ATF & ScreenSingapore 2013 - Show Daily (Day 1)

THE 2013 OFFICI AL

DAY 01 04 DEC 2013

Advertorial

OPENING ADDRESS Anthony Chen, Director of Ilo Ilo

The Media Development Authority’s CEO, Koh Lin-Net on Singapore and the Asian media momentum

OPENING KEYNOTE CHANGING THE FUTURE OF TV CONTENT

Youku Tudou’s content chief, Sunny Xiangyang Zhu, shares his company’s plans for 2014

DIGITAL AGILITY NOW

DISCOVER WHAT’S MADE BY SINGAPORE Experience the art of storytelling at this year’s Asia TV Forum & Market and ScreenSingapore with its stellar offering of celluloid dreams in film and TV. Contemplate Asia’s treasures as the past is brought back to life through inspiring and memorable journeys.

Bringing AsiA’s pAst to life Singapura Syok

Serangoon Road

David McGregor speaks on the age of transformative technology

Wi-Fi access in Exhibition Halls B & C is kindly sponsored by MBS.

SSID: atf_ss_market Password: atfssmkt13 Note: Bandwidth is limited and may not be sufficient for streaming of videos.

There Was A Time

Ilo Ilo

The Journey: A Voyage

CONTENTS Editorial & Production Team NG Yuina Eudora CHEW LIM Shibin KHOO Boo Leong NG Ek Heng Shouvik MUKHERJEE Hannah PICHAY Indra GURUNG Tiffany KHOO LIM Yue Feng Andrew LOW LEE Man Tshun

Project Management Senior Project Director

YEOW Hui Leng

Project Manager

Joyce CHUA

04 08 10

DAY @ A Glance

07

What’s new

12

FIRST-TIMERs SPEAK OUT

14

4 QUESTIONS

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PROFILES

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PETER’S PICKs

HAPPENINGS

FROM THE MARKET

Marketing Senior Marketing Executive

Kas XIE Marketing Executive

LIM Shibin

Public Relations Senior Manager

NG Yuina Marketing Executive

Eudora CHEW

Buyers Project Sales Executive

Kathy KIM

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GREAT MINDs SHARE

Project Coordinator

Felicia LIM

Exhibitors & Participants Senior Project Sales Executive

Kathryn NG Project Coordinator

Lynette THNG

Conference Executive Producer

Debe HOO

PROJECT COORDINATOR

Theresa LEE

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FEATURES

Operations Senior Operations Executive

Jasmine HOO GOH Hui Wen Operations Executive

Shawn HUANG Bryan LAM Published by REED EXHIBITIONS, a division of Reed Elsevier (Singapore) 2008 Pte Ltd

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PRODUCT NEWS

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DAY 01 DAY @ A GLANCE

DAY

A GLANCE

TV & FILM MARKET | CONFERENCES & EVENTS

CONFERENCE SYNOPSIS

OPENING CEREMONY 10:00am - 10:50am | Level 3, Cassia Ballroom

SCREENSINGAPORE OPENING KEYNOTE 10:50am - 11:20am | Level 3, Cassia Ballroom

SOUTHEAST ASIA FILM FINANCING PANEL 11:20am - 12:20pm | Level 3, Cassia Ballroom

ILO ILO IN NUMBERS: A NEW CASE FOR CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS FOR ASIAN INDEPENDENT FILM 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Level 3, Cassia Ballroom

INSIGHTS WITH SHEKHAR KAPUR – DO WE NEED TO TELL TAIWAN PAVILION A DIFFERENT STORY? NETWORKING 3:00pm - 3:45pm | Level 3, Cassia Ballroom RECEPTION 3:30pm - 4:30pm HOW PRODUCTION INCENTIVES STIMULATE LOCAL Level 1 Taiwan Pavilion - C02 FILM INDUSTRY GROWTH?

SCREENSINGAPORE OPENING KEYNOTE Yu Dong Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Bona Film Group, China Moderator:

Kenneth Tan Assistant Chief Executive (Assessment), Media Development Authority (MDA), Singapore

SOUTHEAST ASIA FILM FINANCING PANEL Choi Yeonu VP of International Film Financing and Production, CJ Entertainment, South Korea

Shinjiro Nishimura Producer, Nikkatsu, Japan

3:45pm - 4:30pm | Level 3, Cassia Ballroom Lee Soo Hui

SINGAPORE HOUR

Head of Media Business Unit, StarHub, Singapore

4:30pm - 5:30pm Level 1, Singapore Pavilion - H02 Ng Say Yong

ASIA SUPER PRODUCER PANEL – CHALLENGES FACED BY SUCCESSFUL BOX OFFICE FILMS FROM ASIA 4:30pm - 6:00pm Level 3, Cassia Ballroom

ATF ANIMATION LAB – NETWORKING SESSION 5:00pm - 6:00pm Level 1, Animation Lab - Hall C

COCKTAIL & SUSHI PARTY 5:00pm - 6:00pm Level 1, Japan Pavilion - A02

UK INDIES NETWORKING DRINKS 5:00pm - 6:00pm Level 1, UK Pavilion - B14 (by invitation only)

OPENING RED CARPET Official Opening Premiere Venue: FILM PREMIERE (by RSVP only)

FIRESTORM 7:00pm onwards

OPENING PARTY@ NORTH GARDEN 9:00pm onwards Marina Bay Sands SkyPark, Tower 3, Level 57

Managing Director, MM2 Entertainment, Singapore

Moderator:

Kenneth Tan Assistant Chief Executive (Assessment), Media Development Authority (MDA), Singapore

We invite film investors and financiers who plan to work with film producers or directors from the Southeast Asia region to share their plans moving into 2014. CJ Entertainment (South Korea) and Nikkatsu (Japan) are both strong investors from North Asia and we find out what plans they have for which territories and what story genres they are looking out for.

ILO ILO IN NUMBERS: A NEW CASE FOR CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS FOR ASIAN INDEPENDENT FILM Anthony Chen Writer, Director & Co-producer of Ilo Ilo, Winner of 2013 Camera d’Or at Cannes Film Festival, Singapore

Anthony Chen, writer, director and co-producer of Ilo Ilo will present an in-depth case study of Singapore’s Camera d’Or winner, extending beyond awards and critical acclaim, with a focus on international sales, recoupment and box office numbers.

DAY 01 DAY @ A GLANCE 05

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS INSIGHTS WITH SHEKHAR KAPUR DO WE NEED TO TELL A DIFFERENT STORY? Shekhar Kapur

Award-winning Director and Producer, India

In a global village, as the international film market grows and audience awareness escalates, does an Asian director need to go to Hollywood or have a Hollywood agent to help package his work into an international product? Or can he tell a story through his own culture, from where he comes from?

ASIA SUPER PRODUCER PANEL: CHALLENGES FACED BY SUCCESSFUL BOX OFFICE FILMS FROM ASIA

OPENING CEREMONY Officiated by Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information

TAIWAN PAVILION NETWORKING RECEPTION UK INDIES NETWORKING DRINKS

Rangga Maya Barack-Evans Managing Director, PT Merantau Films, Indonesia

COCKTAIL & SUSHI PARTY

Jack Neo Film Director, J Team Productions, Singapore

Kim Minki Chief Executive Officer, Fine Works Co Ltd, South Korea

OPENING RED CARPET FILM PREMIERE (by RSVP only)

FIRESTORM

Banjong Pisanthanakun

7:00pm onwards

Director of Pee Mak and Shutter, Thailand

Catch Andy Lau and Gordon Lam on the red carpet!

Moderator:

Micheal Wiluan Chief Executive Officer, Infinite Studios, Singapore

HOW PRODUCTION INCENTIVES STIMULATE LOCAL FILM INDUSTRY GROWTH? Chris Brown

Micheal Wiluan

Producer, Pictures in Paradise, Australia

Chief Executive Officer, Infinite Studios, Singapore

Norman Abdul Halim

Michael C. Ellis

Executive President, KRU Group, Malaysia Moderator:

Shanty Harmayn Founder, Salto Film Company, Indonesia

President and Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Motion Picture Association International (MPA-I)

OPENING PARTY Sands SkyPark, North Garden, Marina Bay Sands

In celebration of 50 years of TV, MediaCorp and the National Heritage Board will jointly organise TV50 – Experience the Magic, a month-long exhibition held from 23rd November to 21st December 2013 at the National Museum of Singapore.

Singapore television is a big part of Singapore’s heritage, creating pop cultures and reflecting the social mores of the times. Partnering the National Heritage Board, the custodian of Singapore’s heritage, TV50 – Experience the Magic will trace Singapore’s history and heritage, providing insight into the socio-cultural landscape and its

developments over the past 50 years.

It will also showcase MediaCorp TV’s achievements in television and what we can look forward to in the future for television. Held at the National Museum of Singapore, this event allows the masses a peek into the magic that goes behind the making of Singapore television.

ATF and ScreenSingapore are pleased to support a special tour of the exhibition for our delegates this Friday 6th Dec from 4.30pm to 5.30pm. Light refreshments will be served and transport to and fro will be provided. Pick-up point is outside Hall B, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre at 4pm.

Kindly RSVP your attendance to cccm_admin@mediacorp.com.sg by 5th December 2013.

DAY 01 WHAT’S NEW 07

WHAT's NEW 6 December 2013 Marina Bay Sands, SIngapore

LOCAL ROOTS, GLOBAL REACH The Road to Success in Non-scripted Formats and Factual Programming in Asia.

Whether you are producing or commissioning programmes, whether you are creating ideas, selling or buying: the international business of entertainment is changing dramatically. But how do you develop an idea ‘from scratch to screen’ and build it into a business?

This 1-day event focusses on the essential ‘How To’ and targets producers and executives from across the entertainment industry who want to learn directly from international industry experts.

Matthew Ashcroft SVP, Head of Asia Pacific, International Distribution, Shine International, Singapore

Rob Clark Director of Global Entertainment Development, FremantleMedia, United Kingdom

Ben Hall Managing Director, Chalkboard TV, United Kingdom

Tom Jennings Executive Producer, 1895 Films (Tom Jennings Productions), United States

Michael McKay President, activeTV, Australia

Virginia Mouseler CEO, The WIT, Switzerland

Mikiko Nishiyama Director, International Business Development, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Japan

Michel Rodrigue CEO & Partner, The Format People, USA

Ann Christin Siljan Director of Sales & Acquisition, Nordic World, Norway

Beryl Yan Head of Programme Strategy Department, R&D Centre, Hunan Satellite TV, China

REGISTER FOR MIPACADEMY AT SGD 300* VISIT US AT WWW.ASIATVFORUM.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION

Na Young Suk Producer, tvN, CJ E&M, South Korea

Produced by

In collaboration with

Held in conjunction with

*Price listed for MIPACADEMY pass only and is subject to prevailing tax if applicable.

ATF ANIMATION LAB 29 COMPANIES… 8 COUNTRIES… 45 SUBMISSIONS… 35 shortlisted projects to be pitched to 6 networks over the next 3 days!

ABC, BBC, Disney, Nickelodeon, Turner, ZDF…Which projects will catch their eye?

Join our commissioners and other producers at: ATF Animation Lab Networking Session 4th & 5th Dec : 5pm, 6th Dec : 11am, Animation Lab, Hall C

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DAY 01 HAPPENINGS

Happenings

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CM

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Koh Lin-Net, Chief Executive Officer, Media Development Authority (MDA), Singapore CMY

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SINGAPORE RIDING HIGH ON ASIAN MEDIA MOMENTUM Global media players are increasingly looking to Asia for opportunities to tap and expand into this exciting market and Singapore is at the heart of the action, stated Koh Lin-Net, CEO of Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) during her opening keynote address at the pre-market conference yesterday.

Koh pointed out how consumers today seek engagement, user experience and accessibility on multiple platforms anytime and anywhere. This phenomenon is pronounced in Singapore with the advanced infocomms infrastructure and its citizens’ technology embracement.

This makes Singapore a natural test bed for new services and applications for viewers in the region.

Beyond that, Singapore is also building its media infrastructure. Mediapolis, a media hub designed to inspire creativity, collaboration and connectivity, is attracting media companies. For example, StarHub recently held the groundbreaking ceremony of its MediaHub at the Mediapolis Infinite Studios. The building will serve as a convergence hub for its fixed, mobile and pay TV networks and future business.

The Mediapolis Infinite Studios bring together media-related services such as broadcasters, service providers and digital media companies under one roof.

Koh also highlighted the successes of Singapore content on the international stage, including those of film director Anthony Chen, who has won international acclaim with 20 awards, and counting,

for his film Ilo Ilo. Original TV production Serangoon Road, a 10-episode detective drama series set in Singapore in the 1960s, has also attracted a loyal following on HBO Asia. This, Koh added, signifies that Singaporean directors and producers can create original and inspiring Asian content that resonates with global audiences.

“At MDA, we are heartened by such developments and achievements by our local media talent and companies, and we have streamlined our industry assistance schemes to meet the key stages of growth,” said Koh in closing. “We will be showcasing more than 600 hours of Singapore content at the Singapore Pavilion where media buyers can discover our best ideas and concepts that engage, entertain and inform audience.”

ScreenSingapore presents the World Premiere of

Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa 4 Dec 2013, 7pm

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DAY 01 FROM THE MARKET

FROM THE MARKET

GRIPPING DRAMA SLATE FROM COMAREX Mexico’s leading international distribution company, Comarex, will showcase a selection of the best internationally acclaimed drama series from the HBO Latin America Originals’ catalogue at ATF 2013. The company is distributing HBO Latin America’s original content to select territories including the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Oceania and parts of Europe.

JAPANESEMALAYSIAN COPRODUCTION CREATES MALAY SUPERHERO SERIES Yomiuri-TV Enterprise Ltd (Japan) and Mabui Stone Corporation (Japan) together with Double Vision (Malaysia), the production arm of Vision New Media, have jointly produced Malaysia’s very own Malay costumed hero TV series Ryujin Juwara (26x30 minutes). The exciting series is currently in production and will be aired on TV3 in the first quarter of 2014.

Headlining the drama slate is Profugos (26x60 minutes), an action-packed series directed by award-winning Chilean director Pablo Larrain and filmed partly on location in the Chilean Atacama desert. It tells the story of a failed drug-trafficking operation that sparks an all-out pursuit of four men by both the mafia and the law.

In addition, Mulher De Fases: States of Grace (13x30 minutes) is a modern, lighthearted chronicle of relationships and the search for love and for oneself based on the book Louca por Homem by Claudia Tajes.

Ryujin Juwara is the localised version of Ryujin Mabuyer, which debuted in 2008 and is a top-rated TV series in Okinawa, Japan. The show will impart the essence of Malay tradition and culture to the young generation.

Ryujin Juwara is the first Malay TV series to be shot in Okinawa, Japan. The actionpacked series brings together some of the hottest young actors from Malaysia such as Ledil Putra and Faralyna Idris.

Riding on the success of popular Japanese costume series such as Ultraman, Power Rangers and Masked Rider in Malaysia, the partners are confident that Ryujin Juwara will be a hit with young Malaysians.

Other highlights include Mandrake (13x60 minutes), which focusses on a young, charming and intelligent Rio de Janeiro criminal attorney specialising in blackmail and extortion cases; Argentine drama Epitafios (26x60 minutes), a nail-biting series about a retired policeman and a psychiatrist who join forces to solve a logicdefying homicide case; and the crime drama Hijos Del Carnaval (12x60 minutes), which tells the story of Anésio Gebara, owner of a samba school and banker of an illegal lottery, and his four sons.

DAY 01 FROM THE MARKET 11

Viki inks major deals with China, Taiwan content partners

VIDDSEE PREMIERES SHORT FILMS ONLINE, EXPANDS MICROCINEMA NETWORK Expanding its regional network for curated, quality micro-cinema content around Asia, Viddsee has launched its channels for content partners to showcase more short films online.

The online video platform is also set to premiere four short films from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines online for the first time, adding to Viddsee’s stellar roster of more than 200 Asian titles.

To date, Viddsee has premiered at least a third of its short films online. The four premieres explore diverse themes from love to friendship, sex and death.

One of the short films, The Rapist, written and directed by Diane Ventura (Philippines), tells the story of a young man, accused of rape, narrating the details of what transpired the night of his alleged assault to his therapist. It stars veteran Filipino character actress Cherie Gil and newcomer Marco Morales in the lead.

The other premieres include Hajat by Ken Kin (Malaysia), Echo by Lincoln Chia (Thailand/Singapore) and Paper Boxes by Melinda Tan and Ho Jia Jian (Singapore).

With its channels feature, Viddsee is making short films from Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and Cambodia accessible globally. It has linked up with regional film festivals to create dedicated channels on Viddsee.com to screen films online.

Viki, the global TV site powered by fans, is announcing major content deals with Chinese and Taiwanese content partners at ATF 2013.

Viki also broadcasts period dramas and online series from leading Chinese broadcasters Huace TV and LeTV.

“Chinese and Taiwanese shows are fast becoming one of the most popular content genres on Viki,” said Razmig Hovaghimian, CEO and co-founder of Viki. “While over 30% of the viewing audience for these shows comes from North America, we know this content has global appeal with top shows being translated into over 40 languages.”

Viki has also signed on with Taiwan’s TVBS to exclusively broadcast the Taipei 101 New Year’s Eve Countdown ‘live’ to the rest of the world. It has also renewed its agreement with Sanli Entertainment Television and will offer the latter’s on-air dramas in 2014.

To meet growing demand, Viki has partnered with Sohu, a top online video portal in China, to distribute its original online series including idol dramas and sketch comedies Unconditional Love, Never Give Up Dodo, and Another Taste of Love, among other titles.

Sara Jen, Viki’s Director of Business Development and Partnerships, is a panellist on the “New Media StrategyBusiness Model and Monetising Opportunities” pre-conference session along with YouTube, MBS and SK Planet.

ITVS GE SIGNS FORMAT DEALS IN VIETNAM, CHINA, KOREA ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) has signed deals for three of its hit formats in Vietnam, China and Korea.

Tincom Media in Vietnam has ordered ITV Studios’ Soapstar Superstar. The 10x60 minutes series, locally titled Superstar, will air on HTV. The programme showcases the singing talents of familiar faces from the country’s most popular soap operas in front of a ‘live’ audience and three music industry judges. Viewers get to choose which songs are performed on each show as well as vote off the contestants.

In China, Anhui TV has commissioned a 13x60 minutes series of 12 Yard’s primetime game show Holding Out For A Hero, in which contestants compete to win a life-changing sum of money for a deserving local hero.

Meanwhile, Korea’s KBS has commissioned 12 Yard’s Top Dog Model. The 10x60 minutes series, locally titled Superdog, delves into the world of canine modelling.

These deals follow the commissioning of ITV Studio’s Popstar to Operastar in Korea and Vietnam and Come Dine With Me in India.

“Our portfolio features a huge number of internationally proven formats suitable for a range of slots, and as these deals illustrate, they are very much in demand with Asian broadcasters looking for intelligent and cost-effective entertainment formats to attract large audiences,” said Hyeonza Hong, Vice President, Sales, Asia at ITVS GE.

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DAY 01 FIRST-TIMERS SPEAK OUT

FIRST TIMERS

SPEAK OUT Our goals at ATF and ScreenSingapore are basically to meet potential partners for the distribution of our project Poseso [an animated feature film] and to get information regarding new technologies, innovation and media 360.

William Medina Producer, Basque Films, Spain

Our primary aim at ATF is to network with as many broadcasters and potential co-production partners as possible. We represent regional broadcasters throughout Japan that have much high-quality content, which we strive to bring worldwide.

We are bringing an interactive format show and system [from] Korean companies to ATF. We plan to hold a showcase titled “Korea Interactive Content 2013” [for] buyers and interested parties.

Park Jin-Sik Director, Showgate, South Korea

Toshie Yoshida

President, TI ComNet, Japan

[Our purpose] is to contact television networks and distributors from Asia. We have a broad catalogue with series, TV movies and programmes of entertainment… most of which are on HD. Silvia Cotino

International Sales Department, Mediaset España Comunicacion SA, Spain

I have a few things that are in gestation that may be ready for ScreenSingapore. My plans are to attend some of the discussion panels, network and catch up with industry members.

Lai Weijie Producer, E&W Films, Singapore

DAY 01 FIRST-TIMERS SPEAK OUT 13

Our goal is not only At ATF and ScreenSingapore to introduce our 2013, I’m looking to programmes to buy women’s content, the Asian buyers such as lifestyle, but also to meet drama, magazine and potential partners entertainment, as well we could collaborate as music and sports content. The three with regarding the things I look out for when acquiring extension of our programmes are content quality, platform catalogue. availability and of course, price.

Morgann Favennec

Deputy Managing Director, International Sales & Acquisitions, Superights, France

Petty Nugrahadi

Channel Relation Assistant Manager, Telkomvision, Indonesia

After the success of our Starz Original series, Spartacus, we are seeing more interest than ever from this region in our premium one-hour series. We will We´d like to keep growing in Asia. be very focussed on strengthening our We´re working on a couple of new broadcasting partners in the region, shows, and we want to introduce especially in Indonesia and Thailand, the adaptation of The Impostor while building and expanding in China. We´re looking for our existing relationships in key companies we’ve not met before… territories like Korea, Singapore and to learn and try to understand Hong Kong. how they work in Asia.

Todd Bartoo

Senior Manager, Worldwide Sales & Acquisitions, Starz Worldwide Distribution, USA

Xabi Zabaleta

Head of New Formats & Projects, Pausoka, Spain

I’ll be looking to build new relationships with factual and documentary buyers interested in high-end, award-winning one-offs and series, and to increase our reach in Asia in general. Acquisitions-wise, it would be great to see some stories coming out of Asia (as with Twilight of the Yakuza) with great international appeal.

Kazz Basma

Head of Sales and Acquisitions, Sideways Film, UK

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DAY 01 4 QUESTIONS

4 QUestions Short takes from four high-grossing Asian filmmakers on their passion, motivation and inspiration What do you love about your job?

I love making movies, I enjoy it very much. The thing that makes me the most happy is that I never feel like I am “working”. It’s the opposite, in fact. I feel like a kid and I just enjoy every minute of making a movie.

What is the most important thing that you must achieve with each of your productions?

I will keep shooting until I am sure that it will turn out exactly how I want it. I will do everything to make sure that the work is the best it can be.

Banjong Pisanthanakun Director Pee Mak Thailand

What or who inspires you?

I’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from many things that surround me, such as good films, good books or cool people that I have met and talked to.

Travelling has also introduced me to new things that I haven’t found or met before.

I wish the film industry in Asia ___________________.

I wish the film industry in Asia could have more of an influence over Hollywood.

Pee Mak, the second highest grossing film of all time in Thailand

What do you love about your job?

I think a producer is like a mother who takes care of everything around the family. It’s tough. But I can’t stop producing because I am proud of my work. I feel good being able to use my imagination and put my ideas into a movie which the audience enjoys.

What is the most important thing that you must achieve with each of your productions?

To be fresh, to have a subject or material that is a first in Korea. And of course, to be as successful as everyone wants to be!

Kim Min-ki Producer Miracle in Cell No. 7 South Korea

What or who inspires you?

As a producer, I work with subject matter decided by the screenwriter or the director but what inspires me are human stories, stories driven by human emotions and actions.

I wish the film industry in Asia ___________________.

I wish the film industry in Asia would do more to promote Asian traditions and roots, stories based on each nation’s DNA.

Miracle in Cell No. 7, watched by a quarter of the South Korean population despite not featuring any big stars

DAY 01 4 QUESTIONS 15

What do you love about your job?

Every project is different. I’m lucky I’m in a position where I get to oversee the overall project and see the unique differences among different departments. Also, film is a powerful medium. It can help promote culture, a hero, etc. and when your work gets out there and is received so well by its audience and creates a new trend, that’s amazing.

Rangga Maya Barack-Evans Executive Producer The Raid: Redemption Indonesia

What is the most important thing that you must achieve with each of your productions?

ROI for investors; complete the film the way the director and all of us as a core team envision it from the beginning; and last but not least, full safety of everyone involved in the project. All our films so far are action based and involve a lot of safety measures.

My team and I do our best to make sure that everyone working for us is safe.

What or who inspires you?

I believe God sends me many different life experiences to inspire me. Seeing my husband who is a writer, editor and director working endless hours, and the level of passion and commitment he puts towards his films, truly inspires me too. I’ve never seen anyone put so much heart and soul into his work.

I wish the film industry in Asia ___________________.

I wish the film industry in Asia was bigger and better platformed.

The Raid: Redemption, watched by a quarter of a million people in Indonesia within the first four days of release

What do you love about your job?

I love making movies because through the visuals I can spin a story. And the story can be inspiring in different ways to different people.

AhBoysToMen_Poster I_FA.pdf

Jack Neo Director Ah Boys to Men Singapore

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What is the most important thing that you must achieve with each of your productions?

I hope that with each of my movies, I can give my audience something fresh, a pleasant surprise.

Regardless of whether it’s the story, the visuals or the special effects, I really try my best to do things differently. I believe that only by doing that, then the audience will anticipate and have faith in the next movie and will continue to be supportive.

What or who inspires you?

The inspiration for my scripts and my stories, usually comes from the people around me. They can really fire up my imagination. Sometimes, news events too, can be a good source of inspiration.

I wish the film industry in Asia ___________________.

I wish the film industry in Asia was more international.

Ah Boys to Men, Singapore’s highest grossing movie of all time

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DAY 01 GREAT MINDS SHARE

GREAT MINDS SHARE

Sunny Xiangyang Zhu, Chief Content Officer, Youku Tudou Inc, China

YOUKU TUDOU CHARTING INTERNET-SCALE SUCCESS TO RIVAL BROADCAST TV In 2014, Youku Tudou Inc is investing US$49.2 million in not only partnergenerated and user-generated content but also in-house content production, focussing on drama series, microfilms, variety shows and comedies based on viewers’ demands.

With more than 400 million viewers already under its belt, the powerhouse recently achieved in-market success with its original in-house miniseries production Surprise. Despite a small team and limited resources, this miniseries achieved a total viewership of 300 million and an average of 23 million per episode.

“We want to differentiate our [internet] programmes from [traditional] TV programmes and prove that [they] can be

just as successful,” said Sunny Xiangyang Zhu, Chief Content Officer of Youku Tudou in his ATF pre-market conference opening keynote address. “By producing our own content, we can gain confidence from professional producers to coproduce programmes in the future.”

The merger of Youku and Tudou in August 2012 to form Youku Tudou Inc created China’s biggest video site.

Unifying the advertising, licensing and investing processes, the company recently reported good financial results in the third quarter of this year and expects to achieve its targets in Q4.

According to Zhu, Youku Tudou’s success is a fulfilment of the dreams of both viewers and content producers. In a winwin situation, viewers get access to local and global content that they did not have in the past, while content producers are inspired to produce quality work on Youku Tudou because they can showcase their work and generate an income stream from the platform’s revenue sharing scheme.

But it is not all smooth sailing. Youku Tudou faces stiff competition. To enhance

its core competitiveness next year, it is widening its revenue base for sustainability and stability, leveraging multi-screen content to capture the large pool of new mobile users and differentiating products and services to increase brand influence.

This strategy has also seen Youku Tudou tackling content piracy. For instance, it recently linked up with Motion Picture Association and Motion Picture Association of America to form an anti-piracy alliance.

“This is to ensure a fair competition environment,” Zhu said. “This is not just to protect Youku Tudou; it is also to protect the content creators and owners.”

DAY 01 GREAT MINDS SHARE 17

DIGITAL AGILITY SHOWS M&E PLAYERS THE MONEY

Sharing some of the industry’s best practices in his presentation, McGregor reveals that industry players require agility and a commitment to place the customer at the centre of what they do to successfully tap into digital M&E markets.

Fast-growing technological advancements and spreading tech-literacy in Asia have created opportunities to explore and tap into new sources of revenue for digital media and entertainment (M&E) market players.

“Allow the customer to guide you with some of the products you launch in the market,” suggests McGregor.

“Use your customers to help you make your business decisions.”

Asia is seeing “more devices, more users, more infrastructure, more bandwidth, more content and more advertising dollars,” says David McGregor, Managing Partner of Technology, Media & Entertainment, Telecommunications at Ernst & Young Australia in his ATF 2013 pre-market conference session yesterday.

As the current landscape offers a potential virtuous cycle for revenue, the first challenge is getting into the increasingly competitive market.

From offering premium and customised content online, to providing anytime accessibility and content across multiple platforms and devices, successful digital M&E companies innovate their products and service bundles based on customers’ needs.

Coupled with advanced social listening tools and cutting-edge analytics, companies should also strive to rapidly deploy resources and develop products to beat the competition to market and seize new customer opportunities.

David McGregor, Managing Partner, Technology, Media & Entertainment, Telecommunications (TMT), Ernst & Young, Australia

COMEDY, ANIMATION BIG ON KIDS’ TV With over 50% of the world’s under14s living in Asia, it was no surprise that all eyes and ears were on Mark Eyers, Chief Content Officer at Hong Kong-based Turner International Asia Pacific, who shared his thoughts on the future of kids’ TV in Asia Pacific at the ATF 2013 pre-market conference.

“Nothing is more powerful than the experience of laughter,” said Eyers.

According to him, the combination of comedy and animation will drive the future of kids’ TV because of three key reasons – comedy always repeats, comedy appeals to kids and animation can travel borders, being easily localised.

Sharing a quote from Jonathan Perelman of Buzzfeed – “Content is king, but distribution is queen and she wears the pants” – Eyers also talked about the other “c-word” – curate.

Eyers also added that it was important to surprise and delight the kids through all touch-points.

In today’s technology-driven world, it is all about the multi-platform experience for kids, as it is for adults, and that means

Mark Eyers, Chief Content Officer, Turner International Asia Pacific, Hong Kong

brands are seen essentially everywhere – on TV, on the internet and in apps.

Because of this, it is then crucial to deliver a curated brand so that when “kids watch you, click you or download you”, you are presenting one curated brand according to your DNA, Eyers advised.

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DAY 01 GREAT MINDS SHARE

MOBILITY, E-COMMERCE PAVE ROAD TO OTT PROFITS Addressing the challenge of making overthe-top (OTT) services profitable in Asia, a panel of industry experts at ATF 2013 agreed that integrating mobile content and e-commerce is the way forward.

This is the next strategic move for SK Planet’s Hoppin, South Korea’s leading mobile video-on-demand (VOD) service. “Mobile devices will play an important role in this integration as a medium of convergence,” said Tommy Lee, Head of Media and Entertainment Business Development. “In Hoppin’s case, more than 90% of subscribers view content on their smartphones.”

The emergence of OTT services has changed the dynamics of TV viewership and consumption of broadcast content. “[Audiences] are active consumers [who] want contents of their choice anytime, anywhere,” said Kim Jeewoong, Business Development Manager for New Media at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).

(From left) Tommy (Sun Yong) Lee, Head of Media and Entertainment Business Development, SK Planet, South Korea; Jeewoong Kim, Business Development Manager at New Media Business Department, Global Business Headquarter, MBC, South Korea; Sara Jen, Head of Business Development and Partnerships, Viki, Singapore; Gautam Anand, Director, YouTube Partnerships & Operations, Asia Pacific, Google/YouTube, Singapore

Kim highlighted Korea – which has one of the world’s highest mobile and broadband penetrations – as an example, pointing out that OTT platforms like Pooq has evolved as a medium for Korean broadcasters to serve viewers on the go. Pooq, a joint venture between MBC and Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), offers 40 VOD channels of content from the two terrestrial broadcasters and content partners, Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) and Educational Broadcasting System (EBS).

Away from Korea, YouTube, the world’s biggest online video platform, has begun

DOCUMENTARIES IN 2014 SET TO BE ENGAGING CHARACTER-LED INFOTAINMENT

expanding its technical support to content providers worldwide, where they can leverage on YouTube’s studio facilities in major markets, said Gautam Anand, Director of YouTube Partnership and Operations, Asia Pacific.

Sara Jen, Viki’s Head of Business Development, said her company is working on monetising opportunities for content providers. This platform, allowing realtime subtitling and sharing of videos, is currently testing a subscription-based model with plans for a global launch in the second half of next year.

and this trend will continue into next year,” said Rhodes of NatGeo. She added that NatGeo is open to all forms of working with independent producers and production houses across the globe.

One of Asia’s documentary powerhouses, NHK, will continue its acquisition spree, targetting about 90 titles on current affairs and 40 edutainment programmes in 2014. “We’re looking into contents with innovative storytelling that appeals to [the] younger generation and engages them [with] interaction,” said Ogawa.

(From left) Maggie Rhodes, Director of Global Acquisitions & Co-Productions, National Geographic Channels International, United Kingdom; Junko Ogawa, Head of Global Content Marketing, NHK, Japan; Michele Schofield, Senior Vice President, Programming & Marketing, A+E Networks Asia, Singapore; Chen Xiaoqing, Documentary Director and Senior Editor, Director of Programme Operations Department, CCTV Documentary Channel, China

Commissioners from leading documentary channels shared their programming directions and acquisition plans for 2014 in a panel that wrapped up the opening day of the ATF 2013 conferences.

The panellists included Chen Xiaoqing, Documentary Director and Senior Editor of CCTV9; Junko Ogawa, Head of Global Content Marketing, NHK; Maggie Rhodes, Director of Global Acquisition and Co-productions, National Geographic Channels; and Michele Schofield,

Senior Vice-President, Programming and Marketing, A+E Networks Asia.

They shared that factual programming is coming back strongly on traditional TV channels, with character-led returnable series, scripted docu-dramas and infotainment genres topping the wishlist for acquisition and co-productions.

“Character-led docu series like Highway Thru Hell and Wicked Tuna were successful offerings on NatGeo channels this year,

CCTV is looking into commissioning about 700 hours’ worth of contents and acquiring an additional 500 hours for its documentary channels in 2014. “Being one of the youngest factual programming channels, we need more quality contents,” Chen said. He also shared that the channel’s focus on documentaries would shift towards more factual and infotainment programmes with emphasis on history, culture and civilisation.

“Character-led, rather than topic-led series, will continue to be our choice, although we acquire very select contents,” said Schofield of A+E Networks. The success of factual entertainment shows like Pawn Stars and Duck Dynasty proves that viewers in Asia are also drawn to such character-led shows.

DAY 01 GREAT MINDS SHARE 19

social issues to dominate new Korean formats As Korean formats emerge as the new hallyu (Korean wave), Korean producers say family values and social issues with universal appeal will dominate the next phase.

“Korean producers and broadcasters have come up with formats that have a good and successful mixture of Oriental ideas and values with Western execution. That is what makes the Korean formats appealing in overseas markets,” said Paul Chong, General Manager, JoongAng Media Network (JTBC) Presenting JTBC’s new singing show, Hidden Singer, which is a singing competition that connects a legendary singer with his or her fans, Chong noted that Korean formats are increasingly focussing on social issues such as the generation gap, long working hours, and family breakdowns.

Hwang Jin Woo, Senior Manager at tvN Contents, echoed Chong saying, “Socioeconomic issues such as the ageing

The new gem in Asia Speaking at the 14th annual Asia TV Forum & Market, Win Naing, Senior Executive General Manager (Content), SkyNet shared his perspective on the rapidly changing media landscape in Myanmar.

When SkyNet was first established three years ago, the company was the first in Myanmar to broadcast international news ‘live’, without any delay – at that time, a very risky move.

Today, because of the changes the country has undergone, the government has relaxed censorship and the pay TV provider now airs many international news channels ‘live’.

(From left) Cho Yong Beom, Producer, Happy Story Medi, South Korea; Paul Chong, General Manager, JoongAng Media Network (JTBC), South Korea; Tae-ho Sung, Deputy Director, KBS World Business Development, Korean Broadcasting System, South Korea; Hwang Jin Woo, Senior Manager, tvN Contents R&D Team, CJ E&M, South Korea; Kang Gung, Producer, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), South Korea

population, recession, rising unemployment and the globally connected society [are not new] to the Koreans.” He added that the formats that successfully touch on everyday issues are the ones becoming hits.

Hwang said that tvN’s two big hits – The Genius Game and Grandpas Over Flowers – both deal with social issues. The Genius Game’s format is based on survival in today’s highly competitive world, as players on the show learn to strategise with, and sometimes, even betray each other, in order to win. Grandpas Over Flowers, on the other hand, is an attempt to foster communication between the younger generation and their grandparents.

Describing another game-based show King of the Games, Cho Yeong Beom, of Happy Story Media, said the premise of the show was to have families learn about foreign cultures through games from around the world. “We hope to

encourage family bonding… and widen our children’s perspectives,” said Cho. Kang Gung of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, debuted the channel’s new show, Where Are We Going, Dad?. This unscripted show promotes bonding between a father and his young child. Five dads and their children spend two days without the mothers in a remote Korean village, without modern gadgets. “Dads in Korea are considered strict… But this show is trying to explore [the] loving and caring nature of dads and further strengthen bonds with their kids,” said Gung.

Presenting popular format 2 Days & 1 Night was KBS’ Deputy Director for Business Development, Tae-ho Sung. He said the show’s strength is in the competition and cooperation among the cast. He informed that Season 3 of the show was recently rolled out with a new host, after the format was sold to Sichuan TV last year.

But one of the key challenges that the country continues to face is the lack of human resource that is hindering its ability to increase productivity. To counter this, Win Naing shared that they are always looking for partnerships with companies from other markets that he believes are more mature than their own.

Win Naing also shared that ‘live’ sports, in particular football, is very popular in Myanmar. Movies, news and documentaries are also much preferred.

With a population of 60 million – and only 5 to 6 million TV households – Myanmar’s potential is enormous.

Only time will tell how the media landscape in Asia’s new gem will change.

Win Naing, Senior Executive General Manager (Content), Shwe Than Lwin Media (STLM), SkyNet, Myanmar

20

DAY 01 GREAT MINDS SHARE

ANIMATION AND THE ASIAN ADVANTAGE ATF 2013 sees the debut of Animation Lab, a three-day programme for animation producers to engage in closed-door pitches to various international commissioners.

Yesterday, the Animation Lab – Buyers, Coproduction and Financing Panel was held, featuring Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Children’s, BBC Worldwide, United Kingdom; Arne Lohmann, Vice President, ZDFE.junior, ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Germany; Natasha Malhotra, General Manager, Branded Media & Content, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, Singapore; Barbara Uecker, Head of Programming & Acquisitions, Children’s TV, Australia Broadcasting Corporation.

(From Left) Kelly Wright, Sales Director, Keshet International, Israel; Vivian Yin, Chief Representative & Deputy General Manager, Star China International Media Ltd, China; Mike Beale, Director of International Formats, ITV Studio, United Kingdom

“In this region, there is the talent, great design and high-class animation,” says Lohmann.

Mike Beale, Director of International Formats at ITV Studios UK, described how his company’s Big Star’s Little Star, a TV gameshow featuring celebrities and their children playing to win money for their preferred charity, has seen much success in the UK. He noted that the trend of involving celebrities has also surfaced in Vietnam and Korea, attesting to audiences’ fascination with celebrities across the globe.

But beyond design and the ability to execute, the panel revealed that they are looking for partnerships that go beyond aesthetically excellent animation. They shared that, first and foremost, buyers, co-producers and financiers seek locally relevant content, and content that can complement their existing programmes to provide their audiences with experiences they can relate to.

But what separates the great from the good is the ability to develop concepts with local relevance that can still reach out and appeal to audiences beyond the local market. And the newly-formed Animation Lab stakeholders are confident of what the region has to offer.

“Asia is such an amazing creative hub,” says Uecker. “So many ideas and designs are coming out of the region. There are different ideas in storytelling, and it’s a process of how we bring all these cultural aspects together to create great shows.”

AUDIENCE AT CENTRE OF BOOMING FORMATS UNIVERSE Yesterday, a panel of renowned format gurus delved into the latest formats and what they foresee as next year’s big format in their markets.

Recognising the success of The Voice of China last year, Star China International Media’s format for 2014 will pair celebrity mentors with aspiring singers or songwriters who will

Relevance - The Key to Attracting Asia’s Most Desirable Buyers An ATF pre-market panel discussion yesterday highlighted how focussed Asia’s most desirable buyers are in selecting content that is relevant to their target audience. Lee Soo Hui, Head of Media Business Unit at StarHub, describes it as “content that connects and creates resonance with the viewer”.

To make the right decisions, these buyers have to constantly monitor changes in consumer patterns. In the dynamic China market, for instance, Hunan Satellite TV seeks content that is culturally adaptable, according

(Clockwise from top left) Natasha Malhotra, General Manager, Branded Media & Content, The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia, Singapore; Barbara Uecker, Head of Programming & Acquisitions, Children’s TV, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia; Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Children’s, BBC Worldwide, United Kingdom; Arne Lohmann, Vice President, ZDFE.junior, ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Germany

compete against each other to create the song of China, said Vivian Yin, its Chief Representative and Deputy GM. The audience gets to download their favourite tracks throughout the competition.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Keshet International has created a hit TV show, Rising Star, which gives the audience “a direct connection with the contestants and a personal on-demand TV experience,” said Kelly Wright, Sales Director.

The show has been remarkably successful in Israel, reconnecting with an audience Keshet was losing – children and adults aged 12 to 34.

According to Yin, the outdoor reality TV format will be big in China next year.

Both Beale and Wright agreed that integrating technology would be key.

But certainly, retaining and growing audience mindshare with formats that connect and interact with them is a critical challenge and vital for success. to Beryl Yan, its Head of Programme Strategy Department, R&D Centre.

Zhejiang Satellite TV not only evaluates a format’s record on the international market but also its adaptability to the China market, said Summer Zheng, its Director of Formats, Strategy Development Centre.

Since consumer patterns do not remain constant, StarHub’s Lee finds that content that may not be considered today, may be picked up some time in the future.

Samsung, a new entrant into the contents market, seeks locally or regionally relevant shows with a strong storyline, casting and production values for smart TVs and mobile devices, said Shenthil Ranie, Samsung’s Content Licensing Manager, Entertainment.

(From Left) Lee Soo Hui, Head of Media Business Unit, StarHub, Singapore; Shenthil Ranie, Content Licensing Manager, Entertainment, Samsung, Singapore; Beryl Yan, Head of Programme Strategy Department, R&D Centre, Hunan Satellite TV, China; Summer Zheng, Director of Formats, Strategy Development Centre, Zhejiang Satellite TV, China

DAY 01 FEATURES 21

FEATURES Nontraditional players shaking up content development ecosystem When it comes to original content, broadcasters have tended to take the lead, whether with inhouse productions or outsourced commissioned works. When video streaming operators made their appearance and started aggregating content for their customers, broadcasters found a new market for their programmes.

However, these one-time customers are now shaking up the ecosystem by going into original content development themselves.

From being purely aggregators, these non-traditional content players are now developing their own stable of original programmes. And when it comes to content, the keyword is ‘personalisation’.

Programming is being shaped less by the gut feel of network planners and more by big data analysis. As these companies get better in parsing the feedback from their subscribers, consumers will get to see more of what they like at their own convenience, not only on their television sets but also their computers, tablets and mobile phones.

These companies know more about the viewing preferences of their customers because of the data collection mechanism built into their internet-based systems.

Using the reach and power of the internet, and working with independent producers who are eager for their business and keen to find outlets for their work, these new players

represent a major disruption in the television industry since the advent of cable. And they are fast earning their spurs. Their original programmes are lauded and nominated for mainstream entertainment awards, and established production companies are forging alliances with them in this new market segment.

22

DAY 01 FEATURES

Different players, different pitches

And still different…

Just a few weeks ago, Bloomberg reported that, together with Netflix, YouTube dominates the internet traffic in the US. YouTube as a top place to go for a fix of video online is unquestionable. Over the years, it has built an internet video empire based on free, ad-supported content.

Major players here include Netflix, Amazon and Hulu as well as YouTube and China’s Youku Tudou; all of whom are investing millions in building up original content, involving various business models, from full or partial payment for a production, to cosharing of revenues from advertisements, through to crowd-sourcing for production and programming ideas.

But what was once cute kittens and dogs on skateboards is today so much more. While those videos are still available, many more specially created for the YouTube audience, now have production values comparable to what is presented on broadcast TV.

Netflix grabbed attention earlier this year with its success at the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards with political drama, House of Cards. Its nominations, and subsequent wins, had been the first for an original online-only production. Analysts estimate that Netflix’s spending on original content to be US$150 million this year. At a UK TV conference in September, its content chief, Ted Sarandos, said Netflix has plans to double this amount, from 10% of overall spending, to 20%.

And the Google-owned site has been actively promoting such original works in the past few years. These efforts include initiatives from Original Channels to genre-specific Labs (eg Beauty Lab, Music Lab) and Weeks (eg Geek Week, Comedy Week), to paid channels, YouTube Space (in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, and one in New York coming up), the recently launched Skip Ahead programme in partnership with Screen Australia, and of course, just last month, the YouTube Music Awards.

Amazon Studios, on the other hand, is taking the crowd-sourcing route to fuel its original content ambition. Its approach has attracted proposals for 14,000 movies and 4,000 TV series from creative talents on the internet. The company has an exclusive 45-day option to buy movie and TV series projects and currently, it has 24 movies and 30 television series in production.

“We’re always looking for new ways to help partners in Asia-Pacific unlock their creativity, develop their skills and grow larger and more engaged audiences,” said Gautam Anand, YouTube’s head of Partnerships & Operations, in Asia Pacific. “Being a great platform means providing existing and potential content partners with the resources and guidance they need to create better content and drive bigger audiences to their work.”

Original programming has also been on Hulu’s agenda. It announced several original shows last year, including a sale to a television network, and just recently struck a deal with Lionsgate to produce a comedy series next year. Even with a new CEO fresh at the helm, original content will likely remain on Hulu’s radar.

Battleground (Hulu)

(From top) House of Cards (Netflix), Lilyhammer (Netflix), Alpha House (Amazon Studios)

These multi-million dollar ventures have changed the entire online video conversation. Everyone, from producers to advertisers, investors and of course, consumers, now knows that online video sites are no longer just the domain of amateur home videos but also of original content well worth watching.

DAY 01 FEATURES 23

Angeles Film Festival recently and qualified for Oscar competition. This year’s slate of films was fast out of the gates too, notching up 10 million views in just the first month.

And all those views are translating to revenue. In April this year, Youku Tudou’s Chairman and CEO, Victor Koo, told Bloomberg that the company made almost as much charging for views of their more popular series as it did from paid viewings of the hit movie Life of Pi. Furthermore, this past October, when announcing the results of its revenue sharing programme, it indicated that it has generated more than US$500,000 for participating content creators in just four months.

“We believe our strategy in devoting more on original content, UGC [user-generated content], partner-generated content… was right,” said Koo in a recent teleconference to announce their Q3 earnings. “Youku Tudou is at the forefront of bringing webbased, creative and professional content [to viewers], targeting multi-screen internet users as their tastes evolve, along with new technological possibilities.”

More may be to come. Just last week, Youku Tudou announced that it will be investing significantly in in-house production.

“The online video industry has entered a more structured development stage, and content is key. Aside from acquiring foreign content, we will also focus strongly on original productions,” said content chief Sunny Xiangyang Zhu. “We already have five years of experience with original content production and we’re familiar with what our users like. In 2014, we plan to invest RMB 300 million to boost original productions and further differentiate the Youku and Tudou platforms, to strengthen our core competitiveness.”

(From top) Beauty Lab video, YouTube Music Awards (YouTube/ Twitter) , 18 Days (Graphic India Pte Ltd)

Focus on China In a 2013 report, analytics company comScore said the centre of the online universe now lies in Asia Pacific. China is the biggest market, accounting for 54% of the region’s internet audience. comScore also disclosed that 87% of that audience view an average of 30 billion online videos each month.

Leading the pack of online video companies in that voracious market is Youku Tudou, who has not been afraid to bet heavily on original content. Starting in 2008, and against popular sentiments then, it has been producing more and more ambitious, multi-episodic programmes and achieving viewership upwards of 20 million on average per episode.

Last year, it launched the Youku Original Masters’ Project where it invited awardwinning Asian directors to direct “micro movies”. One of the four films, Walker, directed by Tsai Ming-Liang, snagged the Best Narrative Short Film Award at the Los

New Horizons Clearly, these are companies that firmly believe in the truism that content is king and that original content is where the future is at. With timely and intimate understanding of viewer preferences, these operators can only spoil consumers with more and better choices than they have ever had.

(From top) Youku’s orignal productions Miss Puff, My Way and Surprise

24

DAY 01 PROFILE

PROFILE

THE STORY BEHIND THE MAN:

NA YOUNG SUK

A career in the TV industry would have seemed unlikely for a student pursuing a Public Administration degree at a top university in Korea.

But for Na Young Suk, his experience in his school’s theatre club was the deciding factor in his career switch. Today, he’s the producer behind hit series Grandpas Over Flowers and 2 Days & 1 Night.

Going Against The Grain In the late 1990s, the increased popularity of Korean television drama series sparked the spread of Korean culture. K-wave has since made a global impact, and the demand and popularity of Korean entertainment continue to grow.

Like many other Korean-produced content, the work of producer Na Young Suk resonates well with audiences in and outside Korea.

His latest production for CJ E&M’s tvN channel, Grandpas Over Flowers, earned the title of Korea’s most successful entertainment show of 2013.

But what we especially love about Na, the producer, is his boldness and sense of adventure.

Grandpas Over Flowers, a reality series that follows its cast of four backpacking around Europe, is peppered with comedy and elements of fun best described as “uniquely Korean”.

And despite Korea’s youth-centric entertainment industry, the show features four veteran actors, offering entertainment beyond the many young, picture-perfect stars Korea has become so famous for.

“An obvious work ends up with an obvious result,” says Na. “We wanted to provide an experience, a surprise like, ‘Is it really possible to make an entertainment show with these elderly people?’ It brings a big motivation to watch the show.”

DAY 01 PROFILE 25

Na believes that his cast for Grandpas Over Flowers offers something that a younger cast cannot. “[The] emotions of the grandpas [brought on by] their travels... Feelings that [you can never have] if you’re not old enough... This is what other programmes cannot tell or show.”

The Koreans obviously agree and they are not alone in their love and appreciation for the show.

Gaining popularity outside of Korea, the show has sparked conversations and discussions between netizens all over the world – from Europe to Asia to North America.

“It is very surprising and exciting [that Grandpas Over Flowers has gone multiterrestrial],” says Na, who had not even expected the show’s success within Korea.

Na attributes the near-global success of Grandpas Over Flowers to content audiences can empathise with.

“Everybody loves to travel,” says Na, whose award-winning 2 Days & 1 Night television series is also a travel-themed reality show.

“Travelling [brings people] from their everyday life to a totally different situation. While travelling, people face all kinds of challenges which

Emotions for loved ones are truly universal; it knows no geographic borders, no age limits, no ethnic boundaries.

they might never encounter in ordinary life. That is when one finds out about his or her true self, and that is where we can find the excitement.”

Na also believes that the casting of the veterans not only provided a hook that reeled viewers in but played a crucial part in the success of Grandpas Over Flowers beyond Korean shores.

“In every country, there are grandparents,” he explains. “Their emotions, actions… are universal, no matter which country.”

That familial link has always struck a chord with Na, and his favourite piece of work is a 2 Days & 1 Night episode which featured foreign workers. “[I learnt that] emotions for loved ones are truly universal; it knows no geographic borders, no age limits, no ethnic boundaries,” he says. “To learn about it was a great gift for me.”

Looking To The Future The Korean entertainment industry is lively and growing. Around the world, K-pop and other Korean content continue to gain new fans and popularity, especially with increasing accessibility to the internet.

While language may still be a barrier for Korean entertainment, Na believes that visual or even comic elements can play a big part in attracting an audience, that “some things can be attractive even though you do not understand the language”.

“Unlike Hollywood, we cannot attract the world by using bigger budgets,” says Na. “However, there is a uniqueness in our ideas. We might not become the ‘mainstream’ but we can become the ‘alternative’, and I do hope for a brighter future for Korean entertainment.”

Na Young Suk will be sharing the secret behind the success of Grandpas Over Flowers at ATF’s MIPAcademy Singapore on 6th Dec, Fri.

26

DAY 01 FEATURES

PETER’s PiCKS 02

Africa (BBC)

Peter Hamilton has made a career out of picking winners in the nonfiction TV space. He is a New York-based senior consultant who played a key role in launching Discovery’s US$12 billion international enterprise.

He is editor of the leading industry online newsletter DocumentaryTelevision.com.

We asked Peter to share his big takeaways for 2014.

03

01

Wildlife is Still Blue Chip

The BBC’s Africa series was a smash hit in 2013. So was its Penguins series. The British audience loves big specials about animals, and these programmes sell around the world.

Although Discovery ended its $15 million spend on the BBC’s Natural History Unit, the BBC will continue to back big, blue-chip wildlife.

Cameras rigged on to compact drones provide in-shot motion that was, until recently, possible only by using expensive cranes. Non-fiction programmes can now look more “cinematic” at an affordable price.

Robotics and miniaturisation in camera kits also enable access to new kinds of stories. Watch out for even more compelling and dramatic television programmes as we head towards the 4K era. okto-mk (Aeroshots)

A&E’s #1 hit, Duck Dynasty, is a scripted sitcom dressed up as a reality show. It stars a swamp-dwelling family who makes millions while playing around at their business. Networks everywhere have been looking for similar shows.

But it isn’t easy to find such talented “actors” in such an exotic location, and doing such strangely appealing work!

Duck Dynasty (A&E)

05

Drones Add Drama

Pawn Stars (Leftfield Pictures)

04

Copycats Are Everywhere!

So Be First!

First there was Pawn Stars. Then came Hardcore Pawn, Cajun Pawn Stars, Combat Pawn, and a half dozen more series set in pawn shops.

The same goes for series on baking, Alaska, fishermen, guns... When a new show hits it big, programmers at rival networks put a rush order on imitation shows, and the copycats almost never match the original hit’s success. My takeaway: “Be first! And be original!”

‘Scripted Unscripted’ Is Harder Than It Looks!

‘Programmer’s Gut’ Versus ‘The Data’

Netflix and Amazon each spends around a billion dollars a year on content. Netflix’s huge hit House of Cards is blazing the path for online providers to move into original programmes. Its programming decisions will be shaped more by its analysis of online data on customers’ preferences, and less on the “gut” of the network programmers. That means that “quants” will play much more active roles in future programming decisions.

House of Cards (Netflix)

DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 27

PRODUCT NEWS DANDELOOO FISHTRONAUT | This “out of water” fish and his friends solve ecological mysteries in a Brazilian park. Fishtronaut and his best friends, gal pal Marina and Zeek – a funny tween-age monkey – solve the mysteries of our endangered planet with clues from a “Primary Objectve Pod”.

Fishtronaut (Dandelooo)

GREEN GOLD ANIMATION PVT LTD

In The House (Cat Eye Productions)

CAT EYE PRODUCTIONS IN THE HOUSE | In The House is a music-based reality TV series that gives audiences a chance to experience the behind-the-scenes world of a group of touring DJs. Each episode of the show will feature the DJs in a different nightlife scene. The show will expose landmarks of the world, the perks of being a DJ, and vibrant nightclubs. However, it will also put on display the challenges and stress it takes to become a world-renowned DJ.

Arjun - The Prince Of Bali (Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd)

ARJUN - THE PRINCE OF BALI | Arjun is the 8-year-old prince of Bali Kingdom. He is quick, he is smart, he is handsome, but he is also a little mischievous, flamboyant and a show-off. He is brave to take troubles head on. He wins over enemies not only because of his speed but also because of his wits. And his greatest strength are his loving parents and close friends!

DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 29

The Karaoke Channel (Stingray Digital)

STINGRAY DIGITAL THE KARAOKE CHANNEL | The Karaoke Channel linear channel is a unique and fun channel with programming blocks of popular new and classic karaoke songs displayed on interesting and visually attractive video backgrounds.

Fargo (MGM Worldwide Television)

Eggtack (F.Rhythm 3D Animation Co)

MGM WORLDWIDE TELEVISION

F.RHYTHM 3D ANIMATION CO

FARGO | Inspired by the film of the same name, the TV series is entrenched with the trademark humour, murder and “Minnesota Nice” that made the film an enduring classic. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, written by Noah Hawley and executive produced by Hawley, Joel and Ethan Coen, Warren Littlefield and Geyer Kosinski.

EGGTACK | Egg Fu is breakable like other eggs, but he doesn’t think that he is as normal as them. He will challenge himself by doing dumb and funny things to prove how tough he is.

Prisoners Of War (Keshet International)

KESHET INTERNATIONAL

Eori (NHC Media Co Ltd)

NHC MEDIA CO LTD If Only / Muling Buksan Ang Puso (Abs-Cbn International Distribution)

ABS-CBN INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION IF ONLY (MULING BUKSAN ANG PUSO) | Their fates were drawn from three generations of love and betrayal.

Their story could have been different…

EORI | Eori likes to play in the woods nearby, chasing bugs. One day he finds something in trouble in the rain. Thinking it’s a strange bug, he saved it. The bug turns out to be Inky, who takes care of all books in the world. Inky invites him to her place, a library hidden secretly at the bottom of Inky Tree.

She lets Eori get into the story and become the main character. He transforms many different animals based on the story he’s in.

PRISONERS OF WAR | Prisoners Of War begins with the return of three soldiers who had been in captivity for 17 years.

Two of them – Nimrod and Uri – come back alive; one – Amiel – returns in a coffin. The series follows the two (and the people closest to them) as they attempt to return to the lives from which they were yanked out years ago. We follow them as they cope with their new reality on both a personal and national level.

BEACH HOUSE PICTURES PTE LTD

Hidden Cities Extreme, HCX (Beach House Pictures Pte Ltd)

HIDDEN CITIES EXTREME (HCX) | Filmmaker and actor Simon Yin hangs on for dear life while embarking on thrilling, high-energy adventures across Asia, exploring the weirdest, the wackiest and the most extreme. HCX promises to be a fast-paced television ride that gets audiences holding their breaths and squirming in their seats, rooting for Simon to complete his challenges – safely. Whether he’s hunting with a remote tribe in Taiwan, eating tarantulas in Thailand, taking part in a water buffalo race in Bali, or game fishing in Malaysia, he is not one to take a step back.

30

DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS

SHINE INTERNATIONAL

The Face (Shine International)

THE FACE | The iconic queen of the runway, Naomi Campbell, together with international supermodels Karolina Kurkova and Coco Rocha, lead three teams of aspiring models in the all-new primetime competition series hosted by famed fashion photographer Nigel Barker. The Face is an innovative modelling competition created by Shine America, producers of The Biggest Loser and MasterChef, for the Oxygen Network. Naomi Campbell, Coco Rocha and Karolina Kurkova will use their unparalleled knowledge of the modelling industry to discover and coach the next generation of supermodels – where only one will become The Face of a major national brand. Each supermodel will audition and select fresh new faces to create their team of four potential models. Then, each week a major national brand will give an assignment to the teams to create a photo-shoot, runway show, or commercial. Our supermodels will mentor their models through the process and compete against the other teams to impress the client. After the assignment, the brand executives will assess the results of the challenge and choose a winning team. The two supermodels’ teams that fail to win must each select one model to go up for elimination, with the winning supermodel deciding who to cut from the competition. For the season climax, three contestants will compete in the finale but only one will win the ultimate prize and become The Face!

TI COMNET JAPAN

Good-Bye Debussy (TI Comnet Japan)

GOOD-BYE DEBUSSY | Based on the popular mystery novel by Shichiri Nakayama, Good-bye Debussy tells the story of cousins Haruka and Lucia, who are more like sisters. After Lucia’s parents go missing while volunteering in Africa, she becomes a part of Haruka’s family. Haruka, an aspiring pianist, makes a promise to Lucia to one day play Claude Debussy’s “Moonlight Sonata” for her. After Haruka sustains near-fatal injuries in a devastating fire that killed Lucia and her grandfather, she’s determined to play the piano and keep her promise to Lucia. Enter Yosuke Misaki, a professional pianist with a mysterious past, who helps teach Haruka through rehabilitation so she is able to perform again one day. But after Haruka is informed of a large inheritance due to the fire, a series of suspicious accidents start to occur, leading Yosuke to believe Haruka might be in danger. But the biggest mystery is yet to be solved…

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DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 31

I-CABLE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION LTD LOVING PETS (MONSTER COLLEGE) | Not all pets are good looking and lovely like a doll. Search for some monstrous-looking pets in this programme and enjoy stories about their masters. These pets include mastiffs, reptiles, lizards, coconut crabs and chameleons.

Loving Pets / Monster College (I-Cable International Distribution Ltd)

Goddess Of Fire, Jung Yi (Everyshow)

EVERYSHOW GODDESS OF FIRE, JUNG YI | The historical drama depicts the life and love of Jung Yi, who is renowned as the first female potter and porcelain artist in the Joseon Dynasty. (32x70minutes)

Gormiti (Mondo TV SpA)

MONDO TV SPA GORMITI | Three thousand years ago, the Island of Gorm faced its gravest hour.

The dreaded Magmion was at full power, and his rage threatened to consume the entire island, and every living Gormiti along with it! He was repelled thanks to the power of the Invincible Lords of Nature and their mysterious benefactor, the Old Sage! But the Lords knew that a victory against Magmion was, at best, temporary – for Magmion had grown too strong. The wisest among the Lords devised a brilliant, but drastic plan – divide Magmion’s power into six “Firestones” and hide each of these pieces of dark power separately – one sequestered deep within each Lord’s kingdom. But how do they ensure that these Firestones remain forever apart and thus guarantee that Magmion could never reconstitute himself?After the Lords hid the Firestones, they made a difficult but necessary decision.

Doozers (The Jim Henson Company)

THE JIM HENSON COMPANY DOOZERS | The all-new pre-school television series from The Jim Henson Company invites children to have fun creating, building and working together!

Our show focuses on the activities of a brand new set of young Doozers – Spike and the Pod Squad. This quartet live and work together and embody the can-do attitude and strong work ethic of Doozers. They love making, creating, engineering and building. With their different personalities and skills, the four support one another, forming the most exceptional and productive team. The Doozers love to Do! Do! Do it!

Celebrity Splash (Eyeworks International Distribution)

MIRAMAX FROM DUSK TILL DAWN THE SERIES | Based on the hit action/ horror franchise from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, From Dusk Till Dawn The Series will be written, produced and directed by Rodriguez. It will explore and expand on the characters and story from the original film, providing a wider scope and richer Aztec mythology.

From Dusk Till Dawn The Series (Miramax)

EYEWORKS INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION CELEBRITY SPLASH | Celebrities compete in an exciting, family-friendly and often hilarious diving competition in front of a packed audience. They will attempt backflips, somersaults and complicated dives from dizzying heights to impress the judges, the viewers at home and, most important, to win! Each series features episodes of preliminary rounds, a semifinal round and an exhilarating final.

DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 33

Secret Life Of Predators (National Geographic Channel)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL SECRET LIFE OF PREDATORS | This unique series plunges into nature’s rawest survival stories. It’s a sensory immersion in which every asset – and every liability – of the world’s greatest predators is revealed through incredible and innovative camera technology. Each episode focuses on conflicts that take place in a unique battlefield – an arena that shapes how the predators that inhabit it hunt. Whether searching for prey in the tropical canopy or stalking a meal over a moss carpet, forest predators rely on stealth-like skills to survive. In the desert, animals conquer extreme heat and elusive prey, whilst in the ocean, orcas store food for a rainy day.

Bride’s Waterfall (Indonesian Cinema)

INDONESIAN CINEMA

Old Story (Turkish Radio & Television Corporation)

TURKISH RADIO & TELEVISION CORPORATION

BRIDE’S WATERFALL | Tiara (Tamara Bleszynski) invites her niece, Mandy, along with her classmate, for a vacation on the island called Bride’s Waterfall.

The renowned waterfall on the island is not only beautiful, but also mystical.

The legend states that anyone who prays under the waterfall will fall in love and live happily ever after. Tiara is intrigued because she wants to ensure a future with Lilo, her lover, who has not proposed to her yet. However, Bride’s Waterfall holds a frightening secret.

At the bottom of the each waterfall’s foothold lies human remains, while a pair of eyes behind a mask watches every move of anyone who ventures there.

OLD STORY | Old Story is about a young man seeking revenge upon his father’s murder. However, it’s not just about retribution. It revolves around the idea of great and seemingly impossible love and personal betterment.

Gabriela (Globo)

GLOBO

Star Trek Into Darkness (Paramount Pictures)

PARAMOUNT PICTURES STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS | J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness is the best-reviewed blockbuster of the year.

When a ruthless mastermind known as Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) declares a one-man war on the Federation, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the daring crew of the USS Enterprise embark on the greatest manhunt in history. It will take all of their skills and teamwork to defend Earth and eliminate Khan’s threat in this “sleek, thrilling epic”.

The Race (Xilam Animation)

XILAM ANIMATION THE RACE | On and off the race track, the road to victory for young daredevil pilot Pepper Roc is scattered with traps and fits of laughter.

GABRIELA | Naive and provocative Gabriela is a bedraggled migrant worker who arrives to mesmerise everyone with her playful and simple, yet raw sensuality. Unaware of the ardent love that will grow between them, Nacib hires Gabriela as his cook. Her irresistible beauty unintentionally triggers every man’s desire, making Nacib insanely jealous. In this new version of one of Brazilian TV’s greatest hits, based on the immortal literary work of the writer Jorge Amado, Gabriela stirs Nacib’s heart and the principles of an entire town.

DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 35

Dracula (NBCUniversal International TV Distribution)

NBCUNIVERSAL INTERNATIONAL TV DISTRIBUTION Dreams Of The Divine Land (Phoenix Satellite Television Co Ltd)

PHOENIX SATELLITE TELEVISION CO LTD DREAMS OF THE DIVINE LAND | Today, the number of people in Hong Kong travelling to Mainland China annually has rocketed to 70 million. Going to China is no longer only for business. Some hold the noble dream of protecting tropical rainforests while some pursue their utopia.

For many people in Hong Kong, Mainland China has become the place to pursue their dreams. For Flora Cheong-Leen (Leaping From the Dream Stage), life is a stage and she has spent half her life pursuing her dream of becoming a lead dancer. Leen’s failure to be the lead in the Western ballet world made her realise that China might be the place to fulfil her dream. Her desire to nurture children in China to be the lead on stage, or even in their lives, keeps Leen moving closer and closer to her goal.

Rainforests seem to have nothing to do with Hong Kong, a concrete jungle.

However, Bosco Chan (The Guardian of the Forest), a zoologist and wildlife biologist at Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, chose to sacrifice time with his daughter to help protect China’s last piece of tropical rainforest in Hainan. His passion for the unique fauna and flora earned him the honours of being the first person in Hong Kong appointed Special Deputy Station Chief of Yinggeling Nature Reserve. Being realistic is one tip to survive in Hong Kong but it doesn’t work on Lin Chi Ming (The Cherryblossom Dream*). After travelling to Lijiang, he decided to close down his own bar in Hong Kong and move to his “heaven on earth”. Utopia is no more an impossibility. There, he found his meaning in life and felt contented with his own family. (*Cantonese version only)

DRACULA | It’s the late 19th century and the mysterious Dracula (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) poses as an American entrepreneur, hoping to take revenge on those who cursed him with immortality centuries earlier. Everything seems to be going according to plan... until he becomes infatuated with a woman who appears to be a reincarnation of his dead wife.

(10x60 minutes)

Drive Me Home (Workpoint Entertainment PCL)

WORKPOINT ENTERTAINMENT PCL DRIVE ME HOME | An exclusive quiz show that allows you to bring your old dusty car and transform it into a brand new car. Get ready to be thrilled as the show pumps up the excitement and adrenaline rush like never before. The rule is simple.

Contestants answer only one question and they are given eight answer choices.

The contestants’ team has to pick the correct answer. If the choice picked is incorrect, the game is over. The game will challenge contestants’ general knowledge and observation skills. The key to winning this game is good teamwork, breadth of knowledge and wise decision-making.

Enigma (Dori Media Distribution GmbH)

DORI MEDIA DISTRIBUTION GMBH ENIGMA | When a thriving family business depends on one man’s talent, his mental deterioration becomes a legitimate tool for manipulation. But the family of comic strip artist, Adam, goes one step too far, when they encourage his rabid infatuation with Sophie, the girl of his dreams, without telling him that she is only a figment of his imagination. Adam eventually overcomes his delusion, but they never thought that his infatuation would reveal the family’s darkest secret, which up until then, had stayed buried deep in the past.

7-10 April 2014 Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France

F O U R DAYS. 4, 0 0 0 BUYE RS. ALL N E W CO NTE NT. The truth is MIPTV welcomes more international buyers than any other content market of the new year. 4,000 buyers from 100 countries gather in Cannes to screen and acquire the freshest content for TV, digital platforms and every screen.

This April, MIPTV launches the MIP DIGITAL FRONTS, the NEW international screenings showcase for original online video and multiplatform content.

Register by 21 January and save 30%.

MIP TV.C OM F E E D YOUR PASSIO N FO R FRESH CO NT ENT To participate, exhibit, advertise or sponsor please contact Paul Barbaro: paul.barbaro@reedmidem.com

Don’t forget to register for and , the weekend before together, they form the world’s largest gathering for the non-fiction community.

Part of the whole experience.

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DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 37

BEYOND DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD

Asia Rising (Beyond Distribution Pty Ltd)

ASIA RISING | If the 20th century was America’s, then the 21st century belongs to Asia. Asia Rising is a landmark television series designed to answer the most pressing question of our time: how will the shift from the West to the East impact you? Hosted by business leader, best-selling author and philanthropist Vikrom Kromadit, Asia Rising provides a prescient and passionate perspective on the power and scope of Asia in the decades ahead. (10x60 minutes, HD)

The Romanovs (Star Media Group)

STAR MEDIA GROUP

Atomic Forest (TV Channel “2X2”)

Undercover Boss (All3Media International)

TV CHANNEL “2X2”

ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

ATOMIC FOREST | The series takes place far in the future. The Earth witnessed an atomic explosion more than a hundred years before. Exposed to radiation on the ruins of human civilization, generations of animals mutated and evolved to acquire capacity for thought. The series takes a look at tribes of bears and rabbits.

The problems and issues examined in this series are very human: social, domestic, sexual, political, ethnic and relationships between different species.

UNDERCOVER BOSS | This double primetime Emmy award-winning format follows high-level corporate executives as they take the extraordinary step of going undercover in their own companies; to ensure that they are fighting fit for the future. The bosses slip anonymously into the lowest level jobs within their companies; get their hands dirty with the rank and file; find out what their employees really think of them; and discover how smoothly their companies are really run.

Bet On Your Baby (Electus International)

ELECTUS INTERNATIONAL BET ON YOUR BABY | Bet on Your Baby is a primetime game show where families compete to see which parents can predict their child’s next move. During each episode, five families with children between the ages of 2 and 3 ½ play a self-contained challenge, i.e. against themselves, rather than against other families. The parents play the game in front of a live studio audience, whilst the babies play in the “Baby Dome”, a fun playroom, where they have no idea that they are on TV or that any bet is being made. Those that advance compete for the chance to win US$50,000 toward their toddler’s college fund.

THE ROMANOVS | Star Media and Babich Design proudly present a spectacular new television series commemorating the 400th anniversary of the foundation of the Russian Imperial dynasty. The election of 16-year-old Mikhail I Fyodorovich Romanov to the Russian throne in 1613 marked the beginning of a dynasty which was to rule Russia and, from 1721 the Russian Empire, for over 300 years. The most vivid pages of Russian history and the establishment and consolidation of Russian state power are associated with the 18 Russian tsars of the House of Romanov, which include such historic names as Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Nicholas I and Alexanders I, II and III. The dynasty ended with the brutal assassination of the last Tsar Nicholas II and his family by the Bolsheviks in Ekaterinburg in 1917. The Romanov dynasty played a hugely important role in world history, and the series highlights the life stories and characters of the tsars – recounting their rise to power and their contribution to the dynasty; their merits and their faults; their achievements and mistakes; and their victories and defeats in war.

The series also examines the Russian form of ‘Caesarism’ as a system of state administration – its advantages and drawbacks and how the Russian state changed under the Romanov’s rule. The Romanovs is told in eight epic one-hour episodes using a unique combination of magnificent CGI animation and dramatic reconstruction with careful and accurate attention paid to each period.

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DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS

TVN SA

Medics (TVN SA)

MEDICS | Even a razor-sharp surgeon can’t bypass some jokes life plays on him. A new modern hospital requires a team of bold professionals. The energetic director picks those who are not afraid to act and develop their skills. Dealing with serious medical cases, young and talented doctors must face their own problems and weaknesses as well. Such a fiery team of ambitious individuals can turn the world upside down, not to mention their hearts...

Factory Towns (August Pictures Pte Ltd)

AUGUST PICTURES PTE LTD

Big Mouth 3D (AK Entertainment) Lust $ Found (Fat Englishman Films Limited)

FAT ENGLISHMAN FILMS LIMITED LUST $ FOUND | Pops and Jimmy are a mismatched couple who accidentally discover a bag of high-quality counterfeit money. They dream of riches for a moment until Andre, a “collector”, kidnaps Luz, the ex-girlfriend of Jimmy and demands the money back. Can Jimmy save Luz, who now loves her captor, before Pops spends all the money? And will Jimmy ever make a decision that doesn’t end up with a gun pointing at his head?

AK ENTERTAINMENT BIG MOUTH 3D | Is it possible for a diver and a whale shark to maintain their friendship? This is a story about a friendship between a whale shark and a diver in a little fishing village in the Philippines. With the appearance of whale sharks the village becomes a popular tourist spot. This brings lots of changes to the village, the people and the whale sharks. The situation also puts the friendship between the diver and the whale shark to the test. (Documentary /1x55 minutes / 3D and 2D / English)

FACTORY TOWNS | It is the largest peacetime movement of people in history. Since the early 1980s, over 100 million Chinese farmers have left their native villages to work as itinerant labourers and traders in factory towns in the cities. While this largescale internal migration has powered China’s economic reforms, it comes at a human cost too. Migrant workers, the “Dagongzu”, are often treated as second-class citizens in their own country, seen as economic labourers rather than complex social beings.

Step foot into factory towns of varying scales on the Southeastern seaboard of China – some are global enterprises that are run like mini-metropolises; others are ramshackle outfits, buffeted by global recessionary winds. There, individuals, NGOs and enterprises carve out a new social justice agenda, so that migration and urbanisation aren’t just viewed through an economic lens of development but a process that necessitates social inclusion.

GLOBAL AGENCY

Street Jury (Global Agency)

STREET JURY | “Street Jury” is about real people solving real but simple and light-hearted conflicts reflecting bigger issues. They take their case to the street – to judges and a jury of their peers. Each episode features two couples with a dispute.

Twenty five randomly picked passersby are given the chance to review the dispute and pass their judgment. Conflicts and opinions range from the humorous to the crazy, and all the participants agree that the majority’s verdict is final and binding!

DAY 01 PRODUCT NEWS 39

Village Roadshow Entertainment Group Asia is proud to host and sponsor ScreenSingapore’s Making Films in China for the China Market and Beyond