SINGAPORE, Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 22nd Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), Asia's leading entertainment content market and conference, has wrapped up its Opening Week of activities. In line with the progressive resumption of in-person engagements, ATF adopted a hybrid format this year, with its in-person Opening Day held at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, taking place alongside its digital platform — ATF Online+.
The event was officially opened by Singapore's Minister for Communications and Information, Mrs Josephine Teo, who announced that two Singapore media companies, Beach House Pictures, and Clover Films, will work with Curiosity Stream and iQIYI to create content for a global audience. Singapore will also continue to provide opportunities for upskilling the local industry, with Netflix conducting workshops for up to 20 local screenwriters to hone their craft in series writing next year.
ATF 2021 saw 2506 unique attendees from 61 countries and regions participating, including 16 official pavilions and 139 speakers, judges, and speed daters. The first three days saw more than 11,738 meetings arranged, underpinning ATF's importance as a key industry platform to facilitate business dealings.
An extensive list of 3,983 programmes is listed on the ATF Online+ platform, which continues to be available on-demand and will be updated with fresh content up to June 2022.
Partnerships and Deals Announced at ATF2021
Further reinforcing ATF's standing as a premier entertainment content platform to do business in Asia, the event saw a significant number of announcements made by both buyers and sellers across the region:
Other announcements made during the week came from Amazon Prime Video, who unveiled plans to expand its streaming service within Southeast Asia. The company also announced plans to open a regional office in Singapore and said that it would add Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Singapore to its Asian production footprint.
Hye Jung Hwang, Chief Content Officer of South Korean streaming giant TVING, also shared that the company will be investing USD 335 million towards the creation and acquisition of fresh content, with 40 to 50 new originals coming out of TVING next year.
ATF also saw a slew of companies on a buying spree, with companies such as Indonesia's NET TV, Vietnam's Galaxy Play, China's Tencent Video, Turkish Broadcaster TRT World and Los Angeles-based Synergetic Distribution on the lookout for fresh content and new partnership opportunities.
ATF Pitches: Winners Announced
Continuing its tradition of giving breath to fresh ideas and undiscovered Asian talent, the winners of the ATF Animation, Formats and Chinese Pitches were announced after a series of pitches that took place virtually. This year's winners were selected from over 203 entries across 25 regions:
Filipino-Kiwi MHM Productions also clinched the top prize at this year's SEASCREEN Project Market for its for its supernatural thriller, The Witch Doctor.
Feedback from Attendees
This year's ATF continued to provide attendees with a vibrant and engaging platform that served to advance the business of media and entertainment.
Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director of ATF, said, "We are humbled by the industry's continuous support of ATF as a trusted and proven Asian platform from which to network, learn and forge new partnerships. Against this backdrop of renewed optimism and energy, I look forward to meeting our attendees in-person at ATF next year."
Justin Ang, Assistant Chief Executive for Media, Innovation, Communications & Marketing, IMDA, said, "The Singapore Media Festival, of which ATF is an important part, has once again proven to be Asia's most important deal-making platform, and one that contributes greatly to the Singapore media industry's vibrancy and growth. The creative journey to bring to life the fruitful conversations and connections made at this year's SMF has just begun. I look forward to the exciting outcomes of these connections at a future SMF!"
Held as part of the Singapore Media Festival, the next edition of ATF and ScreenSingapore will return from 7th – 9th December 2022.
About Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2021
1 – 3 December 2021
Into its 22nd edition, Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) – the region's leading entertainment content market and conference – is the proven industry platform to acquire knowledge, network, buy, sell, finance, distribute and co-produce across all platforms. It is the premier stage in Asia to engage with the entertainment industry's top players from around the world. It's where the best minds meet, and the future of Asia's content is shaped. For more information, please visit www.asiatvforum.com
About ScreenSingapore 2021
1 - 3 December 2021
ScreenSingapore – Southeast Asia's definitive marketplace for filmmakers, producers, distributors, financiers, and film buyers to explore co-production opportunities, seek financing, make deals and learn about the changing film landscape. In 2021, ScreenSingapore will host the SEAScreen Project Market and Conference, in partnership with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop (TTB) to connect promising filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia and Europe with international co-producing partners, festival programmers, distributors, commissioners, and financiers. For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg.
About RX Global
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com
About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)
The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia's leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia. Taking place from 25 November to 5 December 2021, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asia TV Forum & Market and ScreenSingapore (ATF|SS), Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), VidCon Asia Summit and Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) 2021. For more information, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest.