ASIA IS NOW: CELEBRATING ASIAN STORYTELLING  

Singapore presents over 540 hours of quality content for a global audience at MIPCOM 2019

This year, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)  leads a delegation of 18 Singapore media companies to MIPCOM 2019, presenting over 540 hours of compelling stories from Singapore and Asia across 60 titles. The Singapore companies at the market will present the best of Asian storytelling, from innovative, emerging formats and stories that explore Asian culture, to international collaborations that bring Asian stories to the world.

Venturing into virtual and augmented reality | Innovative Storytelling and Fresh Formats  

• Antares International Media will present 360 Icefjord in Greenland—a riveting, 360degree visual documentary of Ilulissat Icefjord. Embark on a virtual journey to one of the northernmost UNESCO Heritage sites and revel in the sights and sounds of this magnificent, awe-inspiring natural phenomenon. Incorporating virtual reality into education, the company will also showcase Fun Learning, which makes science topics fun and easy-to-understand for students all over the world. Created by professionals and teachers, the series is currently available in Chinese, with the English edition in production.
• The PhoenIX is an animated science-fiction series in virtual reality that follows a diverse group of characters as they race against time to unite humankind against an unknown enemy. Produced by Warrior9 VR, the series combines the power of virtual reality and impactful storytelling, leaving audiences with a thrilling, visceral narrative experience.
• Award-winning animation and interactive studio Omens Studios returns with Counting With Paula in its fourth and fifth seasons. Taking the format of an infotainment programme, the series features Paula and her friends as they go on exciting adventures in colourful and exotic places to solve problems and have fun with numbers throughout their travels. The series features its very own Augmented Reality (AR) app, which allows viewers to utilise image recognition technology to do basic math computations using flash cards and other visual materials.

Exploring Asia | Capturing the rich stories and cultures of the region

• Singapore’s Darpan Global participates in MIPCOM for the first time, presenting Talaa Chaabi (Lock and Key) that tells the dramatic story of what happens when the keys to the border gate on the highly volatile Indo-Pakistan border go missing; and Antardhaan (The Disappearance), which narrates the breakdown of a family’s idyllic rural life following the disappearance of a child; Both titles are produced in Hindi, Bengali and Urdu.
• Chips and Toon’s Mak Ninja features an ordinary auntie, Mak Long, who transforms into a super-skilled ninja avenger called Mak Ninja. With her sidekick Kambing, Mak Ninja fights villains while doing her regular shopping rounds at the local markets.
• Ying Group’s food travelogue, titled Weird Food Diaries, follows avid foodie Rozz Lee as she explores Asia’s most bizarre eats. Join Rozz as she ventures across Vietnam, Cambodia, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines, trying everything from exotic street food to haute cuisine.
• In the fifth edition of the series distributed by Mediacorp, Wild City: Secret World explores the tiny inhabitants of Singapore’s forests and urban environment. From banded bullfrogs in rain-sodden drains to predatory mantises that hunt in suburban gardens, countless wildlife thrive and propagate alongside the island’s busy commuters and residents, who remain largely oblivious to the work going on under their feet.
• Critically-acclaimed non-dialogue animation series Oddbods by local animation company One Animation returns with a new season of seven friends surviving the perils of everyday life, where ordinary situations spiral into extraordinary events. Season 2 has been nominated for an International Emmy Kids Award in 2019, and the series has been shown on OTT platforms Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Video.

Celebrating made-with-Singapore content | International collaborations that bring Asian stories to the world

• Beach House Pictures, a Blue Ant Media production company and one of Asia’s largest indies, partnered with CCTV9 to co-produce a five-part documentary series, Art of Craft. The series is Singapore’s first co-production with CCTV9, China’s national channel on factual programming, and explores the passion, authenticity and unusual skill of modern-day master craftsmen and artists. The series follows these craftsmen’s’ pursuit of perfection in the worlds of glass blowing, embroidery, violin making and other intricate crafts.
• Sparky Animation and The Jim Henson Company have once again come together to co-produce an all-new season of the six-time Emmy-nominated and Parents’ Choice Silver Honour series, Dinosaur Train. Now into its fifth season, the series has seen popularity with international audiences, having aired in over 175 countries across the globe with key broadcast partners, including TVO and TFO (Canada), Nickelodeon (UK), Disney Channel (Germany), France 5 (France), RTVE Clan (Spain) SVT (Sweden), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland), Canal+ (Poland) and Channel 1 (Russia).
• Sparky Animation will also present a brand-new co-production with Emofront and Presto Music Production, titled Rhythm Warriors. A magical comedy targeted at 4 to 7 year olds, Rhythm Warriors features strong core values of teamwork and friendship through mad-cap adventures in the fantastical world of Rhythmos, as heroes battle to save their planet in the most unique way. The wildly entertaining show uses real rhythmic notation as the mystical codes to be unlocked in each episode.
• Journey of Long follows a trouble-maker dragon, Long, as he adapts to life in the city in pursuit of his dream to become a chef. Co-produced by August Media Holdings and Korean animation company Studio Gale, the heart-warming tale documents Long’s relentless quest to realise his dream, despite the many obstacles.

THE SINGAPORE MEDIA FESTIVAL 2019: ASIA IS NOW

• Rounding off the series of international media events at the end of the year is the Singapore Media Festival (SMF). The sixth edition of the Singapore Media Festival returns from 21 November to 8 December 2019, with an expanded line-up and strong spotlight on propelling the voices of Asian talent.
• The event will see wider offerings for both industry players and the public alike- across film, television, comics and popular culture, digital video content, VR and AR technology, and more- with new avenues for emerging players and talent to be part of the region’s vibrant ecosystem.
• This year, over 50,000 thought leaders, creative professionals and members of the public from Asia and around the world are expected to be a part of the festival, more than double the number last year.
• The Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), part of SMF, will be aired in more countries around the region, allowing a greater audience to be part of celebrations marking the pinnacle of Asia’s content and media creation. AAA will see some of the region’s top celebrities in attendance this year, when it is held over 5 and 6 December at the Victoria Theatre. The Academy will also be announcing the list of Regional Winners during the Singapore Party on 15 October 2019.
• A flagship annual event organised by IMDA, the SMF is Southeast Asia’s leading international media event that serves as a platform to showcase and recognise the best of Asian storytelling, bringing together Asian talent from around the region to network, connect and collaborate.
• SMF 2019 consists of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore (SS), Asian Academy Creative Awards (AAA), and this year’s new addition, Singapore Comic Con (SGCC). Held in conjunction with SMF 2019, VidCon will also be bringing its Asian debut to Singapore with the two-day VidCon Asia summit.
• The festival has established itself as a must-attend event in this part of the world, gathering influential, promising and prominent names from the region. In 2018, the festival welcomed an attendance of over 23,000 delegates and festival attendees from over 50 countries.

Source：IMDA