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PREVIEW
ROAD TO ATF 2021
iQIYI
Brought to you by
TENCENT VIDEO
BESTV+
WETV
YOUKU
WELCOME MESSAGE Dear Industry Friends, It has been 2 years since we last met in-person at ATF2019 in Singapore. I hope everyone is keeping well, as we safely transit into the new normal. The 22nd edition of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) will go hybrid this December. ATF’s digital platform – the ATF Online+ – goes live from 1 December 2021 and will stay fresh with content until June 2022. The ATF Opening Day will happen onsite at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on 1 December. This year, the AI-algorithm-powered Online+ platform aspires to enhance the experience to trade, network, and learn. This new version 2.0 is pre-loaded with fuller content and functionalities, based on users’ feedback. It will be enriched with a variety of curated programmes that include facilitating interactions during speed-dating & matchmaking events, sharing of industry insights through conferences, and staying updated via ATF magazines. The ATF Opening Day on 1 December at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, may not be our usual ATF, bustling with the presence of thousands of attendees from all over the world, but the Singapore gathering marks the progressive resumption of inperson engagements, which we sorely miss, as we look forward to welcoming 2022. As Asian storytelling and brands are capturing the imagination and attention of global audiences, 2021 has been a good year for Asian content with a slew of well-received content released. As a pivotal entertainment content market serving the Asian region for the last 22 years, ATF is proud to be part of the exciting ecosystem, championing the best of what Asia has to offer. In line with the theme of “Re-imaging TV, Vision 2022”, ATF will present a series of fireside chats with senior level executives, sharing forward-looking insights for the year ahead. Leading the line-up are leading executives from key Asian brands including, BestTV+, CJ E&M, iQiyi, KKBox, Migo, Mediacorp, Taiwan+, Tencent, TVING, Waave, WeTV, Viu and Zee. On behalf of the ATF team, I would like to thank all our industry partners and friends for your continued support and participation.
Yeow Hui Leng Group Project Director, Asia TV Forum & Market RX
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@ A GLANCE
! RED U T FEA
Featured Screenings Business Matchmaking ATF Animation Pitch 2021 ATF Formats Pitch 2021 ATF Chinese Pitch 2021 SEAScreen Project Market 2021
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Welcome Message
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New Digital Buyers
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Speed Daters 2021
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In Development
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Keynote Highlights
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CONTENTS
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An Event of
Hosted by
iNSiGHTS @ ATF 2021
EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION TEAM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lulu Mendoza WRITERS Marcus Goh Selina Tan Dinesh Pasrasurum DESIGNER Shellen Teh PHOTOGRAPHER Milton Tan VIDEO PRODUCTION Lim Eu-Jin (Reel Production) PROJECT MANAGEMENT GROUP PROJECT DIRECTOR Yeow Hui Leng SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Joyce Chua PROJECT COORDINATOR Jocelyn Phng BUYERS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Lim Li Min Samantha Lee EXHIBITORS & PARTICIPANTS SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Phua Meenyi ATF CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Lulu Mendoza PRODUCER ASSISTANT Khoo Hwee Lee MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER Hairol Salim OPERATIONS SENIOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE Karen Liew
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NEW BUYERS W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?
Lionsgate Eyes Universal Stories with Strong IP and Talent
Marc Lorber Senior VP Int’l TV Acquisitions & Co-Productions Lionsgate
When scouting for projects to acquire, content with strong underlying IP, or helmed and fronted by notable talent are some key considerations for Marc Lorber, Senior VP, International TV Acquisitions and CoProductions at Lionsgate. Compelling stories that feel universal, yet are unique and different from what’s already available, and can travel and find audiences, are standouts. Armed with this checklist at ATF, Marc is all set to meet with people with whom he
hasn’t yet the opportunity to talk with, while keeping an eye out for stories, at various stages of development, originating from anywhere. “Language is not the issue, rather returnable drama series, which perhaps have any combination of recognisable IP, known or notable writer or creator and/or lead director, any cast who really move the needles, and the involvement of an anchor broadcaster.” Projects that seem “well baked,” to which the company can add value and see closer to production from other considerations. When it comes down to deal making, the company offers the flexibility from deficit financing to traditional across a range of rights deals. If the message isn’t loud and clear – Lionsgate is out to shop at ATF and it’s an open market.
W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?
Looking for Asian Dramas & Dorama
Julia Kordis, Head of Digital Acquisition and Distribution, of More.TV, wants to meet with Asian sellers and find out what they have to offer in their line-up. She is looking to increase the content library for the Russian digital streamer, which positions itself as offering a selection of TV series, films and entertainment shows for the whole family, with SVOD and VOD subscription options.
At ATF, Julia is shopping for a mostly Asian line-up, with a focus on top dramas and dorama. She is interested in completed, offthe-shelf content that feature the newest IP with high-end production quality and is said payment terms are negotiable. Julia Kordis Head of Digital Acquisition & Distribution More.TV
W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?
Shopping for Historical & Family Dramas
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Nidal Monzer Acquisition Manage Noor Play
The Arabic video-on-demand streaming service Noor Play is shopping for historical and family drama series and films. “We’re looking for new and existing series, dating back to 2017 onwards. Language is not an issue, as long as the content is family-oriented with high production values,” said Nidal Monzer, Acquisition Manager, of Noor Play. She added that the preference is for finished products and the company is adopting a flat fee module.
At ATF, Nidal wants to be connected with, and build new business relationships with Asian partners. “It’s one of the few platforms committed to offering safe and familyoriented shows, respecting social and cultural values, with a distinctive viewing experience for the whole family,” she said. The company’s content library consists of drama series, films, animations, and kids’ programs. Nidal added that the company is always searching for world-class entertainment that appeals to its growing audience. The platform was recently reported to have acquired the latest period series, ‘Destan’, which will be streamed in Arabic, simultaneously with its broadcast in Turkey.
NEW BUYERS W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?
Aiming to Uncover Projects Exclusive to ATF Top on the list for many participants at ATF is to connect with their Asian counterparts and gain an unfiltered insight into the ongoings of the markets. Corey Schmalzle, Coordinator, International Programming, of AMC Networks, is excited to get a deeper understanding of the Asian television market beyond the companies and talent that he has previously collaborated with in development and co-productions. “We’ve already worked with several major companies and pieces of IP, and we’re excited to strengthen those relationships and find new opportunities for growth. While we’re not exclusively looking for Asian content, our goal is to use the time and meetings at ATF to get a broader sense of the exclusive projects that wouldn’t be brought to other international markets that we’ve attended,” he said. “ The company has gotten involved with projects from the onset stages of conception, to those that have completed their first seasons and are looking for co-production partners for subsequent seasons, and
everything in between. Corey added, “because of the flexibility in our creative process, we have the ability to search for a wide swath of IP, including IP from other forms of media such as books, graphic novels and more, formats for adaptation in the US market, new and existing series looking for co-production partners, and completed series for our library of AMC+ titles.” The company currently programmes for the linear channels AMC, BBC America and SundanceTV, in addition to its suite of streaming services comprised of AMC+, SundanceNow, and Acorn TV. “We have a wide slate of genres that we’re interested in, but we primarily focus on premium, hour long, live action dramas with the potential to return for multiple seasons. Our target for language preferences is 70% English / 30% local, but we’re open to looking at content that’s as much as 50% English / 50% local,” said Corey.
Corey Schmalzle Coordinator, International Programming AMC
W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?
Lina Hoeppner Head of Licensing & Distribution Bongo
Bongo Seeks to Acquire NonFiction, Reality and Game Shows At the top of Bongo’s agenda at ATF this year is to acquire completed non-fiction, reality content, and games shows. The South Asian OTT and VOD platform is poised to expand its entertainment catalogue with Korean, Thai, Chinese (only martial arts, kung fu, etc), Turkish and South Indian titles. According to Lina Hoeppner, Head of Licensing & Distribution at Bongo, the focus is to establish contact with new content providers and distributors in order to license content for the South Asia territory. Drama, romance, comedy, historical, action, and thriller are top genres sought out by consumers on the streaming platform.
provides unlimited access to its library of Bangladeshi video entertainment and international titles (Hollywood, Indian, Russian, Turkish, etc.). The company began as a channel on YouTube in 2014 before it expanded as a standalone app to users a year later. In addition to the video streaming service, it manages a network of YouTube channels and influencers, and reportedly has amassed over 83 million subscribers across its platforms.
Content that is readily available in Bengali or Hindi language is preferred, but Bongo is not closed off to acquiring titles in other languages, owing to its in-house dubbing facility and capability. Bongo offers a tiered subscription service – free access to selected content and a paid-premium option that 05
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SPEED DATING PROFILES RICHARD WANTS TO MEET Distribution Genre: Animation Main Role: Distribution & Production To Know More: WildBrain is looking for globally minded kids and family concepts to distribute. We are primarily interested in programmes which are fully funded or close to complete funding.
Richard Rowe Director of International Acquisitions WildBrain
Daisy Chen Commissioner - Doc Copro Tencent Video
Brenda Bisner Chief Content Officer Kidoodle.TV, Owned by A Parent Media Co Inc
PROFILES DAISY WANTS TO MEET
PROFILES BRENDA WANTS TO MEET
Production, Financier Genre: Documentary Series
Distribution Genre: Animation, Live Action
Main Role: Commissioner & Producer To Know More: Tencent Video Documentary Studio is looking for documentary series, as well as for international co-production projects. 08
Main Role: Buyer To Know More: Kidoodle.TV serves kids under 12 in over 160 countries.
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SPEED DATING PROFILES PROFILES MIL WANTS TO MEET KRISTINA WANTS TO MEET Production, Post-Production, Creatives Genre: Animation, Format, Drama, Any genre Main Role: Film Commission
To Know More: The FilmPhilippines Office facilitates the promotion of the Philippines as a highly viable filming destination for international productions. The FPO provides a one-stop-shop assistance service and other location and co-production incentives programs.
Production, Distribution Genre: Factual, non-fiction, documentaries Main Role: Responsible for the acquisition and coproduction of documentaries for ZDF, 3SAT, ZDF-ARTE and the digital channels ZDFinfo and ZDFneo To Know More: ZDF Enterprises GmbH is looking to implement international co-productions, license purchase for quality programs, market online rights and merchandise strong ZDF program brands.
Mil Alcain Unit Manager Film Development Council of the Philippines
Justin Deimen President – Production 108 Media
PROFILES JUSTIN WANTS TO MEET Production, Post-Production, Financier, Distribution, Creatives Genre: Animation, Format, Drama Main Role: Lead – Production To Know More: Underwriting and packaging over USD3M towards the acquisition of specialised literary properties and into extensive development of original concepts throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Recent focus includes original content production deals with the international teams, as well as regional and local players.
Kristina Hollstein Director Acquisitions & Co-productions Documentaries ZDF ZDF Enterprises GmbH 09
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SPEED DATING
Sai Abishek Director, Original Content, India/ South Asia Discovery Communications India
Kelly Kuo Deputy Director Taiwan+
Amanda Sun Director of International Co-Production & Investment (Kids) Alibaba-Youku
PROFILES SAI WANTS TO MEET
PROFILES KELLY WANTS TO MEET
Production, Post-Production, Creatives Genre: Format, Factual, Lifestyle
Production, Post-Production, Creatives Genre: Animation, Live Action
Main Role: Development, Commissioning Original Content To Know More: Discovery Communications India is looking at commissioning and developing projects in core factual and lifestyle genres for Discovery Plus.
Main Role: Supervise Original Productions of Programming Centre To Know More: Taiwan Plus (Taiwan+) is Taiwan’s first English-language video news and programming platform for an international audience. This new network will offer multimedia coverage of Taiwan, regional events and issues, and on any global topic that affects Taiwan.
PROFILES AMANDA WANTS TO MEET Production, Creativess Genre: Animation Main Role: Co-production & IP Investment Secondary Role: Acquisition To Know More: Youku is a leading multi-screen online video sharing and streaming platform in China and forms a key part of Alibaba Group Holding Limited Group’s digital media and entertainment business. 10
SPEED DATING
Lulu Prutton Co-Pro & Pre-Sale Agent Drive Media Rights
Josh Selig Founder & President China Bridge Content
PROFILES LULU WANTS TO MEET
PROFILES JOSH WANTS TO MEET
Creatives, Producers/Production companies Genre: Factual / Documentary
Creatives, Production, Financier, Distribution, Creatives Genre: Animation, Children’s Live Action & Mixed Media
Main Role: Co-production / Pre-sale finance agent (helping producers find extra finance ideas) To Know More: Wanting mostly English-speaking content. We are also a co-pro and pre-sales agent. We help producer with international ideas in the area of documentary/factual who are seeking finance for their project. Most of the time we require them to have interest from a domestic broadcaster which perhaps cannot commit to the full budget. We’re able to help the producer find this deficit finance.
Main Role: Create and co-produce children’s animation and bring deep experience in the US, EU and China markets To Know More: China Bridge Content has expertise in partnering with Asian studios to help them raise the quality of their content offerings and secure global broadcasters. They are open to various models of cooperation.
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IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF
TV & FILM INCENTIVES Several countries and regions around the world provide government aid for the development, preproduction, production, post-production and distribution of film, documentary, television series, and other audiovisual works. Such “soft money” sources include cash rebates and grants, film funds and co-production funding. In general, the purpose of these film incentives is to develop, maintain and promote a country’s film industry, improve the attractiveness of the country as a location for filmmaking, promote the country’s culture, history and beauty, and improve the quality, attractiveness and thus the exploitation of supported films. In turn, the country attracts foreign capital and gains from increased economic activity and spend, since qualifying projects have to be filmed, in whole or in part, in the country and make use of the country’s vendors, crew and talent. We look at some financing incentives in major Asian regions for film and TV content makers, for both national and foreign film productions. COUNTRY/ REGION
FUNDING BODIES / FILM COMMISSIONS
STAGE
INCENTIVE
Cyprus
Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency
Pre-production, production
25%-35% Tax Credit/ Rebate on eligible expenditures incurred in Cyprus
• Feature films should have a minimum spending of USD230,000
20-25% Cash Rebate on eligible expenditures incurred in Georgia
• International and local productions must be registered as legal entities in Georgia
Georgia
Georgian Film Commission
Production
CRITERIA
TEL
WEBSITE
info@ investcyprus. org.cy
+357 22 44 11 33
https://film.investcyprus.org.cy/
• Feature film should have a minimum run-time duration of 60 minutes tbidzinashvili@ +995 599 04 enterprise.gov.ge 62 62
www.filmingeorgia.ge
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://www.ffo. gov.in/en
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://www.ffo. gov.in/en
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://www.ffo. gov.in/en
• At least 50% of the total production budget should be in place at the time of application India (Assam)
National Film Development Corporation
Production
Cash grant up of to 25% of the Qualified Production Expenditure or USD139,000, whichever is less
• A minimum of 25% of the entire project should be shot in Assam
• Applicable to all feature films produced in Konkani and Marathi
• At least 25% of cast & crew should be from Assam
India (Goa)
National Film Development Corporation
Production
Cash grant of up to USD 66,000 or 50% of the cost of the total expenditure, whichever is less
India (Gujarat)
National Film Development Corporation
Production
100% exemption from entertainment tax for Gujarati films
India (Himachal Pradesh)
National Film Development Corporation
Production
Subsidies of up to USD265,900 on total production budget
• 50% of the outdoor footages must be derived and shot at Pradesh
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://www.ffo. gov.in/en
India (Jharkhand)
National Film Development Corporation
Production, post-production
Grant of up to 50% of the total production budget
• Projects must be in Jharkhandi languages
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://www.ffo. gov.in/en
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• Minimum time duration of documentary and feature film should be 30 minutes and 1 hour respectively
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India (Karnataka)
National Film Development Corporation
Production, post-production
Subsidy of USD34,000 of total production budget
• Projects must have ffo@nfdcindia. maximum of four children’s com films including those which have won the State Government’s best children’s film awards
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
India (Kerala)
National Film Development Corporation
Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to USD7,000 for film projects
• Films must be shot in the Chitranjali package scheme under Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), Government of Kerala
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
India (Maharashtra)
National Film Development Corporation
Production
Concession/Rebate on filming charges at various Government-owned sites/locations
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
India (Odisha)
National Film Development Corporation
Production
Exemption from entertainment tax
• Applicable to all feature films produced fully or partly in Odisha
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
India (Sikkim)
National Film Development Corporation
Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to USD27,000 per project
• 75% of the film must be shot within the state
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
India (Uttar Pradesh)
National Film Development Corporation
Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to 50% of the total production budget
• Applicable to projects Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli and Bhojpuri films
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
India (Uttarakhand)
National Film Development Corporation
Production, post-production
Subsidy of 30% or USD21,000, whichever is lesser, of total production budget
• 75% of the project must be filmed in Uttarakhand
ffo@nfdcindia. com
+91 11 24367338
https://ffo.gov.in/en
Israel Film Fund
Production, post-production
40% - 80% rebate of total production budget
• Projects should have no less than 50% of the “below the line” spent in Israel
info@filmfund. org.il
+972 3 5628180 http://intl.filmfund. org.il/
Israel
• At least 50% of the artistes and crew should be from Sikkim
• Post-production must be done in Uttarakhand
• Projects should have no less than 70% of the budget allocated for salaries paid to Israeli crew and cast Israel
Israel Cinema Project Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to USD200,000 of total production budget
• International coproductions must involve a producer that is a resident of country that the State of Israel
info@ cinemaproject. org.il
+972 3 5255020 http://www. cinemaproject. org.il/
Israel
Jerusalem Film Fund
60% cash rebate, up to USD2,800,000, of total production budget
• At least 50% of the planned filming days in Israel take place in Jerusalem
jerusalem filmfund@gmail. com
+972 2 6250855 http://www. jerusalemfilmfund. com
info@ screensapporo.jp
+81 011 817 5711
Production, post-production
• At least 80% of the production budget is secured and originates abroad, obtaining necessary approval and confirmation Japan
Sapporo Film Commission
Production
Subsidy to cover 1/3 of production expenses in Sapporo, up to USD27,000
• Grants must be applied through a production company based in Sapporo
https://www. screensapporo.jp/
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IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF
TV & FILM INCENTIVES COUNTRY/ REGION
FUNDING BODIES / FILM COMMISSIONS
STAGE
INCENTIVE
Japan
Chiba Prefecture Film Commission
Production
Subsidy to cover 50% of production expenses in Chiba prefecture, up to USD45,000
• Projects must be set in or derived in Chiba prefecture
Subsidies for transportation and accommodation expenses up to USD26,000 per project
• Applicable to films that will be widely released and broadcast
Subsidy of up to 20% of total production cost in Japan
• Project must include a Japanese production company
Japan
Japan
Okayama Prefecture Film Commission
Visual Industry Promotion Organization
Pre-production, production
Production
CRITERIA
TEL
WEBSITE
jfc@japanfc.org
+81 43 213 3533 https://fc.ccb.or.jp/
info@okayamakanko.jp
+81 86 233 1802
locationuchi@ vipo.or.jp
+81 225 437 531 https://www.vipo. or.jp/en/
info@film.jo
+962 6 4642266
http://www.film.jo/
info@ arabculturefund. org
+961 1 218 901
https://www. arabculturefund. org/
fimi@finas.my
+603 4104 1300 http://www. filminmalaysia. com/
+976 77550199
• Applicable to films that will be widely released and broadcast https://www. okayama-kanko. jp/fc/
• Production team will be staying in prefecture for more than 3 months
• Project that are scheduled to be released, screened, or distributed in more than 10 countries. • Project must be set in and derived from location Jordan
The Royal Film Commission
Pre-production, Subsidies of up to production, post USD35,000 depending on - production category
• At least 50% of all dialogue, narration, voiceover and any form of communication within the project must be in Arabic • At least 50% of the production must take place in Jordan
Lebanon
Malaysia
Arab Fund for Arts and Culture
Production, post-production
Subsidies of up to USD50,000 on projectrelated expenses only
• Film director must be Arab
Film In Malaysia Office
Production, post-production
30% cash rebate on all Qualifying Malaysian Production Expenditure
• Production costs should be a minimum of USD1,200,000 (inclusive of post-production)
• Projects must be completed within 2 years of signing the contract
• USD240,420 for postproduction activity only (for production inside Malaysia) Mongolia
Mongolian National Film Commission
Production, post-production
30-45% cash rebate on qualifying production expenditure
• Production cost should be a minimum of USD500,00.
info@mnfilm commission.com
Pakistan
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Pre-production, production
Up to 50% rebate given to foreign film producers for travelling allowance and expenses
• Projects must enter joint venture with local production firms
info@moib.gov.pk +92 00 92 51 9103557
http://www.moib. gov.pk/
Support from 10% to 40% of qualified production costs, capped at USD198,000
• Co-production with the Philippine production company
filmphilippines@ fdcp.ph
http://www. filmphilippines. com/
Philippines
FilmPhilippines
Pre-production, production, post-production
• At least 70% content must be derived and filmed within Pakistan
• Project must be wholly or partly made in the Philippines for production • Minimum production expenditure of USD98,000
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https:// mnfilmcommission. com/
+63 8 256-8331
IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF
Qatar
Doha Film Institute
Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to USD100,000 of total production budget
• Development, production and post-production funding is available
grants@ dohafilminstitute. com
+974 44200505
https://www. dohafilminstitute. com/
SFC@imda.gov.sg
+65 6377 3800
https://www.imda. gov.sg/
kimgood92@ kofic.or.kr
+82 32 710 0130
http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/main/ main.jsp
+82 2 777 7184
http://english. seoulfc.or.kr/Main/
ifc@ifc.or.kr
+82 32 435 7172
http://www.ifc. or.kr/en/
gwfilm@naver. com
+82 33 240 1351-3
www.gwfilm.kr
• Feature films of no less than 80 minutes Singapore
Infocomm Media Development Authority
Pre-production, Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to 40%, whichever is lower, of the Qualifying Costs that are directly linked to the project,and contribute significantly to the production of the project
• Project must have a Singaporean / Singapore PR Producer, another Producer of Southeast Asian nationality (excluding Singapore), and a Director of Southeast Asian nationality (excluding Singapore) • Projects must be feature films of no less than 70 minutes
South Korea
Korea Film Council (KOFIC)
Production, post-production
Up to 25% cash rebate on qualifying production expenditure
• Projects must have a minimum run time of 70 minutes • Film duration must be more than 10 days • Minimum production expenditure of USD42,200
South Korea
Seoul Film Commission
Pre-production, production, post-production
Up to 30% cash rebate or USD80,000 of the production costs, whichever is lesser
• Projects must be filmed nina@seoulfc. in Seoul with a minimum or.kr duration of 4 shooting days in Seoul • Projects must have a minimum run-time of 60 minutes • At least one signed distribution contract or pre-sales agreement for the project
South Korea
Incheon Film Commission
Pre-production, Production, post-production
Up to 20-40% cash rebate or USD88,300 of production costs
• Project must engage a Korean production service company • Project must have a minimum run-time of 60 minutes
South Korea
Gangwon Film Commission
Pre-production, production
Up to 15% cash rebate for production costs
• Project must have a runtime of 40 minutes • At least 1/3 of the filming derived in Gangwon-do
South Korea
Cheongju Film Commission
Production
Rebates of up to 50% of production budget spent locally
• Projects must have a film duration of more than 10 days in Cheongju
gklee@cjculture. org
+82 43-2191084
http://www.cfcm.kr
South Korea
Chungnam Film Commission
Pre-production, production
Rebates of up to 40% of production budget spent locally
• Feature films or drama filmed derived in Chungnam-do
Jenny6277@ ctia.kr
+82 41-5900922
https://www.cnfc. or.kr/
+82 42-4794174
http://www.djfc. co.kr/
• Projects are set for theatrical release or airing South Korea
Daejeon Film Commission
Production
Rebates of up to 30% of production budget spent locally
• Projects must have a distribution contract or pre-sale agreement
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IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF
TV & FILM INCENTIVES COUNTRY/ REGION
FUNDING BODIES / FILM COMMISSIONS
STAGE
INCENTIVE
South Korea
Jeju Film Commission
Pre-production, production
Rebates of up to 30% of production budget spent locally
CRITERIA
• Projects must have a film duration of more than 5 days in Jeju
TEL
WEBSITE
+82 64-7277800
http://www.jejufc. or.kr/
+82 32 623 8056
http://www.ggfc. or.kr/en/
+ 66 2 141 3333
http://thailandfilmoffice.org/
• Projects must have over USD100,000 expenses incurred within Jeju South Korea
Gyeonggi Film Commission
Pre-production, production
Up to 15% cash grant for production costs incurred in Gyeong-gi area, cap at USD85,000
Thailand
Thailand Film Office
Production, post-production
Subsidy of up to 15% of submitted and approved production budget
location@gcon. or.kr
• Project must have more film@ than USD1,600,000 thailandfilmoffice. spending in Thailand on org Thai-registered businesses, and other Thai services and individuals • TV commercials are not eligible for this incentive programme
Turkey
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Production
Receive returns of the VAT paid during procurement and import of the goods and services bought within the filming duration
• Projects must produce a report drawn up by a certified financial accountant (CFA) must be submitted
info@sinema. gov.tr
+90 (312) 470 80 00
https://sinema.ktb. gov.tr/
Turkey
Ministry of Culture and Tourism Support Fund
Production, post-production
Cash rebates of up to 30% of total production budget
• Projects must include a Turkish co – producer or production – service provider
sgmteknikdestek @ktb.gov.tr
+90 312 470 80 00
https://sinema.ktb. gov.tr/
Turkey
Turkish Film Commission
Production, post-production
Receive 100% reduction in income and corporate tax on expenditures such as setting up studios and film sets
• Project must have Producer who is a Turkish citizen
info@turkish commission.org
+90 212 801 70 21
https://www. turkishfilmcommission.org/
United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi Film Commission
Production, post-production
Rebates up to USD5,000,000 of total production budget for feature films
• Projects should have filming duration of at least one day in Abu Dhabi
+971 2 401 2454
https://www.film. gov.ae/en/
Vietnam
Vietnam Association of Film Promotion and Development
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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently working on developing incentives for foreign film productions in Vietnam. The Vietnam Association of Film Promotion and Development was formed on 25 July 2019 with aims to develop and strengthen the film market, as well as promote cooperation with foreign partners
office@vfda.vn
https://vfda.vn/ en-us
LIVE @ MBS 1 DEC @ 2.30PM FACETIME WITH COMMISSIONERS ATF Opening Day 2021 ATF’s hybrid conference sessions take place on Dec 1, 2021, at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, where Singapore-based executives gather for the first time after a 2-year hiatus.
Sapna Angural Head of English Audience Mediacorp
Justin Deimen President – Production 108 Media
Chan Pui Yin Director Production & Distribution G.H.Y Culture & Media
Leslie Lee Vice President Kids Asia Pacific WarnerMedia 19
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LIVE @ MBS 1 DEC 11AM LEADERS’ SUMMIT 4PM PRODUCTION SUMMIT ATF Opening Day 2021 ATF’s hybrid conference sessions take place on Dec 1, 2021, at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, where Singaporebased executives gather for the first time after a 2-year hiatus.
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1. Mickey Ong Senior Vice President & General Manager, CJ ENM HK (SG Branch) 2. Anna Pak Burdin Head of Business Development, iQiyi International 3. Angeline Poh Chief Customer & Corporate Development Officer, Mediacorp
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4. Clement Schwebig Managing Director - India, Southeast Asia, Korea, WarnerMedia
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5. Anson Tan Country Head, Viu Singapore 6. Debbie Lee Founder & CEO, TechStorm 7. Saurabh Doshi Head, Entertainment Partnerships, Meta, Asia-Pacific 8. Catherine Park Senior Vice President, Head of Office & Streaming (Asia), ViacomCBS
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9. Choong Chyi Kei CEO, Aux Media (Singapore)
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10. Choon Meng Seng CEO, Scrawl Studios Pte Ltd (Singapore) 11. Alex Proyas Director, Heretic Foundation 12. Hari Vijayarajan Chief Commercial Officer, Group ONE
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13. Lim Teck MD, Clover Films 14. Himanshu Shah Business Director, AV8
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15. Nader Sobhan CEO, IKTOMI 16. Unmish Parthasarathi Founder, Picture Board Partners 17. Jay Soo CEO, Moving Bits
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18. Prem Kamath CEO, Serious Media ...and more!
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2 DEC @ 10.30AM
THE INDUSTRIALIZATION OF DIGITAL FILM & TV EMPOWERS LOCAL CULTURAL CREATION This session will present how the diverse possibilities provided by digitization can be utilized to increase productivity across geographies.
Chen Xiao Senior Vice President iQIYI 24
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2 DEC @ 12PM
A NEW ROUTE TO CO-PRODUCTION A look at the new blueprint of French copros in APAC. Hervé Michel Vice-President UniFrance
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2 DEC @ 12.30PM
CHINA GRAND: PLOTTING NEW DIRECTIONS WITH THE EVOLVING MEDIA LANDSCAPE This session will touch on how China is maintaining its status as a leading service provider in China in the age of digital, while also addressing SMG’s commitment on spending for content in light of recent focus on impressive financings by other digital platforms.
Wang Xinyi Chief Content Officer OPG BesTV+ Streaming Media
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2 DEC @ 11AM
BUILDING AN EMPIRE With US$900 million on content building, to a studio, to plans for global expansion, what will differentiate Wavve from the likes of Netflix?
Lee Tae-hyun Chief Executive Officer Wavve 27
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3 DEC @ 10.30AM
EVOLUTION OF KOREAN CONTENT TO SUSTAIN GLOBAL EXPANSION What new plans need to take effect to sustain the demand for all things Korean? Hye Jung Hwang Chief Content Officer TVING 28
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2 DEC @ 11.30AM
TAIWAN’S TRIPLE-THREAT: BUILDING A CONTENT & CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM A look at one of the more interesting businesses – content investment fund/ incubator that invests into music and creative businesses.
Terence Leong Group Chief Content Officer KKBOX Company 29
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3 DEC @ 11AM
TAPPING ON SOUTHEAST ASIA: CAN DIVERSITY BE A STRENGTH? What will have to change as WeTV grows roots in this fragmented, yet thriving region? Kaichen Li Head of WeTV & iFlix Tencent 30
KEYNOTE HIGHLIGHTS
3 DEC @ 2PM
UNSCRIPTED 2022: WINNING IN THE NEW NORMAL This session will look at pivoting business to adapt, manoeuvring strategies that impact business with the exit of linear channels, and forming new partnerships, along with change when working in Asia.
Arjan Pomper Chief Operating Officer ITV Studios 31
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DISRUPTING DISTRIBUTION & LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELD How will this new route benefit industry players, content-wise?
Barrett Comiskey Founder & CEO Migo
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KEYNOTE HIGHLIGHTS
2 DEC @ 2PM
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO: ASIA’S BIG REVEAL Amazon Prime Video has new strategies up its sleeves. This session will focus on its next move. Checkmate?
Erika North Director Local Originals APAC Amazon Prime Video 33
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INTERNATIONALIZATION OF TAIWAN CONTENT Amplifying their voice and perspective to engage with international audiences, Taiwan has gone big on commissioning and copro.
Joanne Tsai CEO Taiwan+ 34
KEYNOTE HIGHLIGHTS
2 DEC @ 12PM
NO LONGER A STRAIGHT SELL Is the current landscape of Indian originals working across the region? Ashok Namboodiri Chief Business Officer — Int’l Business Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited
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iNSiGHTS @ ATF 2021
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FROM LEADING INDUSTRY ANALYSTS… 2 DEC @ 3PM TRENDING ASIA, WINNING FORMATS
Michelle Lin Asia Pacific Manager K7 Media
2 DEC @ 4.30PM ASIAN DRAMA TRENDS, LATEST & UPCOMING HITS Glance, a leading expert in global content and audience insight, will be presenting an overview of current and upcoming trends in Asian scripted series. The session will include an exclusive selection of hits and pilots across TV and digital platforms.
3 DEC @ 4.30PM AN EYE ON SOUTH KOREA South Korea has originated some of the most popular hits and formats across countries recently. This session will explore how it has conquered the world and highlight the strength of hot new shows coming from there. It will also take a deep dive into couple of recent Korean successes to highlight why they did so well internationally and domestically. Avril Blondelot Head of Content Insight Glance-Médiamétrie
Paul Youngbluth Consultant Tape Consultancy 36
iNSiGHTS @ ATF 2021
FROM PROMINENT PRODUCERS AROUND ASEAN…
3 DEC @ 5PM THE TRENDS & MOVEMENT AHEAD
… for example, writers, it is very difficult for us to get writers in Thailand right now… it’s impossible. They don’t have the experience to bring it to the OTT level... It’s very difficult for us; we struggle a lot in the writers’ room to bring that quality up…
A recurring keynote feature powered by the Southeast Asian AudioVisual Association, this session will give a round-up of the year’s biggest news and shake-ups in the region’s media industry, with a panel of significant stakeholders giving their insights on how different countries in Southeast Asia are faring to be kings of content.
Some like Viu for example, they have reached a certain rhythm and cadence for a while now, so they have their own ecosystem, launching their own series very consistently, but I’m seeing the newer platforms like WeTV getting very aggressive… MALAYSIA
Rachvin Narula Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer Benetone Films
THAILAND / INDOCHINA
Zainir Aminullah Executive Producer Revolution Media
We have a lot of OTT platforms in Indonesia, but what is the trend at the moment is, they prefer series instead of feature films – they have limited their production for feature films, but they’ve up their game in series…
The Philippines is not established as a film services industry. So whether we open borders, doesn’t have such a big impact on production overall… Micah Tadena Philippine Country Manager 108 Media
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PHILIPPINES
Mandy Marahimin Producer Tanakhir Films
One of the big issues we are facing as producers is that when production gets moved, we hardly ever scrap it; we tend to just keep moving it further along. And everybody is facing the same thing right now, where there’s a backlog of productions happening, there’s a backlog of content being bought and being distributed… SESSION LEAD
Justin Deimen Executive Director Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association
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CHINA GRAND: THE LEGEND CONTINUES IN SPOTLIGHT CHINA 2021
2021 will yet again see a concerted effort from China, revealing their plethora of content, and inveigling the global industry with an all-encompassing business effort in content distribution, channel integration, inter-platform cooperation, and co-production. Staging its “Spotlight China” series as a showcase of China’s latest, hottest, and topquality contents, the pavilion brings with it, almost 200 film & TV productions through three FRESH CONTENT CHINA sessions, one FEATURED SCREENING, and approximately 30 Chinese film & TV production companies, animation companies, content distribution companies, major TV stations, and new media platforms.
A compelling army of China’s best and brightest marches to a consistent tempo of testimonies, where despite a hindrance of face-to-face interaction between Chinese film & TV content creators and their foreign peers, cultural exchanges between countries have never ceased. In fact, thanks to the rapid development of streaming media platforms around the world, there continues to be an increasing number of high-quality Chinese film & TV content being delivered to global audience at a faster pace.
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“As a Chinese film & TV content creator and one of the organizers of the China Pavilion, we are delighted to see that international film & TV content events, though provided on the cloud, still see active participation and successful completion; where continuously outstanding Chinese productions land on foreign platforms and gain high popularity; where unceasingly, international coproduction contracts are signed,” observed Joey Zhou, General Manager of Copyright Operation Center of Oriental Pearl Group; and Executive Vice President of SMG Pictures and WingsMedia. The China Pavilion is the flagship brand in the export of Chinese audiovisual products and is under the direct leadership of the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China and National Radio and Television Administration of China. SMG Pictures and WingsMedia, both subsidiaries operating under Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and Oriental Pearl Group (OPG), are the organizers of the China Pavilion and the “Spotlight China” series at ATF 2021. SMG Pictures & WingsMedia is the only operator of SMG’s business in film & TV production and investment as well as copyrighted content operations.
“We have long been committed to an internationalization-focused development approach. In content creation, we work with our partners from across the globe through upgraded cooperation models for import of copyrighted TV series, export of premium film & TV contents, and co-production, Joey elaborated, noting some examples that include Born in China, a nature documentary co-produced by China and the US, and Earth: One Amazing Day, a nature documentary coproduced by China and the UK. In copyright operations, SMG helps batches of high-quality Chinese-language content to go global. Through overseas distribution, via their own channels, and omnimedia communications, the media giant has distributed more than 100 premium film & TV productions worldwide, such as Go Fighting!, The Next, and Young Forever. “We also import copyrighted contents for OPG-owned broadcasting platforms, and have established long-term partnerships with copyright owners, including Hollywood’s ‘Big Six’ – Viacom, MGM, HBO, BBC, NBA, MLB, and NFL. “We look forward to making new friends at ATF and building multi-dimensional cooperation to promote Chinese-foreign cultural exchanges, integration, and development,” Joey concluded.
Joey Zhou General Manager of Copyright Operation Center Oriental Pearl Group; Executive Vice President SMG Pictures & WingsMedia
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GRANDER HOPES PINNED ON ASIAN BUYERS CTB Film Company is armed with a new season of its popular preschool TV series ‘Moonzy’, about a small alien who comes to Earth from the Moon to find a new home and friends. The 26 episode is targeted at preschoolers and cover topics of equality, teamwork and inclusion. Another new title is the fantasy adventure ‘Upon Magic Roads’ involving two friends who embark on an unforgettable journey through different worlds. The film is produced as a mix of live-action and 3D CGI animation, and has already earned 1 billion roubles at the box-office in Russia. ‘Infiltration’, a thriller about the Syrian war, is produced in a mix of English, Russian and Arabic languages, and explores themes of sacrifice, love and battle. The company aims to find Asian distributors for Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan for its preschool TV animated series, and buyers from China and Japan for its new war action and family animation adventures. Svetlana Barabanshchikova, Director for International Business Development of CTB Film Company said that genres, such as sci-fi, adventure, war, and horror, from Russia have gained interest in global markets. “Traditionally we are successfully working with American, European, Korean, Australian buyers, but recently, we started developing good relations with Chinese and Japanese buyers, so we are very interested in Asian markets.” She points out that Asian buyers have become more price conscious, but that is to be expected given the pandemic has posed a huge challenge for the industry. Nevertheless, CTB Film Company is very interested to expand business to Asia more efficiently, taking into account its founder and producer, Sergey Selyanov received the FIAPF APSA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific region, this year.
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RISING TO ASIA’S CALL FOR QUALITY ANIMATION The Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled requests for high quality animation content from Asian markets as kids and teens consume more content than ever, contends Christophe Goldberger, Managing Director of Barcelonabased distributor, GoldBee. “Many markets matured over the past years, and buyers have been more demanding regarding the quality of the content they acquire, which is great for us as our productions come from leading commissioners from the international industry. Also, they ask for products with an international track record, and this is something we are able to offer to them,” said Christophe, pointing to the company’s strength in the region with kids and teen live action brands which are highly popular globally, and its animation series that are commissioned by partners such as ZDF/ ZDFE, the BBC, ABC Australia, and Corus Entertainment. Christophe observed that the multiplication of smaller local and regional platforms, in parallel to the rollout of the big American player’s streaming offerings, has been the
most prominent changes that his company has had to deal with, to date since the pandemic. Through its virtual participation at ATF, the company hopes to make prospective partnerships in Thailand and Vietnam, building upon its existing collaborations in the region, including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore. The company will also launch live action films such as The Witch Princess, and Snow White and the Magic of the Dwarves, alongside the animation feature Shorty and the Legend of the Enchanted Reef, and two other films based on publishing success Alice-Miranda, at ATF. GoldBee’s line-up covers a wide range of editorial content, and its series and feature films are directed at audiences ranging from early pre-schoolers, to teens and families. Its best-selling titles include the live action vampire saga ‘Heirs of the Night’ (26x26’), the classic reboot ‘The Worst Witch’ (52x28’) that is now into its 4th season, and the animated preschool edutainment series ‘School of Roars’ (104x7’), to name a few.
Christophe Goldberger Managing Director of Barcelona-based Distributor GoldBee
SOURCING FOR CO-PRODUCTIONS & INVESTMENTS Lulu Prutton, Senior Sales and Acquisitions Executive, of Drive Media Rights, is all set for ATF and looking ahead to connect with existing buyers, meet new potential ones, and find out what channels are wanting for the new year. Drive Media Rights is presenting a fresh slate of high-end factual, documentary, and factual-entertainment content. Its new supernatural series, ‘A Ghost Ruined My Life’ have received a lot of interest and Lulu pointed out that the title was recently rated #1 on Discovery Plus US. The London-based company was voted Highest Rated Distributor by the Indie 100 in Televisual Magazine 2021, an accolade that Lulu is very proud of, seeing that the recognition comes from peers (producers) from the industry. “We’re also experts in finding co-productions and pre-sale financing (from US, Australia and many European countries) and would be very interested to hear from producers
with international ideas that have a domestic broadcaster attached, but need further finance to complete the budget,” she said. She added that the company is also focussed on Asia and noticed that locally relevant content is becoming more important to Asian buyers. There is a high demand for documentary content with AVOD and FVOD networks, she said, adding that the company is distinguishing itself with its lower-than usual price points for multi-episode series, which is a great offer if buyers are willing to try something new, or bundle titles or series together.
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ZDF ENTERPRISES SERVES UP DIVERSE LINE-UP FROM EUROPE A priority for Germany’s ZDF Enterprises GmbH (ZDFE) at this year’s ATF is to strengthen their position in the Asian market and reach out to prospective companies interested in Western dramas. Yuliya Fischer, Director ZDFE, Drama, of ZDF Enterprises GmbH said: “I am focused on the entire Asia and am open to new partners and new collaborations in the region. As a company, we are always looking to support our partners the best way possible and build long lasting relationships. “We are flexible as a company to accommodate every buyer’s needs and always stay at their disposal and open for different business models”. Asian buyers are more aware of European content owning to Netflix’s programming that includes many European shows on their platform, she added, observing that the most prominent change in the Asian market is the arrival of many VOD platforms and the change in the business structure overall, which has happened in the last couple of years and is still an ongoing change. ZDFE is also all set to present its newest content offering that Yuliya describes is “as diverse as Europe”, consisting of many programs in different languages coming from all over the European continent. From detective dramas to thrillers, the line-up includes ‘ANA. all in’, a Spanish legal thriller limited television series, and the company’s bestsellers; Agatha Christie’s ‘Hjerson’, the first Agatha Christie adaptation to come out of Sweden, and ‘Sherlock: The Russian Chronicles’ from Russia.
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BEYOND RIGHTS LEADS NEW SLATE WITH PREMIUM DOCS Recognising the growing demand for premium factual content amongst buyers, Beyond Rights Ltd recently launched two premium feature documentaries, Facing Monsters and Milked, both 1 x 90’. Joanne Azzopardi, Executive Vice President (Sales Australia, NZ & Asia), of Beyond Rights Ltd, noted that “buyers’ requirements are always in flux as new trends and themes emerge and as specific local market impacts take hold, so it’s important to keep up with their current interests and ways of working.” The company is presenting a slate of new titles and returning series across a variety of different genres, as well as a new kids’ series. There is the new animation series, ‘Nina & Olga’, based on best-selling Italian children’s books, which have been published worldwide including in Korea and China. ‘Mythbusters’ is a fresh spin off ‘Motor Mythbusters’ with Tory Belleci, which busts car-related myths from popular culture and urban legends. The company has also launched its first ever dedicated formats brochure and is hopeful that some of the titles, such as social experiment ‘Rich Kids Go Skint’, and upcycling titles ‘Save and Remade’, and ‘Money for Nothing’ will find local audiences. Joanne said that clients in Asia have been generally receptive to its content offering, having concluded recent volume deals for children’s content in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand, while its science-based titles continue to sell in China. “ATF has always presented an opportunity to pick up on discussions started at MIPCOM and also an opportunity to meet with our clients from Asia that do not traditionally participate in MIPCOM.”
Joanne Azzopardi Executive Vice President (Sales Australia, NZ & Asia) Beyond Rights Ltd
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ASIA’S INTEREST IN LOCALISED EUROPEAN CONTENT ENCOURAGING Asian markets are opening up to both broad and niche European titles. According to Sarah Zarka, Sales Manager, of Federation Entertainment, the interest in the latter was unexpected but welcoming, given those titles were perceived as being more local. At ATF, Sarah is interested to learn more about the evolving tastes and interests of Asian broadcasters and forge new partnerships. “We really want to develop our activities on the Asian market as we understand the market is currently opening itself to new content and therefore offering more opportunities for a European company like ours,” noted Sarah. The company prides itself on the quality and diversity of its content catalogue, which consists of high-end drama series, documentaries, animation and live action for kids and teens. “We believe that series with strong female leads are still a very strong asset in our catalogue, and not always in a traditional way, which is very refreshing. We recently won the best series award at Cannes Series with a brand-new audacious comedy called ‘Mister 8’ that portrays a young woman living her love life in her own unique way. This makes us believe that subtle and stylized comedy today has wind in its sails”. This year, the company is presenting its biggest series ‘Around the World in 80 days’ – its first co-production of the European Alliance between ZDF, Rai and France TV), starring David Tennant and based on the world-famous book by Jules Vernes, amongst other titles. Sarah also shared her observation of the thriving business of format rights in Asia and the challenges to adapt to a market that is constantly evolving: “We’ve been witnessing the growth of SVOD and AVOD services in the last couple of years, which has made a huge impact on the market. We discovered that a lot of Asian production companies are looking for European formats”. She is not focussed on a specific region within Asia but expressed for opportunities to form deeper business relationships with broadcasters in South East Asia, seeing how Federation’s content may be a very good fit, especially in format rights.
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INDIAN CONTENT CONTINUES TRANSNATIONAL MOMENTUM As media companies and global OTT majors commit a vast sum of capital to create Indian content, and as consumers’ content interests diversify, international sales and global viewership continue to ride high for Indian content. “India is one of the world’s oldest and most distinct cultures. While our content is symbolic of India’s core culture and diversity, our approach has always been global. “Indianness” appeals magnificently across the globe, and we seek to captivate viewers from all walks of life, in India and overseas,” declared Sheetal Mehra, Vice President – Syndication, Middle East, Africa & New Media Indiacast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd. With the rise of OTT players and pay platforms, she is focussed on meeting the changing tastes of viewers and producing concepts and stories to cater to the needs of both live and on-demand videos across multiple devices. “Most of our shows are syndicated across linear free and/or pay-tv networks, and
we are also venturing into the digital space,” she added. With clients seeking multiple rights, Sheetal endeavours to tap into the VOD and/or OTT platforms that are as integral to the ecosystem as traditional TV. The company is staying true to its formula of sentiments and variety. And it has worked as its series continues to receive positive reception from viewers globally, said Sheetal. “Set against larger-than-life backdrops and with mysticism, our product catalogue includes different genres such as family, romance, mythology, costume and/or fantasy at its core, instantly finding a connection with the viewers,” she added. Latest launches that are available at ATF are ‘Balika Vadhu Season 2’ (The Young Bride), which revolves around a child bride fighting the injustices against her, and ‘Thapki Pyaar Ki Season 2’ (The Girl Who Stammers 2) that is about a woman overcoming her weakness of stammering.
Sheetal Mehra Vice President – Syndication, Middle East, Africa & New Media Indiacast Media Distribution Pvt Ltd
SIGHTS SET ON THAILAND, VIETNAM & SOUTH KOREA Courtney Kensington is ready for her first rodeo at ATF. The Senior Director of Sales & Finance, of The Asylum, said: “I am hoping to establish new relationships with buyers in particular regions that we do not already have a usual buyer in.” She has set her sights on Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea. OTT has been one of the fastest growing media channels in Southeast Asia, accelerated by Covid-19. According to a report released in late 2020 by The Trade Desk, viewers stream eight billion hours of OTT per month across the region, with three billion hours in Indonesia alone. Other top markets include the Philippines (2.2 billion hours streamed/ month), Thailand (1.41 billion hours/month) and Vietnam (1 billion hours/month).
The Asylum is a feature film production company located in Los Angeles, with a strong suit in the creature, disasters, action, adventures, and sci-fi genres. “We find that drafting titles perform especially well. For example, this year one of our best sellers was one of our titles called ‘Ape VS Monster’, which is a drafting title for ‘Godzilla vs Kong’, said Courtney. She noticed that Asian buyers have become a lot savvier in business dealings, especially when it comes to tax and legal paperwork requirements. The Asylum has a wide variety of content from all different genres at reasonable prices, Courtney said, and is looking forward to acquainting buyers with the company’s slate.
Courtney Kensington Senior Director of Sales & Finance The Asylum
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Jinkyung Park Team Manager (Kidsplay Contents) Daekyo Co., Ltd
ANIMATION CATER TO NEW PARENTING ROLES To what extent has the Covid-19 pandemic changed parenting? Speak to Jinkyung Park, Team Manager (Kidsplay Contents) of Daekyo Co., Ltd, and she will tell you that the fundamentals of parenting have changed and forced parents into roles of surrogate teachers, playmates and perhaps, ‘besties’. This is where her company’s newest IP offering, ‘Play Ventura’ comes in. “Parents have spent much more time with their kids at home and needed more diverse things to have fun with them. That’s why we planned ‘Play Ventura’. It is based on playing as well as making art and crafts,” she said. ‘Play Ventura’ is the first original IP launched by the company this year and Jinkyung is keen to get the title into the hands of buyers looking for content for children aged 5 to 8 years. The Korean children’s television program is marketed as family-friend, with each episode guiding parents and their children to make toy crafts using objects and materials from around the house. “Each story is very creative, imaginative and all the crafts in the show are easy to follow. This is not just an art program, but a program that families can do and play together.” The program airs on Daekyo noriQ and Daekyo Kids TV and is produced by Daekyo. Co, Ltd with the support of the Korean Communications Developments Fund from the Ministry of Science and ICT.
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ASIAN ORIGINALS RESONATES WITH AUDIENCES Mee Fung Lee, Asia Representative, of DW, is thrilled for the release of two new series, ‘HER – Women in Asia’, portraying the lives and perspectives of diverse women from Asia, and ‘Unseen’ that features people across Southeast Asia, who are committed to projects promoting healthier lives and climate protection. “These Asian Originals resonated very well with our audience across Asia. From DW Transtel catalogues, our nature, health, and science series remain important in our clients’ content selection,” she said. The company’s other Asian Original titles at ATF include ‘Art.See.Asia: An Art Lover’s Guide’, a brand new art travel series and returning popular series from DW Transtel, such as ‘The Great Outdoors: Our National Parks’, ‘The Art of Space’, and ‘The Struggle for Survival’. In addition to connecting with prospective buyers and existing clients at ATF, Mee Fung wants to gain insight into consumers’ pulse. “Asian buyers who have been programming documentaries for years remain firm in their pursuit of our content”, she said, adding that they constantly share their audience preferences with her. “This has helped us invest in originals and returning series that their audience want,” she commented. While China remains a priority, the recent dynamic development and growth in Southeast Asia is very exciting for Mee Fung. “We see exponential growth with our audience engagement in China, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. We are dynamic in tiering our content packages to meet the needs of new buyers.”
Mee Fung Lee Asia Representative DW
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CHALLENGING TIMES REQUIRE FLEXIBLE LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS “We have had to be more flexible in terms of the traditional approach to windowing and business terms as we navigate these exciting but challenging times together with our partners,” said Julius Toh, Vice President (Sales, Distribution & Networks), of Sony Picture Television. “Our key point of differentiation is that we view our clients as partners and we invest our time and money in the form of marketing support aimed at engaging the audiences even better to deliver the maximum ROI,” he added. Julius does not see a difference or distinction between Asian buyers and those from other countries and noted that buyers know what types of good content is sought after by their audiences and will expect a good return on investment from their acquisitions. He pointed out that “there is no specific genre trend because good content is always in demand.” Julius is looking forward to building upon the strong bonds with existing clients and developing opportunities with new ones at ATF. “All territories are important to us, but we are especially focused on the projected high growth areas of Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The demand for good content due to the increasing audience in these territories will be a key consideration in our future plans,” he said. Sony Picture Television will unveil a whole slew of TV series, including ‘A Spy Among Friends’, which is based on the New York Times best-selling book written by Ben Macintyre, a true story of the notorious double agent Kim Philby, headlined by renowned actors Damien Lewis and Guy Pearce.
Julius Toh Vice President (Sales, Distribution & Networks) Sony Picture Television
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BESTSELLING CONTENT REFLECTIVE OF PANDEMIC OUTCOME In her experience, Asian buyers have always been discerning, and have their finger on the pulse of their audience’s content interests. Over the last few years, they have had to juggle increasingly varied demands as well as readily available and increasing competition both domestically and internationally, said Pooja Nirmal Kant, Chief Executive Officer of Still Road Media. “A good portion of the bestselling content today is reflective of the changes we’ve experienced globally as a result of the pandemic. Consumption trends are becoming increasingly more localised, so finding content that has local relevance as well as wide appeal is imperative – especially in a market as eclectic as Asia Pacific,” she elaborated.
Pooja Nirmal Kant Chief Executive Officer Still Road Media
The company has experienced an uptick in demand for home, lifestyle, and food content. At the same time, adjusting to a new way of living and working has had a knock-on effect on the demand for shows in the survival and thriller categories. The demand for natural history in the region has historically been high and this is a trend that has remained stable, according to Pooja. Instead of focusing on certain territories specifically, Pooja preferred establishing meaningful, mutually beneficial, and long-lasting relationships with buyers across the region. “We believe that all territories across the wider APAC region are strong growth markets, whether these be established or emerging – indeed, this is a message we highlight to our
content provider partners in Europe and North America,” she said. When it comes down to the deal making process, she said her company is “more creative and flexible” to buyers’ needs, rather than be hampered by traditional windowing of rights. During ATF, she aims to raise awareness among buyers of Still Road Media’s content offering. ‘One Wild World’ is a natural history documentary that is produced using hundreds of hours of footage from the Newsflare catalogue, which is constantly being added to and expanded from many different sources beyond professional film crew. The result is “a varied and quite raw look at nature worldwide,” as Pooja put it. She is seeking co-production partners to get the series into full production. Other titles include the scripted drama ‘Pulse’, a world created by the visionary Oscar, Palme d’Or and BAFTA winning VFX team behind ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Harry Potter’, and the Pamela Anderson ‘Home Reno’ show that follows the star, as she returns to her roots on the coast of Vancouver Island and embarks on a restoration project. “We are incredibly excited to announce this as Still Road Media’s ATF debut! We are delighted to be exclusively representing content from Corus Studio’s, Abacus Media Rights and Woodcut International, and have carefully curated content packages to meet the needs of the APAC content buying community,” said Pooja.
PIVOTING FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL As countries better grasp the pandemic situation and economies gradually recover, businesses are once again casting their sights on international clients and audiences. “Because of the pandemic, we got focused on our local business. During this ATF, we want to rebuild our international network and understand the international market after the pandemic. In this sense, I would like to meet old contacts and new ones to explore new opportunities,” said Ahmet Erdal, General Manager of Yoyo Film Yapım Limited Şirket. Headquartered in Istanbul, the company is looking to penetrate the international market
and recognised ATF as a key trade market to connect with Asian buyers and broadcasters. “Asia-Pacific is important to me. I think it is a fast-growing market and has lots of potential opportunities,” he said. Yoyo Film specialises in animation and is looking for distribution partners and coproduction opportunities. Their feature film, ‘The Mystery of Big Bird’ that has achieved success in Turkey, is a new title that is being presented at ATF. Ahmet Erdal General Manager Yoyo Film Yapım Limited Şirket 55
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Pelin Koray Sales Executive Inter Medya
TRENDING TURKISH GENRES VARY WITH ASIA’S REGIONAL TASTES Turkish dramas have found universal appeal and changing consumer interests are reflected in buyers’ content purchases. Pelin Koray, Sales Executive, of Inter Medya, said that Asian buyers now seek traditional love stories and family dramas, previously having opted for historical, war and horror genres. The shift in consumer interests is a positive one for Inter Medya, as the majority of its content library consists of traditional Turkish dramas. “In East Asia, historical and war movies and period dramas are the best-selling titles. Also, dramas that are based on real life stories are trending, hence why our drama series ‘Ramo’ has received a lot of interest. As for Southeast Asia, instead of heavy dramas, dramas with comedy elements receive the most interest,” she revealed. In addition, with the increase in the number of digital platforms globally, she noted that demand for mini-series has also spiked, as a result of viewers’ preferences for short and fast-paced series instead of long-running strong dramas. “There are several potential buyers that we are constantly in negotiations with, especially from India and Subcontinents. After our first deal with the Philippines last year, we are again in negotiations for the broadcast of new drama series and we expect to close a deal soon,” she said. Pelin remains optimistic about the future of Turkish content in Japan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Taiwan. She observed changing market situations and financial conditions of the buyers due to the pandemic and said the company tries its best to find common ground between producers and clients, as well as offer flexible payment terms.
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‘VIEWER ENGAGEMENT’ – THE SEASON’S BUZZ WORD The season’s buzz word or “trending concept” is viewer engagement, according to Moe Kanzaki, Sales, International Business Development, of Nippon TV. The company’s newest title, ‘Guilty Flag’, a 20-episodes suspense crime series that is currently airing in Japan, has become a topic of conversation amongst viewers on social media. The series incorporates the recent trend of news being spread on social networks and the fear of fake news. Infused with an element of guessing game, viewers have taken to online to speculate the true culprit each time an episode airs on Sunday night. She cited another newly released game show format ‘Money or Junk’ that has been attracting eyeballs, not only because viewers are keen to predict the winner but also because the content of the program is sprinkled with life hacks, such as e-commerce knowledge and crafting skills. The shifts in content consumption behaviour include a return to how consumers are experiencing content together. “Before 2020, people were watching more and more on their individual devices while going to work or on the train and bus, but with the advent of the stayhome policy, people spend more time together with their family, watching TV together, and family viewing has increased once again,” she added. Additionally, with digital streaming services such as Amazon, Disney+, Hulu, etc., offering virtual co-viewing functions, the experience of communal viewing is no longer geographically, or household bound. Where acquisitions are concerned, Moe observed that buyers from Asia are selective with their new format purchases. “Perhaps due to Covid-19, Asian buyers seem to have lowered their budgets for format purchases and production. In the first place, there is less demand for large-scale studio shows and on-location shows, and scalable titles that can be adapted to each country’s budget seem to be more in the spotlight,” she said. The company had announced new formats and codevelopments over the past two years despite the pandemic and have received a lot of inquiries from the West where the production situation gradually recovers. In comparison, interest from Asian buyers remained fewer as the region continued to deal with rising infection numbers, she presumed. Nevertheless, Moe is hopeful that the situation will improve and that she will be able to find partners at ATF to develop new formats in Asia.
Moe Kanzaki Sales, International Business Development Nippon TV
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DEAL SWEETENER WITH BESPOKE DUBBING Participating at ATF for the first-time, He Jia Xin, Sales Manager, of Pande Ltd, is eager to sell content to other IPTV and OTT platforms. He is also looking for partners and collaborators. “We are doing animation, puppet shows, webtoons, and we also have merchandise we would like to make [in]to some series,” Jia Xin said. The popular Korean-made 2D animation series, ‘Eggroy’, which garnered 1 million views in 14 days when it was launched in 2019, is one of titles available for distribution. The title follows a protagonist-antagonist theme and features a bunch of eggs living on an island – as you may have guessed! To sweeten the deal, Jia Xin said that the company usually carries four languages, but is willing to dub into other languages where necessary if countries are interested in its content. Jia Xin noted several changes in Asia, from the lack of investment and differing policies across countries in the region, to buyers being more price sensitive. Nevertheless, he is thrilled to be at ATF and is ready to forge new connections.
He Jia Xin Sales Manager Pande Ltd
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STICKY CONTENT FOR GENERATION ALPHA Young audiences today are accustomed to a channel-agnostic reality, with access to content that is created by a variety of sources, including influencers and content creators. This is especially so for Generation Alpha – the children of Gen Y, and often the younger siblings of Gen Z – the most technologicallyinfused generation. This view is echoed by Anshuman Misra, Managing Director (Asia Pacific), of Pocket. watch: “Kids these days relate much more to creators they have seen online and would watch that content on any platform.” Pocket.watch is no stranger to creating children’s properties that stick. One of the biggest children’s brands is theirs: Ryan’s World, the toy-reviewing YouTube channel has spun off an enormous, licensed consumer goods product line.
“Our top creators like Diana and Ryan have been very strong in the region. Another upcoming creator, Toys & Colors, is gaining a lot of popularity lately and I have a lot of faith in its upcoming success,” Anshuman said. He attributes the company’s success in the region, as well as globally, to its content offering that is different from the traditional kids programming. “From our perspective, buyers follow where the eyeballs are moving to, and they are quickly learning that when it comes to kids’ content,” he added. “One of the differentiators we have is that we own all rights, and our content can find a home on any platform. If a media house has multiple platforms, our content can be a part of all of them. Anshuman Misra This flexibility is of value to Managing Director (Asia Pacific) our buyers.” Pocket.watch
ASIA’S OTT MARKET FERTILE FOR OPPORTUNITIES Making its official debut at ATF is O4 Media, a content IP development and distribution company with a mission of bringing Asian content to the West and vice versa. With its current focus aimed at Asia, Europe, and Latin America where its teams are placed, the company is seeking to distribute its suite of scripted and non-scripted content, while securing additional titles for global distribution. “As we have only recently launched, we are finding that our lines of enquiry are leading towards scripted format acquisitions and continuing the global trend of nonscripted formats acquisition – in particular, studio based shiny floor formats. As always, scripted finished tape series are garnering a lot of interest too,” said Gary Pudney, Founder and Managing Director, O4 Media. He added that the company takes a global approach to its content selection process, prioritising quality over quantity, with an outlook that good content can come from any country, no matter its size. Gary Pudney Founder & Managing Director O4 Media
In addition to distribution, O4 Media is also developing a number of non-scripted formats which, as Gary puts it, is “very much on brand in today’s market, as well as going forward.” He noted that the restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19 have affected all aspects of the industry, be it scripted or non-scripted, regardless of production size. These constraints are the driving force for studio based non-scripted shows that can be produced with minimal or no audience. “As we emerge from COVID, we predict the status quo will return, as there is clearly huge pent-up demand for content from an audience who are suffering from content fatigue,” continued Gary. Where buyers are concerned, they remain price conscious even through the global pandemic. Gary thinks that Asian buyers remain as astute as ever, with their content preferences of what they are looking for, or trying to avoid, being readily evident. It does not go unnoticed to him that there are over 75 OTT operators alone in Asia, which indicates a fertile ground for business, representing good to strong acquisition budgets and opportunities.
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MORE STRATEGIC APPROACH BY ASIAN BUYERS OBSERVED The popularity of light-hearted and positive content comes as no surprise as viewers turn to feel-good content in these otherwise dismal and harsh times. “We are conscious that the trend for programming has been lighter, more entertaining and providing escapism during the pandemic and this is broadening out now as life returns to a different normal,” noted Munia Kanna-Konsek, Consultant, Completed Sales and Development (Asia), of Escapade Media. She added that there is still demand for high production values in the factual space, with clients seeking out documentaries that offer a new or unique point of view on current topics and new subject matters. Examples from the company’s content slate at ATF, include ‘The Healing’ that tells the unique and moving story of traumatised ex-racehorses and traumatised veterans brought together to help heal each other. ‘For the Love of Pets’ is an eight-part heart-warming series, which offers an insider look at the animals that are cared for by staff and volunteers at The Animal Welfare League of South Australia. When quizzed about her experience with Asian buyers, Munia said that “with the amalgamation of channels and channel closures, a more strategic approach across the genres has been embraced. Content is still key, but the variety and the broad offering has become more important”. To this end, the company ensures that any content they develop accurately and genuinely appeal to the international market.
Munia Kanna-Konsek Consultant, Completed Sales & Development (Asia) Escapade Media
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As a point of differentiation, Munia pointed to their innovative finance models. “From inception, Escapade’s business model was to offer the market unique but commercial content that appealed to the global marketplace. This has not changed, and the company continues to work with our clients to provide successful content,” she said. “We hope to achieve significant pre-sales across our new factual and scripted projects this year. We have some exceptional projects on offer that we feel will appeal across Asia and really looking forward to having these discussions.”
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VYING FOR ASIA’S AFFECTION Nil Pekin, Sales Executive, of Raya Group, is on a mission at this year’s ATF. She wants to meet with new buyers, catch-up with existing clients, and have the marketplace buzzing with Turkish content. The Istanbul-based distribution company carries a range of Turkish content, from drama series and documentaries, to scripted and non-scripted formats. She reminded that Turkish TV series have been very popular in recent years and had noticed an uptake trend for Turkish dramas as it is now available on different platforms worldwide. The exports of Turkish series have steadily gained popularity, from $100M in 2012, and $350M in 2018, with a forecasted revenue of $1B by 2023, as reported by the VIEW Journal of European Television History and Culture. “We are focused mostly on Latin America, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, USSR countries,” said Nil. She added that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are important regions to the company, having “had had a very high interest in Turkish TV series”. She hopes for sales to pick up as there is a better handle on the pandemic situation globally and is looking forward to selling Turkish content to MENA once again. She also noticed low interest in Turkish content from Asian buyers and speculated that “they mostly prefer Chinese and Indian content”. Nil desires to change that with the company’s new historical period offering, ‘The Sultan and The Khan’, a series based on the lives of Sultan Jalaluddin Khwarizm and Genghis Khan, directed by well-known director and producer Mehmet Bozdağ, and which boasts of rich costume design.
Nil Peki Sales Executive Raya Group
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PRE-SALES 2022 DRAMA - HORROR
FEARSOME: THE HORROR TALES This horror anthology series is based on true stories passed along from person to person in Asian countries. In each episode, the main character encounters a new fearsome environment capturing actual experiences. FEARSOME: The Horror Tales will captivate the audience with “extreme fear” through fresh cinematography, subtle depiction, and riveting engagement. Expect unimaginable twists that are so real they are unreal!
TEENS (AGES 13 AND UP) - ANIMATION
TUNE UP The worlds of classical music, K-pop and quality animation collide to present you a first-of-its-kind K-classic animated film. Tune-up blazes the trail for this impressive new genre that promises to captivate the global audience with edgy beats and a world-class production powered by Maro Studio’s proprietary motion capture technology. All eyes on the screen - it’s show time! COMPANY: MARO STUDIO CO., LTD
COMPANY: SOMETHING SPECIAL
KIDS (AGES 7 AND UP) - ANIMATION
SHASHA & MILO An adventure/comedy series that follows the story of a pink cat called ShaSha & her long-lost twin brother Milo. They discover they are next in a long line of shape-shifting guardians tasked with preventing dark magic from taking over their home, Crescent Island. The stories are based on relatable scenarios and situations regarding day-to-day life’s dramas, all with a sprinkle of shape-shifting transformation action! COMPANY: PINGO ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD
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PRE-SALES 2022 PRE-SCHOOL - ANIMATION
ZACWOLRA: ADVENTURE IN THE MAGIC WORLD An imaginative animation ingeniously built around the main theme of room escape. Follow Zac, Wol and Ra as they adventure through a comical, magical world, working together to solve a series of colourful puzzles and mysteries. Armed with nothing but wits, will they successfully break free? COMPANY: ICON PICTURES CO., LTD
KIDS (AGES 7 AND UP) - ANIMATION
THE BREAD LION Beyond a giant valley lie the Bread Factory and the Tree of Life, both life-givers to the nearby village. One day, bread-making heroes Leon, Cooni and Catey, are informed that the beleaguered village has now become the subject of abject pollution by the Underworld villains, causing the Tree of Life to wither away. A narrative that parallels the plight of our ailing Earth, this action-packed animation sees the mission-charged protagonists fighting to save their beloved home from further harm. COMPANY: NEON CREATION, INC.
DOCS & FACTUAL - NATURE & WILDLIFE
OF TREES AND FORESTS – THE INVISIBLE WORLD A cross between science and discovery, each episode of this documentary series invites viewers to explore one of the Earth’s forests intricately. Through snapshots of the daily lives of people that live in contact with it: scientists, researchers, animal photographers, forest rangers, and even indigenous tribes, we will immerse ourselves in the impenetrable world of trees, plants, and forests to better understand the eco-systemic services that nature provides. COMPANY: CINÉTÉVÉ SALES
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PRE-SALES 2022 KIDS (AGES 7 AND UP)
GOLDPAW Chin, the last mythical Goldpaw Panda, is forced from his cosy golden cage into the wild by the devious billionaire Mr W, where he finds himself at a crossroads - faced with an impossible choice: The safety of his old life? Or the true freedom of the wild? COMPANY: CIRKUS ANIMATION
FORMAT
STACKING IT! Get into Stacking It! - An epic, fun-filled game show that towers above the competition. Watch two families go head-to-head in a series of stacking-based challenges in order to win a dream haul of prizes. Stacking It! was created through the co-development deal between Nippon TV and ITV Studios. Are you ready for the tallest show on TV? COMPANY: NIPPON TV
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PRE-SALES 2022 DRAMA - SERIES
THREE SISTERS An adaptation of the best-selling novel by Iclal Aydin, this series delves into the fates of three sisters who shared a fairy-tale-like childhood in the pine-scented cobblestone streets of Ayvalık. As they came of age, they each went their own ways, experiencing cruelties of life they were never prepared for. Is there a wound in the world where time wasn’t medicine? This is not a story of unhappiness, but the tale of the return to goodness, recovery, and the rerealisation of familial love. COMPANY: KANAL D INTERNATIONAL
PRE-SCHOOL - ANIMATION
TREE&BEE From Croatian studio Recircle comes this fun 2D animated series created for pre-schoolers. Bee and her best friend Tree, a young oak tree, share adventures with Nim the cloud, Kimo the mountain, Mr. Bin the grumpy trash can and pink elephant Pip. Heartwarming and witty, every story is steeped in elements of adventure, humour, problem solving and co-operation, and while finding the solution, Tree, Bee, and other creatures will learn precious lessons about nature and the environment. COMPANY: META MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
PRE-SCHOOL ANIMATION
WOODLINGS Short, poetic and humorous stories about the cutest collection of critters! Take a trip into the woods and learn all about wild animals who live in the forest. Discover their beauty, agility and intriguing features and will capture hearts as well as stretch young minds. Woodlings is backed by the Danish Film Institute and commissioned by Denmark’s DR. The series is lovingly produced by Vilstrup & Vilstrup and Toolbox Film. COMPANY: META MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT
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PRE-SALES 2022 KIDS (AGES 7 AND UP) - ANIMATION
LIVING WITH DAD It’s never a dull day living with Dad, or rather, Dad’s four eccentric daughters – 2, 8, 12 and 18 years old – with personalities as different as each of their respective mothers! In this upbeat animation, we see the children’s gentle yet hilarious point of view of the hurly-burly life of a contemporary family, in which the only thing they have in common is their actor father, who landed the part of his life by single-handedly bringing up his beloved girls. COMPANY: MEDIATOON DISTRIBUTION
ANIMATION, CHILDREN
TARA DUNCAN In OtherWorld, a fantasy parallel universe where magic is everywhere, Tara Duncan is learning how to harness her awakened magical powers with the help of a dragon at school. This is where she meets her friends, the MagicGang. Together, they solve mysteries, rescue people, and help Tara on her personal quest to find a cure to save her grandfather, who mistakenly turned himself into a dog. The title is a 52x13’ episode series. COMPANY: PRINCESS SAM PICTURES
DRAMA - FEATURE FILM
THE NIGHTHAWK’S FIRST LOVE Graduate student Aiko has always had low self-esteem because of the birthmark on her face. When her story is cinematized, she falls for the director who accepts her as she is. Will this be a modern fairy tale? Or is there something deeper than appearances at play? Directed by Yasukawa Yuka, this heart-rending feature film premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival. COMPANY: NAGOYA BROADCASTING NETWORK CO., LTD. (NAGOYA TV)
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MUTE IT!
DRAMA - ROMANCE
MY HEART IS BEATING
A brand-new game show format brought to you by Nippon TV, the creators of “Silent Library”! The spirit of silence must be maintained in Mute it!, following a simple rule: don’t make a sound. The game becomes even harder when the contestants need to keep navigating moving obstacles and hazards amid deadly silent surroundings. Are you ready for a break from loud and noisy shows? It’s time to Mute it!
Woohyul is the newest and most humanlike version of a vampire, with a non-beating heart, living in the exact same world as humans, running the same rat-race. He is also the busiest yet poorest vampire on earth, being barely able to make ends meet. Will sparks fly when he crosses paths with Inhae, the busiest woman on earth who never has enough time to find love - perhaps until now?
COMPANY: NIPPON TV
COMPANY: SOMETHING SPECIAL
3D ANIMATION, TEENS
2-EYES MONSTER Set in Monsterville, this in-development series (52x11’) features the main character 2 Eyes, who has two distinct personalities: his blue eye gives an overly optimistic look on life, while his red eye turns him into a furiously funny grouch. He switches between personalities, leading to monstrous laughs along the way with his mates – Zilly, a spooky fashionista with a teenage-girl outlook, Addict G, a game-crazed modern kid, while Stomp Biggy-Footy is a pet of sorts. COMPANY: NEON CREATION, INC.
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PRE-SALES 2022 ANIMATION
LOVE ALL PLAY
ANIMATION, PRE-SCHOOL
GENIUS JINN
Ryo Mizushima is offered admission to a prestigious high school, Yokohama Minato High School that is known for its history of sporting successes. With the support of his newfound friends and coach, and cheered on by his sister, a determined Ryo pushes through hurdles to achieve his goal of winning the badminton inter-high tournament, while dealing with coming of age.
When Jinn the magical Genie is set free by a group of friends, she decides to repay their kindness in an unconventional way. Unlike typical genies that grant wishes, Jinn shows and teaches her new companions about the limitless possibilities of magic as they conjure up solutions to challenges that come their way, through exploration, teamwork, and a huge serving of fun.
COMPANY: YOMIURI TELECASTING CORPORATION/YOMIURI-TV ENTERPRISE LTD
COMPANY: STUDIO TNT
FACTUAL
REAL MADRID: THE WHITE LEGEND Epic victories, magnanimity in defeat, legendary superstar players, and above all great humanity have all contributed to Real Madrid becoming the world’s greatest football phenomenon. The centenarian club has produced a winning team in every era and generation. In this documentary series (6x50’), the club’s players and admirers take a look back at the milestones and historic adversity that make Real Madrid the best football team in the world. COMPANY: ONZA DISTRIBUTION
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CAROLYN CARLSON – DARE TO RISK American born French nationalised contemporary dance choreographer, performer, and poet, Carolyn Carlson gives unprecedented access to her work, process, and personal archives. Through carefully selected archival images spanning the past forty years, the film reveals the influence her life has had on the complex, imaginative pieces she has created. With a mixture of intimate rehearsal sequences and dazzling dance pieces, viewers gain a critical perspective on an extraordinary career of this talented, multi-faceted woman. COMPANY: AUDITORIUM FILMS
ANIMATION, PRE-SCHOOL
EDMOND & LUCY Commissioned by France 5 and scheduled for a fourth quarter release in 2022, the series (52x12’) aims to reconnect kids and their families to nature through the adventures of Edmond the squirrel and Lucy the bear cub, where they are raised as siblings in a majestic chestnut tree. Adapted from best-selling books illustrated by graphic artist and comic strip author, Marc Boutavant, the episodes follow the pair’s adventures in the forest and the great outdoors. COMPANY: MIAM ! DISTRIBUTION
FACTUAL
LOOKING FOR LOUIS The film maps out the esoteric beginnings of the French trunk maker and spotlights the man who goes on to become the hero of one of the most spectacular success stories of the 19th century. The title journeys between past and present as a young Louis travelled from his hometown into the city to build his career as an esteemed trunk maker and eventually, an established name among the cities’ elite. COMPANY: MEDIAWAN RIGHTS
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IP MAN KUNG FU LEGEND Having defeated Japanese invaders in a martial arts competition, Ip Man gains fame and resumes his work as the captain of the Foshan police force. However, the city is plunged into chaos by the arrival of the head of the dangerous Axe Gang, who colluded with British businessmen to monopolise the docks for opium trafficking. The responsibility to restore peace to Foshan now rests on Ip Man’s shoulders. COMPANY: ALL RIGHTS ENTERTAINMENT
FACTUAL
TIME, NO CHANGES: MILES DAVIS’ SECOND GREAT QUINTET Set in 1962, Miles Davis was one of the major forces in music worldwide, and his artistic influence extended far beyond jazz. In 1964, he found four dynamic and up-and-coming musicians: Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums. The documentary focuses on the Quintet’s musical landmarks and unfolding events, featuring three of the surviving members along with other musicians the band has influenced. COMPANY: AUDITORIUM FILMS
ANIMATION, CHILDREN
SPOOKY WOLF What if the Big Bad Wolf is neither big nor bad, but a teenager detective? Together with his loyal buddies – the Three Little Piggies, Cherry the Teen, and Little Red Riding Hood – Spooky Wolf gets on with solving the absurd mysteries of Fantaville and in the process, meets with the most weird and crazy criminals. This title is bound to delight kids ages 7 years and up. COMPANY: MILLIMAGES
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AT WAR(S) FOR ALGERIA Drawing primarily on contemporary accounts given by survivors who lived through the Algerian War, either in France, in Algeria or in exile, this historical series (6x52’) turns back the pages of history and transports viewers to a conflict that shook the post-1945 world. The title’s release in 2022 is planned to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the end of the conflict and Algeria’s independence. COMPANY: INSTITUT NATIONAL DE L’AUDIOVISUEL
PRE-SCHOOL - ANIMATION
MOON BEAR ROO The effervescent story of a boisterous Moon Bear named Roo, who dreams of becoming an inventor. Together with his naughty brothers and lively friends, they experiment, argue and stumble onto clumsy conclusions. An animation that shows what transpires when creativity is enhanced by cooperation and consideration. COMPANY: PANDE LTD
ANIMATION, PRE-SCHOOL
THE MINIWHATS The MiniWhats are a joyful gang of six friends who possess a magic pencil that allows them to draw things that come to life. Fuelled by their imagination and creativity, the series (52x7’) accompanies the friends as they create sceneries that come alive for their imaginary adventures, as well as objects or other characters that help them to get out of sticky situations. COMPANY: MIAM ! DISTRIBUTION
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PRE-SALES 2022 DRAMA
MOTEL VALKIRIAS
DRAMA
WITHIN THE WAVE
One Location. 72 hours. 1 million euros in the wrong hands. In a crossborder motel, the lives of three women with significant problems converge by chance. They discover that a guest at the motel is transporting some highly valuable merchandise. Lucia, a separated mother who is fleeing from her ex-husband. Eva, an out-of-work actress. Carolina, the bankrupt owner of the motel. They join forces to draw up a plan that could solve all their problems.
When Wall Street Fintech wiz Jason Piatto has a nervous breakdown, his algorithm fails causing a market crash. Suspecting he’s been hacked by an electronic musical box gift, Jason follows clues to Cyprus where he finds a sophisticated community of supernatural elites that want to recruit him to write a musical code that defends them from the outside world. Jason must decide whether to fight or flee. The title is a 10x50’ episode series.
COMPANY: ONZA DISTRIBUTION
COMPANY: CYPRIAN FILMS, NEW YORK
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PRE-SALES 2022 DOCUMENTARY
SHAVED ICE STREET Welcome to Okazaki City, Japan, where the Tokkawa River is famous for its water purity. This documentary explores Okazaki Shaved Ice Street, lined with stores boasting delicious kakigori, or shaved ice dessert, made from super soft water. Trace its distinguished history and see what the hype on the new and extravagant flavours all is about! COMPANY: NAGOYA BROADCASTING NETWORK CO., LTD. (NAGOYA TV)
DOCS & FACTUAL - SCIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
#KIDSONTECH The promise of technology is proving to be a double-edged sword. As Covid has forced our kids to rely on devices more than ever, it is patently clear that parents can’t shield them from it at all costs. “#KidsOnTech” looks at the impact on children’s developing bodies and brains, and asks: How do we both protect and prepare our children for what the digital age has to offer? COMPANY: BOMANBRIDGE MEDIA
KIDS (AGES 7 AND UP) - ANIMATION
MUSSELS & FRIES (26’) Nine-year-old Noée comes to live with her mum who recently moved to an island off the Brittany coast. When she arrives, Noée discovers that all the children living on the island have known each other forever, and they all sail. She dreams of sailing and of taking part in the annual regatta, except her mother can’t afford to pay for sailing tuition. How will Noée finally manage to sail and fit in? COMPANY: MIAM ! DISTRIBUTION
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PRE-SALES 2022 DRAMA - SHORT FILM
MY ROCKETSHIP Ambitious start-up CEO Gong Ji-hoon will participate in Constar IR Day, the largest corporate support event in Korea. Meanwhile, as his rival, Hamin Oh enters the same contest and the two will compete in good faith. Gong Ji-hoon unexpectedly falls in love but reality isn’t so simple can both work and love in Ji-hoon’s world? COMPANY: VANILLASEE INC
DOCS & FACTUAL - ARTS, MUSIC & CULTURE
ANNA This documentary offers a raw and honest insight into the life of Anna Netrebko, the dazzling Russian operatic soprano who has achieved tremendous success on the international stage. Filled with light-hearted anecdotes from her family and closest friends, the film also spotlights diverse personal journeys, from dealing with her son’s autistic spectrum disorder to notable romances, such as one with the world-renowned tenor Yusif Eivazov. COMPANY: JSC NTV BROADCASTING COMPANY
DOCS & FACTUAL - SCIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
ISTRES 125: XXL AIR BAS Go behind the scenes of France’s most iconic, secure, and largest air base. 2,500 hectares, 40 kilometres of fences, within which 5,000 soldiers are organised into 70 elite units, and more than 500 buildings. In the near future, the base will become the main army hub for repatriation and deployment in foreign operations. View previously unseen footage that reveals Istrite’s true specialty: the in-flight refuelling of combat aircraft. COMPANY: LUKARN
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PRE-SALES 2022 DRAMA - COMEDY
SUPER HALF The secret bunker of G-center laboratory is where the supernaturals measure their powers. Their paranormal prowess manifests in myriad forms, from the ability to mind-read, albeit limited to only the first letter of each word, to transforming into a beast. Here, Sulli Van trains up his imperfect supernatural power with his ilk. COMPANY: ASTORY
DRAMA - COMEDY
MONSIKIDS In the planet Monsiland, lies the Island of Peace where the characters live. Other geographical features represent human emotions: The Sea of Love, the Volcano of Anger. Whenever a character experiences one of the emotions, he is taken to an island and has to decide what he needs to do to come back home. The first animation series based on the concept of EQ development. COMPANY:JARAIT MULTIMEDIA, S.A.
PRE-SCHOOL - ANIMATION
WEIRD WATERS Weird Waters is a CGI animated fantasy series about three BFFFs (best fish friends forever) on the freshwater adventure of a lifetime. Follow BZ and I.M. Tiger, two tropical fish who accidentally land in the deep end of a magical pond. They soon meet Jam, a new friend who sweeps them away on a series of unbelievable escapades peppered with hidden realms, crazy monsters, and ancient mysteries. Along the way, these friends learn that growing up is the wildest ride of all! COMPANY: 9 STORY MEDIA GROUP
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p r e v i e w
ATF 2021 hybrid edition
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PRE-SALES 2022 DRAMA - HISTORICAL PERIOD DRAMA
尚食 | ROYAL FEAST TREATMENT 永乐十九年，大明国事昌隆，万邦来朝。为招待源源不绝的各国使 节团，永乐帝不拘一格，昭选天下女子之擅烹者入宫，充大明尚食 局掌膳之选。经过重重选拔， 少女姚子衿入选为尚食局宫女，因 此与骆星桥、掌膳苏月华结识。 向来得过且过的姚子衿受到他们 二人的激励，对烹饪之道燃起兴趣。三人奇计百出，巧妙融入中华 药膳，更令历代古籍名肴重现人间，同时子衿烹饪技术渐臻佳境， 逐渐明白食的真正意义，美食是一种吃的艺术，更是促进不同文化 之间沟通的桥梁。
PRE-SCHOOL - ANIMATION
ASLAN’IN DENEY ODASI / ASLAN’S EXPERIMENT ROOM Entertaining and didactic, this 3D animated production demonstrates dramatic experiments conducted in a laboratory environment by Aslan and his friends - all in a bid to resolve questions they’ve derived from the Rube Goldberg machine. COMPANY: OUTLINE ANIMATION STUDIOS
The 19th year of Yongle was a prosperous era for the Ming Dynasty, when many emissaries visited the empire. To entertain these guests, the Emperor of Yongle summoned the land’s leading cooks to ultimately elect the best. Yao Zijin, a young girl, was chosen, eventually becoming acquainted with Yin Ziping and Su Yuehua. They encouraged her passion in cooking. This led to the three innovating myriad new dishes, including those that fused Chinese medicinal directives. Yao Zijin was gradually promoted, ultimately realizing the true meaning of “food”. In the end, she followed a noble calling to advocate traditional cuisine. COMPANY: HUANYU ENTERTAINMENT
FORMATS/ NON-SCRIPTED ENTERTAINMENT REALITY SHOW/SCRIPTED REALITY
FIND MY BODY Find My Body is an atypical studio dating show where one contestant finds her/ his perfect soulmate by matching the heads of six contenders with their bodies, making a guess through imagination, wit, and conversations. The successful participant will win 1000 euros for each right match and get the chance to take one of the participants that she/ he guessed right out on a date with the prize money! COMPANY: COFFEEMUG MEDIA
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PRE-SALES 2022 DOCS & FACTUAL - ARTS, MUSIC & CULTURE
ONLINE GLOBAL ART BUSKING 5 teams of Korean and Polish artists, including Harim, Blue Camel Ensemble, Maytree, The Heima, Vorswav Mime Theater, and Kchikupa, come together to form their own stage and collaboration stages. The performance ends with a decorated finale featuring BTS’ dynamite songs involving all artists. COMPANY: E.O.CONTENTS
KIDS (AGES 7 AND UP) - ANIMATION
TRASHED A young girl and her crew of misfit animal companions explore their ever-growing trash island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Trashed is a lovingly animated series seen through the eyes of Grace – trying to make sense of the world through the things we discard. Her crazy adventures help us explore the themes of climate change and pollution in a fun and surreal fashion. COMPANY: CIRKUS ANIMATION
DRAMA - ROMANCE
THE MAN’S VOICE A fantasy romantic comedy about a job-seeking student who works part-time at a convenience store and a handsome co-pilot who is also the butler to his cat. After an uncanny incident in which the female protagonist is struck by lightning, she mysteriously starts to hear the voice of the pilot’s cat. This humorous drama stars Choi Tae Joon and Song Ji Eun. COMPANY: YOUNG&CONTENTS CO., LTD
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