ATF 2012: Asia is ready for business

Prensario notices that nowadays the focus is set not only on China and India (the big Asian brothers): there is a consolidation trend in Southeast Asia (SEA) with more local and regional producers offering its contents within the region. New distributors from Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka are attending the show for the first time, some of them playing a strategic double role as buyers and sellers.

On the buyer side, there are new companies from Cambodia (Hang Meas Radio & HDTV Station) and Vietnam (distributors Viet Content and Nhat Anh), two of the countries being spotlighted by the organizer along with Myanmar. All of them are now opened to international media investments (True Corp is entering in the Cambodian Pay TV market) and big brands (Coca Cola, etc.) are disembarking, changing the markets behavior. 

99% of Cambodians own a TV set and there is a growing Internet penetration (3.1%), while 67 Vietnamese broadcasters manage 899 TV stations. In Myanmar, TV is the king with 67% of consumption in cities and 39% in rural areas, but Internet penetration is the lowest in SEA: 0.7%. 

During the opening ceremony, Michelle Lim, managing director of ATF, confirmed the attendance of 4,000 sellers and buyers from 60 countries, an increase of 14% in comparison to 2011. She summarized: ‘There are 539 buying companies from 36 countries and 12 international pavilions (US, UK and Australia are among the new ones); we have strong US Studios presence with CBS, MGM, NBCUniversal and Miramax; and, there are 30 conference sessions’.

The executive highlights the increasing collaboration among Asian companies with more co-production deals. ‘On Thursday, we will premiere The Wedding Diary II, a drama movie developed by Singapore and Malaysia, with cast from both countries as well as from Taiwan and Hong Kong’. Along with Yeo Chun Cheng, assistant chief executive (industry) of MDA Singapore, Lim launched MIPAcademy, as the first part of en alliance with MIPTV & MIPCOM closed in 2011, which will make its debut on ATF 2013.

Yaacob Ibrahim, minister for Communications and Information of Singapore, was the guest of honor. ‘Singapore is booming in three main areas: first, there are more independent producers doing 360° developments; online distribution is taking the market to a new era; and there is a rising film industry with 13 projects to premiere in 2013’.

Singapore largest national broadcaster MediaCorp will launch early next year its OTT service, Toggle. ‘Singaporeans will accede to the contents of the seven channels of the group, while local production will be available just 6 hours after telecast’, said Ibrahim, who adds that MediaCorp is launching its drama series 96° C Cafe first on xinMSN (February) and then on free TV (April).

China-Singapore Dialogue: TV production opportunities & Challenges in China was organized by Shanghai Media Group, CCTV (China) and MediaCorp, and gathered more than 50 attendees: ‘Singaporean companies are trying to understand better the Chinese market and this is a way to join producers from both sides’, was highlighted.   

The most recent Malaysian news is the changes in the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS). Ym Raja Rozaimie is the new director general of the entity. Along with Datuk Md Afendi, chairman of FINAS, they highlighted to Prensario the organization in March 26-29, 2013, of Kuala Lumpur Content & Communications International Market (KLCCIM). Today, there is a lunch hosted by the Malaysian delegation with the purpose of promoting the market and developing new business with local companies.

By Fabricio Ferrara

First report: ATF 2012: new players in the attractive Asian scenario