Film industry luminaries will be in Singapore to share their perspectives and expertise on the international and Asian film industry at ScreenSingapore (SS) 2015 – the Southeast Asia’s marketplace for filmed entertainment, which will be held at the Marina Bay Sands from 1-4 December.
For the 2015 edition, ScreenSingapore will be centered around the theme of film financing, putting the spotlight on innovative ways to source for financing for film projects and connecting with financiers, commissioners and co-production partners. As Southeast Asia ramps up its efforts in the media investment landscape to finance more projects being created by the region’s talent pool, ScreenSingapore has invited international industry experts to share more on the art of film financing and distribution to achieve greater success.
Achieving Critical Acclaim: Marketing and Distribution in a Global Context
Films are usually given the green light to start production based on its potential and a solid festival strategy. One of the most anticipated presentations to look forward to at ScreenSingapore 2015 is the closing keynote session Marketing and Distribution in a Global Context by Cheryl Boone Isaacs, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where a one-on-one dialogue will be conducted on the evolving landscape of marketing and distribution in independent films, and what Asian films and filmmakers need to know in order to navigate the festivals to reach Oscar glory.
Building onto the topic of distribution and festivals, Dhruv S Sinha, General Manager, Hollywood and Overseas Business, Reliance Entertainment & Phantom Films Pvt Ltd and Benjamin Illos, Programmer, Cannes Film Festival – Director’s Fortnight, will demystify the sometimes labyrinthine world of film distribution, and help participants better understand how to engage distributors and festival organisers at the panel session Understanding Distribution and Festivals: Achieving Critical Acclaim and Commercial Rewards.
Understanding the Southeast Asian film financing landscape
Cash is king in Southeast Asia’s film financing landscape as public money remains scarce in the region and private money continues to be poured into funding entertainment products in this part of the world. But progress is hampered by the lack of strong distribution entities and an overreliance on film festivals to travel beyond our shores.
The money men of the Southeast Asian media investment world, Zainir Aminullah, Chief Executive Producer, Ideate Media, Sridhar Sreekakula, CEO, Barking Cow Media Group and Allen Jordan, CEO, Goshen Group – will shed light on the trends and future of how and what movies will be funded in future. Producers in attendance will also learn about the basic pitch dynamics, creative financing strategy and what film financiers are looking for from seasoned experts such as Chieko Murata, VP, Local Productions, Japan & Southeast Asia, International Film & Television, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Samuel Y. Ha, VP, Global Investment, Union Investment Partners at the Meet the Financiers panel session.
ScreenSingapore 2015 promises to be a veritable conference for industry professionals, with exclusive access to these thought leaders and industry experts as they convene at the Singapore Media Festival this December. At the market, the inaugural Southeast Asian Film Financing Project (SAFF) will see the selected top 10 projects from the overwhelming 148 submissions meet key decision makers who will assist to bring their projects into fruition.
