Convenciones
Meet the Asian growth at the ATF 2013
The first day of ATF/ScreenSingapore was very dynamic: apart from the heavy attendance, there were many announcements about co-productions, co-developments and joint ventures, sales and distribution deals, as well as new audiovisual associations. The show is in a good shape in all senses: at the marketplace, where the corridors were full of people during most of the first day, and at the sessions, with a record of 28 panels lead by 69 key executives.The first day of ATF/ScreenSingapore was very dynamic: apart from the heavy attendance, there were many announcements about co-productions, co-developments and joint ventures, sales and distribution deals, as well as new audiovisual associations. The show is in a good shape in all senses: at the marketplace, where the corridors were full of people during most of the first day, and at the sessions, with a record of 28 panels lead by 69 key executives.
‘Over the past 14 years, ATF has seen a year-on-year increase in participation, with this edition having a record breaking number of 16 international pavilions including debuts from Indonesia, Russia and South Korea. There is also significant increase in buyer activity from South Korea, Hong Kong and China, and first-time attending buyers from Brazil, Canada, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Netherlands and Norway’, summarized Michelle Lim, managing director, Reed Exhibitions, during the Opening Ceremony.
After Lim, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, minister for Communications and Information of Singapore, highlighted: ‘The prospects for the global filmed entertainment sector continue to be bright. Asia is at the centre of this growth, where spending on entertainment is fuelled by a rising middle class with high disposable incomes. China became the fastest-growing filmed entertainment market in the world, with an expected CAGR of 14.7% from 2012 to 2017, followed by Thailand at 10.5% and India at 9.9%. The North American and European markets are expected to register a growth of 1% to 3% over the same period’.
Regarding markets, Singapore is the star celebrating this year its 50th Anniversary of broadcasting. ‘By the end of 2013 all seven MediaCorp free-to-air channels will begin digital broadcasting alongside analogue TV. Viewers will be able to enjoy a better TV viewing experience’, completed Ibrahim.
Several announcements took place the first day of ATF. MediaCorp has acquired from Malaysian animation studio Animasia the 39-episode Supa Strikas series and Bola Kampung The Movie, that will be broadcast on Suria. It has also acquired the latest season of the hit preschool franchise Hi-5, Hi5 House (Season 14), as well as the entire back catalogue of the past 13 seasons to be aired on both, okto and Toggle platform.
The new network launched at ATF, The Dive Channel, announced a partnership with M2B Asia Pacific (a fully owned subsidiary of Amaru) for a dedicated channel on WOWtv (Singapore) that will help to extend its reach to over 100 million viewers worldwide. It will also debut in the Chinese market with a run of 20 documentaries series, a dive-related variety show and a sports diving program.
Singapore’s Infinite Studios, through its sister company, PT Kinema, signed a joint venture with Indonesia’s Screenplay Productions to produce a slate of Indonesian theatrical feature films. Six movies with a total budget of USD 4 million will be produced within the deal. Mike Wiluan, chief executive, Infinite Studios, and Wicky Olindo, director at Screenplay, agreed: ‘There is great potential for the Indonesian movie industry thanks to the deep talent pool and market demand which has not been fully tapped’.
Brainstorm, a program on SMG’ China Business News TV (CBNTV) will make its production debut in Singapore on 6 Dec. 2013, jointly produced in Singapore and New York by CBNTV, StarHub Cable TV (Singapore) and MyChinaChannel.
Lastly, yesterday it was launched the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), a non-profit organization created by films producers to strengthening regional alliances and partnerships. Chan Gin Kai, financer and founding member, stated: ‘With the explosion of local production and growing media infrastructure, it is needed a strategic support and representative bodies in place to protect and properly utilize IP across platforms for international distribution and investment’. Kai, also executive producer at Silver Media Group (Singapore), has inked three Memorandums of Understanding to produce films for audiences worldwide with Los Angeles based Ford Movie Group.
Year to year, the gap between film and TV industries is smaller and ATF/ScreenSingapore is the best proof of this trend: the opportunities are optimized by gathering both businesses at the same place. Actually, next year, the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) and Asian Television Awards will be co-located with ATF and ScreenSingapore to form a larger-scale and multi-faceted event.
Fabricio Ferrara