A new Franco-Chinese coproduction deal signed at Asian Side of the Doc was amongst many other agreements made at the event. A French company Georama TV Productions signed a co-production agreement with Heilongjiang Television (HLJTV – China) for the project Flood, Challenging our Future. Broadcasters ARTE and NHK are already co-producers. Producer Nicolas Koutsikas said, “This signature is the logical follow-up of a trustful collaboration between Georama and Heilongjiang TV that started with the film Deadly Depths and is planned to continue with other projects. For me, Asian Side of the Doc is definitely the platform to reach Asia and value both the participation and inputs from Asian partners.”
Many such collaboration and interest to support new documentary projects were witnessed at Asian Side of the Doc held in Xiamen from 17 – 20 March. Some experts shared their thoughts on international co-production:
Sayumi Horie, NHK – “Be brave to enter into international co-production. Once you start committing to it, you can only improve.”
Leh Chyun Lin, PTS – “Co-production is full of challenges but it enables us to create factual programmes that we could not do on our own. Only with passion, you can overcome difficulties.”
Chen Liang, SMG – “Be sure to select a good topic that the Chinese audience can refer to.”
Oyundary Tsaagan, MNB – “Co-production is the first mutual step for our viewers to understand cultural differences. Co-production is vital in the documentary field so I invite producers to consider MNB-Mongolia as a co-producer partner.”
Deokdam Chu, EBS – “A co-production’s first purpose is to offer quality content to our audience. It’s not about profits; it’s about high quality.”
Acquisitions from overseas are increasing thanks to the facilitator role played by our co-host China International Television Corporation / China Radio, Film & Television Programme Exchange Centre (CITVC / CHNPEC) within CCTV Group. In addition, Chinese funds starting to make investments into the documentary field (Xiamen Culture & Media Group, Tropic of Cancer Fund…) have been introduced to the international community across the week and agreements are already confirming real financing possibilities.
The new regulations outlined by both SARFT and CCTV group’s representatives at the market signaled a certain commitment to documentary, following the emergence of cinematic doc-makers and doc-financers.
This year saw a wider participation from Asia with 75% of delegates, meaning new emerging talents and new slots brought by Asian broadcasters attending for the first time: SPARK Asia (upcoming launch in 2015); Japan: WOWOW Inc., Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co. Ltd., KSB – Setonaikai Broadcasting Corporation, KTK – Television Kanazawa Corporation; Laos: LNTV – Lao National Television; Indonesia: Metro TV News – Pt.Media Televisi Indonesia, RTV – Rajawali Televisi Indonesia; Malaysia: mi Media International, TV7 – Natseven TV Sdn Bhd; New Zeland: Rialto Channel, The Philippines: ABS-CBN Global Ltd.
Yves Jeanneau, CEO of Sunny Side markets said, “My great pleasure here in Xiamen was to see the quality and the diversity of the pitched projects coming in from all over Asia. There is definitely new talents emerging in Asia and Asian Side of the Doc is their best training programme to enter the international documentary market.”
He said, “The quality of Asian content is seeing improvements together with the standard of the people coming forth to present them. However, Asian producers still lack in the way the story should be told to the world unlike the westerners. But the initial goal of Asian Side of the Doc still remains – to help collaborate between borders as a one stop market to sell and buy documentary content.”
Asian Side of the Doc is now recognised as a key marketplace for sales and acquisitions thanks to the 135 Asian and global decision makers, the catalogues brought by 40 international distributors and the 60 exhibiting companies on hand. This year saw 720 documentary professionals from 38 countries, a 10% rise from last year.
Many heartwarming and empathising stories were presented over 4 days to an international audience of producers, directors, commissioners and others media experts. A good number of documentaries relating to people, environment, farming, poverty, food wastage, mistreatment of workers etc, caught the attention of the jury. An International Jury decided the awards for the best pitched projects from the four Asian Side of the Doc pitching sessions.
The Jury included Ying Qiming, Chief Art Director, DocuChina (SMG, China), Kim Spencer, Founder of Link TV & Senior Programming Executive of KCETLink (United States), Liz Stevens Senior Manager Documentary, Screen Australia, Ha Sinae, Producer, Boda Media Group (South Korea) and Patrick Hoerl, Managing Director, Autentic (Germany).
Over the years, the Chinese government has been installing new documentary funds for filmmakers and producers to strengthen the documentary production within the country as well as abroad. Four newly established funds available for production have been presented during Asian Side of the Doc. They include the Northern Tropic Fund, Shanxi Culture Industry Investment Fund (SCG), Beijing North Star C&E Industry Fund and Xiamen Torch Group Venture Capital Co., Ltd (Xiamen Group).
A new Franco-Chinese coproduction deal signed at Asian Side of the Doc was amongst many other agreements made at the event. A French company Georama TV Productions signed a co-production agreement with Heilongjiang Television (HLJTV – China) for the project Flood, Challenging our Future. Broadcasters ARTE and NHK are already co-producers. Producer Nicolas Koutsikas said, “This signature is the logical follow-up of a trustful collaboration between Georama and Heilongjiang TV that started with the film Deadly Depths and is planned to continue with other projects. For me, Asian Side of the Doc is definitely the platform to reach Asia and value both the participation and inputs from Asian partners.”
Many such collaboration and interest to support new documentary projects were witnessed at Asian Side of the Doc held in Xiamen from 17 – 20 March. Some experts shared their thoughts on international co-production:
Sayumi Horie, NHK – “Be brave to enter into international co-production. Once you start committing to it, you can only improve.”
Leh Chyun Lin, PTS – “Co-production is full of challenges but it enables us to create factual programmes that we could not do on our own. Only with passion, you can overcome difficulties.”
Chen Liang, SMG – “Be sure to select a good topic that the Chinese audience can refer to.”
Oyundary Tsaagan, MNB – “Co-production is the first mutual step for our viewers to understand cultural differences. Co-production is vital in the documentary field so I invite producers to consider MNB-Mongolia as a co-producer partner.”
Deokdam Chu, EBS – “A co-production’s first purpose is to offer quality content to our audience. It’s not about profits; it’s about high quality.”
Acquisitions from overseas are increasing thanks to the facilitator role played by our co-host China International Television Corporation / China Radio, Film & Television Programme Exchange Centre (CITVC / CHNPEC) within CCTV Group. In addition, Chinese funds starting to make investments into the documentary field (Xiamen Culture & Media Group, Tropic of Cancer Fund…) have been introduced to the international community across the week and agreements are already confirming real financing possibilities.
The new regulations outlined by both SARFT and CCTV group’s representatives at the market signaled a certain commitment to documentary, following the emergence of cinematic doc-makers and doc-financers.
This year saw a wider participation from Asia with 75% of delegates, meaning new emerging talents and new slots brought by Asian broadcasters attending for the first time: SPARK Asia (upcoming launch in 2015); Japan: WOWOW Inc., Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co. Ltd., KSB – Setonaikai Broadcasting Corporation, KTK – Television Kanazawa Corporation; Laos: LNTV – Lao National Television; Indonesia: Metro TV News – Pt.Media Televisi Indonesia, RTV – Rajawali Televisi Indonesia; Malaysia: mi Media International, TV7 – Natseven TV Sdn Bhd; New Zeland: Rialto Channel, The Philippines: ABS-CBN Global Ltd.
Yves Jeanneau, CEO of Sunny Side markets said, “My great pleasure here in Xiamen was to see the quality and the diversity of the pitched projects coming in from all over Asia. There is definitely new talents emerging in Asia and Asian Side of the Doc is their best training programme to enter the international documentary market.”
He said, “The quality of Asian content is seeing improvements together with the standard of the people coming forth to present them. However, Asian producers still lack in the way the story should be told to the world unlike the westerners. But the initial goal of Asian Side of the Doc still remains – to help collaborate between borders as a one stop market to sell and buy documentary content.”
Asian Side of the Doc is now recognised as a key marketplace for sales and acquisitions thanks to the 135 Asian and global decision makers, the catalogues brought by 40 international distributors and the 60 exhibiting companies on hand. This year saw 720 documentary professionals from 38 countries, a 10% rise from last year.
Many heartwarming and empathising stories were presented over 4 days to an international audience of producers, directors, commissioners and others media experts. A good number of documentaries relating to people, environment, farming, poverty, food wastage, mistreatment of workers etc, caught the attention of the jury. An International Jury decided the awards for the best pitched projects from the four Asian Side of the Doc pitching sessions.
The Jury included Ying Qiming, Chief Art Director, DocuChina (SMG, China), Kim Spencer, Founder of Link TV & Senior Programming Executive of KCETLink (United States), Liz Stevens Senior Manager Documentary, Screen Australia, Ha Sinae, Producer, Boda Media Group (South Korea) and Patrick Hoerl, Managing Director, Autentic (Germany).
Over the years, the Chinese government has been installing new documentary funds for filmmakers and producers to strengthen the documentary production within the country as well as abroad. Four newly established funds available for production have been presented during Asian Side of the Doc. They include the Northern Tropic Fund, Shanxi Culture Industry Investment Fund (SCG), Beijing North Star C&E Industry Fund and Xiamen Torch Group Venture Capital Co., Ltd (Xiamen Group).
