The vast growth potential in Asia’s content industry comes from the burgeoning event in the region – Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF). The 17th edition of ATF is held this year in association with MIPTV and MIPCOM. ATF serves as a quality platform for the entertainment content ecosystem in Asia. It brings international content sellers and Asian buyers together with its’ C-level Summit, markets, conferences and networking events. ATF provides information on new media trends, business models from industry leaders and the opportunity to explore partnerships and collaborations. ATF has achieved tremendous success in its’ 16th edition in 2015 with 905 buyers, 723 exhibitors, 5011 attendees, 16 pavilions, 88 speakers over three days. ATF aims to provide participants’ the opportunities to acquire regional or international content, seek content distributors, gain financiers or identify new co-production partners. ATF kicks off with its’ pre-market event, C-Level Summit: Managing the Business of Disruptors with a lineup that targets Asia’s premier entertainment content, new business models, digital content space, strategic partnerships, recognition of major brands and virtual reality. JUNIOR@ATF will emphasise on the brand extension through collaboration with exclusive new research and international co-production panel which gathers infl uential Asian coproduction commissioners for kids. Other highlights include discussions with Southeast Asia’s top countries on upcoming trends and the importance of engagement with a variety of media platforms in today’s 360 experience. ATF brings a lineup of entertainment content experts to share insights at the event.

The lineup includes David Fernando Audy, President Director of PT Media Nusantara Citra Tbk from Indonesia and Yong-Ju Jeon, Chief Executive Offi cer of D’Live and iHQ in South Korea for the C-Level Summit, while Seung-Hyun Oh, Chief Creative Officer of MNC Animation from Indonesia will present a keynote address at Junior@ATF. “The ATF conference consistently places a spotlight on pertinent topics, gathering the industry’s brightest minds for a time of insightful knowledge exchange. With three of Asia’s top entertainment content leaders delivering keynote addresses and new Market Focus sessions, ATF 2016 delegates can certainly look forward to obtaining the keys to navigating today’s dynamic Asia content market. This will further cement our position as Asia’s leading platform for TV content,” said Yeow Hui Leng, Senior Project Director of ATF and ScreenSingapore, Reed Exhibitions.

The Analysts Super Panel gathers distinguished analysts from the globally esteemed research houses for an exclusive discourse on the future of entertainment content. Notable media players speak about their perspective on how they add value and re-focus efforts in order to keep up with industry’s expectations and enhancing the current business models. Telecom players will share about their transition to OTT in the digital content space. Significant media players will be sharing their scope in content production to commercial partnerships and JVs to investment, acquisition and distribution. A panel discussion will be set up to address the online advertising strategies and effectiveness of OTT. It focuses on how to keep up with the new demands from content buyers through online evolution. The switch from traditional media companies and MCNs to brands emphasises the importance of social media and digital methods to communicate with the millennials. This encourages a structure of innovative and edgy marketing campaigns. The impact of virtual reality is highlighted and represented in the amount of money pumped into the VR hardware and software in 2016. An extensive line-up of conferences is set after the ATF opening ceremony. It consists of children based content, research, international co-production panel and 360 experiences.

The new Market Focus sessions will shed light on Southeast Asia, China and Indochina, comprising Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, promotes greater market penetration. Other features emphasise crossborder content development and the method to create formats for the small screen. ATF will also present the formats pitch which is deemed to encourage participants to share their ideas in unscripted formats in the competition. The South-east Asian film financing (SAFF) project brings attention to producers and distributors, redefined studio budgets, the cast of Independents in China and India and the ASEAN film economy. It also highlights Malaysia’s content development and digital disruptors in a session with Yong-Ju Jeon, Chief Executive Officer of D’Live and iHQ from South Korea who will share his understanding of creating value in this fi eld. ATF also showcases an exclusive look at creating studio-sized movies for wider audiences on an independent’s budget as well as the chance to gain new perspectives on managing the production process and working with new distribution strategies. Kathy Morgan, producer of the Oscar-winning The Danish Girl reveals how she manages the fi nancing for films and how she works with producers on the perfect package for the pitch. Many filmmakers look at China as film financing’s new hope; however, many of the independent Chinese filmmakers are heading towards Europe for funding and recognition due to the lack of attention from their country. India continues to fl ourish with its fi lms as they are being transformed into exportable products. In contrast, China is finding it difficult to sell its own films. This raises the question on how Southeast Asia will be able to learn from these two countries in shaping its own identity of films.

There will be key players within China’s entertainment content industry will provide insights during two sessions, new regulations and trade secrets will be revealed by renowned panelists, Wang Yi, Co-Founder, Media Caravan from China, Michel Rodrigue, Founder & CEO, The Format People from USA and Yuan Li, CCO, IPCN from China. A new feature in the SAFF Conference is ‘Building the ASEAN Film Economy: The Trends and Movement Ahead,’ a session that sums up the biggest news and turmoil in the region’s media industry. A panel of significant stakeholders shares their insights on how different countries in Southeast Asia are managing to be majorly successful in producing content. ATF also focuses on Malaysia and its’ hunt for content development and financing in the past few years. Malaysia started from the formation of a dynamic rebate system and moved into media financing and distribution which resulted in huge successes in the region from the country.

A panel of distribution online experts will be speaking about the content valuation chain, the licensing deals being offered and the increasing sales in OTT and VOD for many films. Financing for media and content can be restrictive to many, but there are media technology and digital innovation available in Southeast Asia with new capital and equity partners in the form of VCs, banks, and investment portfolios. They are currently looking at media assets as an investment. Financiers who have created funding models for new investors share how they suit fi lm producing for a new age. The ATF event takes place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore with a diverse line-up of events for participants all around the world in December. ATF is held in conjunction with the 21st Asian Television Awards, Screen Singapore and Singapore International Film Festival. This event is supported by the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore, Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau TM and the Approved International Fair.

ATF Formats Pitch

ATF Formats Pitch 2016 is a competition aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and talent between the leading international distribution arm of award-winning content and Asian-based producers. This platform exhibits the best of Asia and shines light on groundbreaking ideas for export and development within and outside of the region. With the backing from all3media International this year, the ATF Formats Pitch 2016 is ready to become Asia’s top-ranking pitching competition for creators and producers of original nonscripted entertainment formats. All3media international will work with Reeds Exhibitions as the global partner through their sponsorship. All3Media will also be showcasing a host of new content and formats at Asian Television Forum this year. The panel of illustrious judges includes high-profi le connoisseur Greg Lipstone, the CEO of all3media America, Rachel Glaister, EVP of Press and Marketing at all3media International, who conceived this competition with ATF organisers; Asif Zubairy, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment for ITV; and Deborah Sargeant, Chief Creative Officer, Second Star (Objective Media Group’s Factual Entertainment label). Greg Lipstone, Chief Executive Officer at all3media America said, “The first ATF Formats Pitch is already generating great interest in the region, and I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to select the top entries to proceed to the final event in December. Asia is home to a wealth of talent that has already produced some of the world’s most popular and successful formats, and I’m looking forward to ensuring that its best new format creators can secure this fantastic platform to showcase their ideas to the international market.” The winner of the event will be receiving a S$20,000 prize from all3media International, comprising a S$3,500 cash award and a consultancy package to the value of S$16,500, tailor made for the winner to develop their format, making it ready to pitch to broadcasters. All3media International will be working alongside the winner to develop a bespoke package of consultancy advice and support, tailored to the specific pitch, and will arrange the meeting time with leading executives from within the all3media group of companies. This also includes hours in areas of expertise such as marketing, writing a pitch document, a global view of format sales opportunities from all3media International’s format team.

All3Media International establishes in Asia

A ll3media strengthens their presence in Asia with the fervent involvement in the Asian Television Forum and the recent opening of their sales office in Singapore this year. All3Media international’s office in Singapore will strategically provide a locally tailored service to production partners and clients throughout these key territories. The office covers completed programming and format sales across the Asia-Pacific Region. Sabrina Duguet, Executive Vice President of Asia-Pacific, will lead the new office and Kit Yow; Sales Manager of Asia Pacific will join her along with Alexander Euler, Executive Assistant to the Asia-Pacific management and sales team. All3media International’s two major territories are Australia and New Zealand and the Singapore team will handle both of the countries’ sales activities. The company works closely with Australia, who has been a key partner for all3media’s lead drama, for the available format opportunities. During the launch of the office, all3media international will be working with Julie Dowding, an Australia-based industry consultant to boost sales and co-production opportunities for the company in the territory.