promote her first feature film Popeye. The film was Singapore’s highlight at the Festival and was selected for the 11th Cinéfondation’s L’Atelier 2015, a segment which connects promising filmmakers with established industry professionals.
The 4th International Emmy® Kids Awards was also held at Cannes, which saw the screening of MDA-supported telemovie, Spelling Armadillo, as part of the nomination process. The telemovie was nominated in the category “Kids: TV Movie/ Mini-Series” and was the first Southeast Asian production to be nominated in this category.
MDA led 16 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2015 in Cannes from 5 to 8 October 2015, armed with more than 600 hours of local content across the factual, drama, infotainment, lifestyle and kids genres. Notable milestones at MIPCOM 2015 include:
Award-winning animation studio Omens Studios made its trade market debut at the event with Leo the Wildlife Ranger and Gnome.
Hub Media Group was appointed by FiTA Studios Malaysia as the exclusive worldwide distributor for their film Chowrasta. FiTA will also co-invest in three Hub Media co-productions: The Eco-Warriors, Project Inspire and Batoor: A Refugee’s Journey.
The offering of original Singapore formats and content with Asian appeal, which included titles such as Instant Noodles Diary, Master Chefs and Cash Cab Asia.
Beach House Pictures announced a co-production deal with Canadian production company Breakthrough Entertainment for the tween TV series Mr Midnight.
North America
The Singapore skyline took centre stage in the Hollywood film Hitman: Agent 47, with iconic buildings such as the Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands making their maiden appearance on the big screen. This was the result of a coordinated effort to attract more international productions to use Singapore as a location.
As evidenced by Hitman: Agent 47, such efforts have a positive spillover effect on the Singapore media industry. The movie involved more than 150 Singaporean talents, including fresh graduates, who got the opportunity to work on the film and learn first-hand from the best in the industry.
Besides attracting media companies to use Singapore as a production or location base, MDA also paved the way for local firms to make their foray into North America. For example, MDA set up a Singapore Game Box Pavilion to help 12 local game developers promote their offerings and connect with the international community at the Game Developers Conference 2016. The event was held in San Francisco, California from 14 to 18 March 2016.
“When I heard that we had the opportunity to shoot in Singapore and that it had never really been featured on the big screen, I went there a year before to scout it. And wow, Gardens by the Bay – I had never seen such views before!”
ALEKSANDER BACH
Director of Hitman: Agent 47
Asia
Asia remains a key audience for Singapore’s media content, with MDA and local companies consistently making a strong showing at key trade markets here.
MDA hosted a Singapore Pavilion at the China International Film & TV Programs Exhibition 2015 in Beijing from 20 to 21 August 2015.
A delegation of 36 local companies also headed to the Hong Kong International Film & TV Market 2016, held from 14 to 17 March 2016. The delegation offered more than 180 hours of film and television programmes for international sale and distribution.
At KL Converge! 2015, MDA led four media companies – GameStart Asia, mm2 Entertainment, The Moving Visuals Co and Papahan Films – to exhibit at the Singapore pavilion. The Singapore contingent also seized the opportunity to spotlight other local media events and content, such as Royston Tan’s film 3688, the Singapore Media Festival 2015 and GameStart Asia 2015.
MDA led 10 local game companies to ChinaJoy 2015 in Shanghai, China from 30 July to 2 August 2015. It was double joy for Singapore as two major deals were signed by local developers:
- Autumn Interactive will have Chinese company Zplay publish their game Autumn 3K in the China market.
- Crimson Games signed a software licence agreement with Chinese company Shanghai Boyojoy Network Technology Co Ltd. to publish Pirate Crusader in the European and Southeast Asian markets.
“The seeds that were planted from meetings at last year's HK Filmmart came to bear fruit for our company this year. Our media business is built off of quality productions that can sell, but more importantly, it's the relationships you build at these international markets.”
CHRISTIAN LEE
Producer and Co-Founder of BananaMana Films
The launch of Digital Matters, a new constituent event showcasing the use of new media in branding content.
The Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association and ScreenSingapore partnered to launch the first ever Southeast Asian Film Financing Forum and Project Market. This new initiative helps filmmakers in the region attract investors and stimulate collaborations between local and international players.
The other constituent events, Asia TV Forum and Market, and ScreenSingapore, attracted over 5,000 media executives from 60 countries, while 3,000 guests attended the Asian Television Awards.
The 26th Singapore International Film Festival drew over 14,000 people from across the region with 146 short and feature films, and wrapped up with 14 sold‑out screenings.
“Our stronger focus on digital content at this year’s SMF promotes greater collaboration and partnership across the film, TV and digital sectors - a key differentiator from other traditional film and TV events. The new elements at this year’s SMF also strengthen investment opportunities for media players, establishing SMF’s valued position as a key connector and platform for global media players venturing into Asia, and for Asian media professionals going global.”
MDA supported the Games Solution Centre pavilion at GameStart Asia 2015, which ran from 13 to 15 November 2015 and received about 17,000 visitors. Sixteen local developers participated, including Witching Hour Studios, XII Braves and Daylight Studios, which hosted their own booths. MDA also supported GameStart Asia’s exclusive mobile game for this event, which featured some of the SG50 game characters.
During the year in review, DigiPen Game Studios (DGS) opened its doors in July 2015. Established by DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore with support from MDA, this initiative helps developers make and publish games, starting with the Nintendo 3DS platform. DGS will organise annual technical conferences for third party developers, where shortlisted projects can receive support from MDA.
“Thanks to strong support from key partners like MDA, GameStart has grown from strength to strength since our first event, and we’ve been able to give more exposure to our local talents, which is one of GameStart Asia’s objectives.”
ELICIA LEE
Organiser of GameStart