Singapore Media Festival returns from 28 November 2024

Source: IMDA. From left: Nizar Salman, Head of Events at NAS Summit; Rurusama, Singapore cosplayer and content creator; Veronica Yong, Director, Business Development and Marketing at IMDA; Yvonne Tang, Cluster Director for Media Industry Cluster at IMDA; Phillson Rajan, Head of Labs, Beach House Pictures; Sylvia Chan, travel content creator; Joyce Chua, Senior Project Manager, Asia TV and Forum & Market; Jeremy Chua, GM, Singapore International Film Festival; Paul Hendricks, Content and Marketing Manager, Singapore Comic Con.

The 11th Singapore Media Festival (SMF) will run from 28 November - 8 December 2024 with films and collaborations across its partner events: the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), Singapore Comic Con (SGCC), and Nas Summit Asia. Over 55,000 media professionals, leaders, talents, and consumers are expected to gather in Singapore to experience media innovations, forge deals, and present Singapore’s content.

Hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the festival unites the best of Singapore’s film, TV and our new media talent. More than 100 captivating films from 45 countries featuring fresh voices and emerging themes will be screened during SGIFF, along with a special celebration of talent from Singapore and around the globe. Building on the S$3.04 B worth of deals and partnerships generated from the festival since its inception, Singapore has been and continues to be Asia’s anchor platform to discover meaningful collaborations and expert insights with industry giants. 

In recent years, the festival has provided opportunities for new media content creators and creative professionals to learn and also present their work. At Nas Summit Asia, content creators can attend over 20 sessions by creatives and Asia-based personalities like Malaysian actor and comedian Jaspers Lai and Singaporean photographer Smile with Jeryl. 

Pop culture enthusiasts will also get to interact with more than 30 comic book artists, toy creators, entertainers and more at SGCC, such as Clio Award-winning illustrator Yuko Shimizu and Singaporean cosplayer Rurusama. 

Yvonne Tang, Cluster Director, Media Industry Cluster, IMDA, said: “Asia’s, and Singapore’s media industry in particular, have been taking the world stage by storm - staying relevant and even thrive in the fast-changing landscape. The Singapore Media Festival is a great platform for Asia’s creative talent to congregate, mingle and forge new partnerships and deals. 

"As the world continues to be excited by Asian storytelling and stories, we are here to provide the spark for people to come together to collaborate and innovate. This annual festival also highlights Singapore’s strength as a hub for world-class content and impactful collaborations, shaping the future of Asia’s media industry for a global audience.” 

This year, attendees can look forward to: 

SGIFF: Fresh voices and emerging narratives

The 35th SGIFF returns from 28 November to 8 December with over 100 films across 45 countries. SGIFF will present over 25 Singaporean and made-with-Singapore films, including Spirit World by Eric Khoo starring Catherine Deneuve, Yutaka Takenouchi and Masaaki Sakai, the award-winning Don’t’ Cry, Butterfly and historical drama-meets-monster film, Orang Ikan. 

The festival will open with psychological thriller Stranger Eyes, by Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua. Taiwanese actor Lee Kang-sheng, who plays the protagonist in the film, will receive the SGIFF Cinema Icon Award, which recognises an Asian actor who has made an indelible mark as a creative force in film. 

“SGIFF has always been a beacon for diverse narratives and a home for uniquely Asian perspectives, all while engaging with the global film community. As we mark our 35th anniversary this year, we are dedicated to expanding that legacy, further cementing the festival’s role as a key platform for creatives, while continuing to champion voices from Singapore and around the region,” said Thong Kay Wee, Programme Director of SGIFF. 

SGCC: A blend of pop culture and cutting-edge technology

Asian and Western pop culture will assemble to turn imagination into reality at SGCC on 7 to 8 December. Pop culture enthusiasts can meet award-winning creatives like Hong Kong manhua (cartoon) artist Khoo Fuk-lung and Japan's Shimizu. Other highlights include: 

○ SGCC’s new ambassador, local cosplayer Rurusama will present a fan experience powered by 3D, augmented reality and artificial intelligence technology in collaboration with True Blue Production. 

○ Toy collectors can also look forward to the global premiere of exclusive merchandise such as: 

■  Mighty Jaxx’s exclusive Luffy XXRAY One Piece Luffy Wanted Series Treasure Gold Edition merchandise 

■ The Life Saving Figurines, a limited-edition series created in partnership with the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Accenture. 

○ There will be special food and beverage (F&B) offerings from Brewerkz, Playmade, and Beardpapa. 

○ Four new made-with-Singapore games will make their debut showcase at SGCC. These IMDA-supported titles, developed by local studios, offer uniquely Singaporean gameplay. They are: 

- A Stitch in Time by Crimson Forge

- Commonwealth by Lambdamu Games

- Find Lah! by The Doodle People, and 

- Roachman by Andas Productions. 

Additionally, gamers can look forward to a Mobile Legends community challenge organised by Mediacorp. 

"It's always exciting to bring SGCC and Creators Con to the fans. With all the content, exclusives, brands, artists and guests this year, it's the biggest SGCC yet," said Michelle Lim, CEO and Founder Generation Experience.

ATF: Discussions and pitches

Celebrating its 25th edition this year, the ATF will be held from 3 to 6 December 2024. The forum gathers industry leaders from media giants like Warner Bros. Discovery, TVING, Youku, Tencent, IMAX, and more to share their insights on the industry’s future challenges and opportunities at the ATF Leaders Dialogue and conference tracks. 

Six in-development pitches, the highest number ever at ATF, will also take place as aspiring productions vie for a chance to develop content focused on Asian-centric storytelling, revolutionary business models, and more. 

"If it’s Asia, it’s ATF – ATF is a proven trade market and conference with a curated array of networking events, content showcases, and global partnership programmes to facilitate opportunities for the next killer content. With Asia playing a bigger role on the global stage of entertainment, we look forward to connecting business executives and creators across the ecosystem to celebrate and discover the best of storytelling,” said Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director, Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), RX Global (Singapore).

Nas Summit Asia: Expand new media storytelling skills

The Nas Summit Asia is back on 30 November to 1 December as one of Asia’s biggest creator events, with over 1,000 attendees and 150 companies expected to attend. Asian content creators Lai, Smile with Jeryl, and Darshen K will be speaking. Session formats include quick-fire networking or “speed dating”, as well as the “roast”, where creators workshop content with candid but humorous feedback.

Singtel releases National Day film for 2020

Singtel has launched its annual National Day film tribute, celebrating the Singapore spirit of tenacity and perseverance as the country navigates its way through the challenges of COVID-19. This is the year is currently airing on Singtel TV and various social media channels.

This is the year acknowledges the pressures and strains that the pandemic has placed on Singapore society, and pays tribute to the Majulah (onward) spirit that is propelling Singaporeans through the storm to emerge stronger.

Source: Singtel video. This is the year we will not have the F1 race. But this is also the year we emerge stronger.

“The way Singaporeans have responded to this crisis is something we can all be proud of,” said Chua Sock Koong, Singtel’s Group CEO.

“Our coming together as a community, our discipline as a nation, our fortitude and quiet determination to get through this and get on with life has become even more pronounced as National Day approaches. We may be celebrating in a more muted way this year without the usual fanfare, but our national pride and core values are still the same, the Singapore spirit is stronger than ever,and we want to celebrate that.”

The two-minute photo montage begins as a tender survey of the Singapore landscape when the new normal kicked in, moving from one empty public space to another, from playgrounds to hawker centres to void decks and the prospect of having to forego annual staple events such as the F1 and the National Day Parade.

“It’s been a difficult time for everyone, and the film captures this dislocation and sense of displacement, ” says Lian Pek, VP, Group Strategic Communications and Brand at Singtel.

“But what starts off as a reflection on the things we are having to give up this year becomes an invitation to see the good that has come out of the crisis. Despite the restrictions on movement, disruptions to daily life, and cancelled events, the closing photos in the film show that Singaporeans have gained even more important things in return.”

The film features photos by well-known photographers Chia Aik Beng, Nicky Loh and Tay Kay Chin as well as from members of the public.

Conceptualised in-house and produced in collaboration with Akanga Film Asia, the film is narrated by veteran actor Lim Kay Tong. the video will air on Singtel TV and hosted on various social media channelsfrom 29July 2020.

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View the video

Call for entries are open at the first-ever HUAWEI Film Awards

• Film-makers from the Asia Pacific region are to be rewarded for films shot on Huawei smartphones

• Grand prize includes US$20,000 and a trip to Bangkok for the awards ceremony

• Film screening event in Singapore on 21 December showcases local director Boris Boo’s work

Source: Huawei. Poster for the HFA.

Huawei has announced its inaugural film awards, HUAWEI Film Awards (HFA), in the Asia Pacific region to encourage and inspire film-makers and content creators to showcase their creativity through stories filmed using Huawei smartphones that contain top-of-the-line mobile camera technology.

Themed Empowering Your Possibilities, the HFA will kick off in Singapore with an event at SCAPE on 21 December from 6 pm. Local director Boris Boo will be the guest of honour, with one of his own films premiering at the event.

Through the HFA, Huawei hopes to play a part in driving innovation and creativity within filmmaking through the use of smartphones, and highlight how mobile filmography is possible with advanced technology progression that fits complex camera capabilities in a smartphone camera.

“The HUAWEI Film Awards is an Asia-Pacific festival dedicated to celebrating work shot on any Huawei mobile phone, with the goal of uncovering and supporting the talents of tomorrow. The festival aims to nurture the interest of local creative talents in smartphone film production by expanding their scope and freedom to create breathtaking films, thus providing them an entryway into the world of smartphone filmmaking,” said Phil Xu, MD of Consumer Business Group Singapore.

“We hope this platform will enhance collaboration between local film makers, content creators and talents, encouraging them to share new filming knowledge, showcase smartphone cinematography skills, and gain recognition at national and regional levels.”

The HFA is now calling for entries from smartphone film-makers and content creators from now till 25 February 2020 (11:59 pm, GMT+8). Submissions must be filmed entirely on a Huawei mobile phone with a running time within 10 minutes, following the theme Empowering Your Possibilities.

Judges will include five prominent trailblazers in the film and broadcasting scene: Malaysian film and television producer and screenwriter Adele Lim, Thai postmodern author Prabda Yoon, and Rajay Singh, senior founder partner of film and TV commercial production company Directors Think Tank. Joining them are Alex Lin, Asia Pacific President of Huawei Consumer Business Group, and Chris Humphrey, who oversees regional broadcasting at A+E Networks.

The winner of the APAC Best Film at the HFA receives US$20,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to Bangkok, Thailand for the awards ceremony. The winners of HFA will be announced regionally on 6 March 2020. The lineup of awards include APAC Best Director, APAC Best Cinematography, APAC Best Actor (Male or Female), and Country Level Best Film. Winners of all categories will receive a trophy and certificate. The winner of Country Level Best Film in Singapore will also walk away with additional prizes.

Details:

Get more details on HFA participation

Register for the Singapore launch event. Registration slots are limited, and reserved for Huawei mobile phone users, who may bring along a friend. Every successful registrant receives a complimentary HUAWEI FreeBuds Lite (worth S$188) at the door.

Raffles Hotel Singapore releases short film by local director

Source: Raffles Hotel, Singapore. The Grand
Lobby, Raffles Hotel, pre-renovation.

Raffles Hotel Singapore has announced We Were Built, a short film directed by Singaporean award-winning film-maker and director Kirsten Tan.

The film draws inspiration from the history of Raffles Hotel Singapore, with a focus on its close bond to the history of Singapore and its literary heritage. The film’s title comes from a poem of the same name, specially commissioned by the hotel and penned by writer-poet Amanda Lee Koe, Singapore’s youngest Literature Prize winner.

Tan has had works showcased at over 60 international film festivals. In 2017, she became the first Singaporean to have her debut feature film compete at the Sundance Film Festival; it subsequently won the Special Jury Award for Screenwriting. She was also honoured with the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council, the highest accolade for artistic achievement for young art practitioners in Singapore.

We Were Built was conceptualised through Kirsten’s personal interactions which she experienced during her stay at Raffles Hotel Singapore. Tan said, “The moment I stepped in, its distinctive quality is inescapable: you feel like you've been transported to a different time altogether. Corinthian pillars, a tinkling piano, dark wood patios, a scented pillow. I wanted to capture that aura of lyrical timelessness, that sumptuous pause that counteracts the hectic fever of modern life.”

“Like many Singaporeans, I’ve felt special reverence for Raffles Hotel through the years: a magical oasis in the heart of Singapore. I've always been particularly moved by the proud literary history of the Raffles – it hosted and inspired world-famous writers from Somerset Maugham to Rudyard Kipling. This film is an ode to these writers, to time, to Raffles' exquisite affiliations with these great minds through the 130 years of its existence. Raffles Hotel is a landmark and a constant, quietly and proudly bearing witness to our shared histories and futures. It was imperative for me to illustrate how she stands silent, strong and storied – as elegant, eternal and essential as time itself,” said Tan. “We’re also deeply honoured to have legendary Chinese American movie star, Lisa Lu, who performed in acclaimed titles like The Last Emperor and The Joy Luck Club, make a special appearance in our film.”

Christian Westbeld, GM, Raffles Hotel Singapore, said, “The film perfectly captures the hotel’s storied history, and offers viewers a glimpse into what it means to be a guest at Raffles Hotel Singapore. We would like to invite the public to view this short film and accompany us, as we journey through time, and discover the story of how a national icon came to be.  This story of Raffles Hotel Singapore continues to be told, while we anticipate the beginning of its next chapter, when the newly restored icon is unveiled later this year.”

Raffles Hotel Singapore is currently in its third and final phase of its restoration, which sees the full closure of the hotel before its planned reopening in 2H18. During the closure of the hotel, signature Raffles experiences will be showcased at 3 Seah Street, which remains open throughout the restoration.

Opened in 1887, Raffles Hotel Singapore is one of the few remaining great 19th century hotels in the world. Till today, its architecture is perfectly preserved both inside and out, giving it an intoxicating blend of luxury, history and classic colonial design. Within its walls are more than a hundred expansive suites, framed by polished teak verandas and white marble colonnades, clustered around lush tropical gardens.  Each is serviced by the legendary Raffles butlers and offers every modern convenience necessary.

Details:

View the film

Sony launches Picture This Festival for the Planet competition

Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN), in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, has announced the opening of the Picture This Festival for the Planet, a short-film competition for emerging filmmakers, everyday storytellers and changemakers worldwide to showcase the positive future they see for our planet.

People from over 70 countries are invited to submit videos inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global goals agreed upon by the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet and promote prosperity for all.

In mid-2018, eight regional winners will be flown to Los Angeles, US to attend the Picture This Festival for the Planet for a day of networking and training alongside industry leaders and social impact partners at the Sony Pictures Studio lot, followed by a screening of the regional winners’ films. Regional winners will receive airfare and accommodations for two nights in Los Angeles, along with a Sony RX0 Camera and a one year WeTransfer Plus account. The grand prize winner honored with a Sony A6500 camera and a SEL1670 lens. In Asia, the first 100 successful entries will receive a one-year WeTransfer Plus account worth US$120 each.

Andy Kaplan, President, Sony Pictures Television Networks, said: “At Sony, we are proud champions of the intersection between storytelling and innovation and are incredibly excited to spearhead Picture This. With the support of the United Nations Foundation and our other partners, we look forward to elevating and amplifying these important development goals through the voices of emerging creatives and acknowledge their good work in a meaningful way.”

SPTN launched a similar contest in 2016 across its channel portfolio worldwide, including its flagship brands in Asia, AXN, Sony Channel, GEM, ONE and Animax and those same channels will participate in this year’s festival.

In addition to Kaplan, the judges include: Megan Boone, environmental advocate and actress from the TV series The Blacklist; Elizabeth Cousens, Deputy CEO, United Nations Foundation; Marie Jacobson, EVP Programming & Production, Sony Pictures Television Networks; Tom Bernard & Michael Barker, Co-Presidents, Sony Pictures Classics; NP Singh, MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India; Glenn Gainor, President of Physical Production, Screen Gems; Debbie Levin, President & CEO, Environmental Media Association; and Damian Bradfield, President and Chief Marketing Officer, WeTransfer.

Cousens said: “The Picture This Festival for the Planet is an innovative new platform to connect global audiences to what is happening on the ground as people put the SDGs into action in their daily lives. The United Nations Foundation appreciates Sony’s deep commitment to sustainability and its willingness to leverage its creativity and reach to bring the SDGs to new audiences. By celebrating individual stories of people around the world actively working to protect people and planet, Picture This will help inspire others to join the effort to realise these ambitious – and achievable – goals."

Sony Pictures Television Networks is a division of Sony Pictures Television Inc., a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. The Picture This Festival for the Planet is Sony Pictures Entertainment’s  latest project to bring awareness to the SDGs. In 2016, the United Nations and Sony Pictures Entertainment launched Angry Birds for a Happy Planet, a global youth outreach campaign that leveraged online and social media platforms to encourage action to protect the planet and fight climate change. Centered on the Sustainable Development Goal No. 13 – to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, the campaign featured Red and other characters of The Angry Birds Movie. In 2017, supported by the cast of the Smurfs: The Lost Village, audiences were encouraged to join Team Smurfs for the Small Smurfs Big Goals campaign that inspired everyone to learn about and support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Details:

The contest is open to entrants from Brunei, Cambodia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan. Fiction or non-fiction are welcome, and the film can be of a wide range of genres, new or existing. Videos should be between one and eight minutes in length. Submissions for the Picture This Festival for the Planet close April 30, 2018. Entry is free. Register

Explore:

Watch the video introducing the Picture This Festival for the Planet