These six film projects, selected from 170 applications, are assessed to have high commercial potential.
CANNES – 07 MAY 2024
- Six Singaporean and Taiwanese film projects with high commercial potential are set to take the spotlight at the prestigious Cannes Film Market for potential collaborations. Coached by highly acclaimed international filmmakers, these projects are developed under the script accelerator initiative EMERGE 2.0, a partnership between the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) and Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), which aims to create authentic and premium feature film intellectual property (IP) with global appeal.
- These six projects were selected out of 170 applications, following a rigorous selection process. They then underwent an intensive 12-week script development and pitch training supervised by Imagine Entertainment and Sixty Percent Productions, with guest lectures and guidance by top Hollywood and Asia producers including Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13), Sukee Chew, Trey Callaway (“9-1-1 Lonestar”), Derek Tsang (“3 Body Problem”, Better Days), Jojo Hui (The Warlords) and Pawo Choyning Dorji (Lunana, The Monk and the Gun).
- Mr Justin Ang, Executive Chair of the Singapore Film Commission (SFC), said, “We are proud and excited to present these six projects with TAICCA at Cannes. EMERGE 2.0 has been a huge opportunity for Singapore’s filmmakers where they got to work directly from the best in Hollywood and Asia and they now have the chance to pitch at Cannes, one of the most prestigious film events in the world. We can’t wait to see these films come to life and bring more Asian stories to the global stage.”
- Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) Chairperson Mr Homme Tsai said “Taiwan possesses abundant talents in the audiovisual industry and diverse original content. Through EMERGE 2.0, Taiwan aims to align with international market trends in audiovisual content development, creating original and high-quality IPs with global appeal. It is expected that these works will attract partners and investors at the Marché du Film, leading to the production of high-quality titles.”
- “Asia’s rich tapestry of diversity and intricacies is a strength that we want to utilise in story-telling to captivate global audiences. The involvement of the Singapore Film Commission in EMERGE 2.0 adds new synergy within the collective Chinese-language territories. We are immensely proud of the fellows hailing from Singapore and Taiwan, as well as the remarkable feature projects that they have created over the 12-week programme. We look forward to fruitful discussions with stakeholders as we showcase these six projects in Cannes,” Janice Chua from Imagine Entertainment and Cora Yim from Sixty Percent Production jointly said.
- Featuring a diverse range of genres and storytelling styles, these six projects promise to captivate global audiences with their innovative narratives and talented filmmakers at the helm. From gripping thrillers to heartfelt dramas, each film offers a unique perspective on life, love, and the human experience.
- From Singapore, the film The Damned, a horror film penned by Michael Tay and Karl Gan, plunges viewers into a realm of consequences and sins as one tries to escape the after-world through a ritual called the Hell’s Pawn. Meanwhile, Forget Me Not, a comedy action film by Wai Thong Chow (Snow in Midsummer) and Link Sng (Geylang), promises a blend of humour and action as an aspiring Singaporean background performer navigates the adventures of her new identity post plastic surgery mishap in Bangkok; while Do Not Go Gentle Into The Good Night, a fantastical drama by Kang Sheng Tang and Zhi Qi Yeo, invites viewers on a poignant journey of a wife who chooses a treatment to prevent memories loss from her Alzheimer’s diagnosis so that she can seize control of her life once more.
- On the Taiwanese front, My NPC Lover, a romance comedy sci-fi project by Ariel Liu, delves into the identity of Gen Z in the real world as the protagonist endeavours to prevent her friend, a non-player character, from being eliminated by the game developer. Next, Spring’s Around The Corner, a drama comedy by Holly Chan and Jin Liao, intricately weaves a heart-warming and delicious tale of an Indonesian immigrant mother and her daughter forging a sense of belonging in Taiwan through their culinary aspirations. Lastly, Close to You, a crime thriller and romance by Seamo Hsieh, delves into the complexities of love and sacrifice through the perspective of an AI humoid.
- All six projects will be exclusively presented at the upcoming Cannes Film Market at a closed-door pitching session on 16 May where potential collaborators and investors have been invited.
- The SFC and TAICCA first announced the EMERGE partnership in December last year at the Asia Television Forum, part of the Singapore Media Festival. This collaboration marks the first time SFC has joined forces with TAICCA and their partners – Imagine Entertainment and Sixty Percent Productions – to support the development of Chinese-language feature film scripts.
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EMERGE 2.0 participants with guest lecturer, Trey Callaway. -
EMERGE 2.0 participants with guest lecturer, Ron Howard.
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