Singapore makes a strong showing at the Asia TV Forum & Market 2019 (ATF), with 80 media companies showcasing their latest works at the Market’s Singapore Pavilion.
Presented by the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), the line-up includes over 750 hours of compelling stories from Singapore and Asia, with over 150 film, television and VR titles from a diverse range of genres ranging from animation, drama and horror, to documentaries and scripted formats. These titles are produced and distributed by local companies such as Encore Films, Mediacorp, and mm2 Entertainment. ATF is part of the on-going Singapore Media Festival, and runs from 4 to 6 December 2019.
mm2 Entertainment presents a strong cinematic production for 2020, with a line-up that explores the genres of horror, drama and comedy:
Directed by Ong Kuo Sin, Number 1 is a music comedy that brings audiences into the life of a retrenched white-collar worker and how he found a second career peak in the place least expected. After experiencing multiple failed interviews, he takes to the job as a manager at a club called Number 1, and unexpectedly becomes its biggest performer in the local drag scene.
A joint production with Vividthree Productions, Hell Hole is a tale about love, loss, suffering and karma directed by Sam Loh. A loving mother makes a death pact with a spirit, sacrificing herself to save her son. Years later in medical school, the son becomes a victim of bullying that results in his tragic death, reuniting the two as vengeful spirits who return to exact revenge on those who have wronged them.
Together with Byleft Productions and Vividthree Productions, director Ong Kuo Sin brings audiences on a journey of self-discovery and familial ties with One Headlight. As the young protagonist, Kenny, seeks to complete the task of reuniting his niece with her elusive father after the passing of his sister, he sets off on a reluctant road trip that teaches him the importance of family.
Produced by Taipan Films and directed by Chua Jing Du, Circle Line is Singapore’s first monster film. Set against the backdrop of a faulty underground train system, a despondent mother and a group of strangers on the last commute band together against all odds to survive against an unknown creature.
Another addition to the horror genre, Ibu revolves around the recently widowed Huda, who is left with the sole custody of her step-daughter. As they attempt to adapt to their new life together, Huda discovers something sinister that threatens to tear them apart. Produced by Papahan Films and directed by Raihan M Halim, the film presents a different perspective of a Malay horror folklore.
Produced by M’GO Films and directed by Leonard Yip, MALAM plunges into a humid, seething underworld of jealousy, power struggles and Southeast Asian lore. It is a contemporary and atmospheric ’tropical noir’ about the chance for hope in a corrupted world, that centres on Jay, a young man haunted by a murderous past, and the elusive Hannah, whom he meets at a housing block marked for demolition.
Fat Hope is a heart-warming comedy on an aloof supermodel, who turns fat overnight from an online curse. As she scrambles to lose weight to make it for a big fashion campaign, she learns a few life lessons along the way. Produced by Encore Films and directed by Joyce Lee, the film shows that there is more to life than just glamour and success, and happiness comes in all shapes and sizes.
