Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service from PCCW media group, has launched Viu Pitching Forum in Malaysia. It is Viu’s strategic initiative to empower and facilitate creative development in major markets across the region. The inaugural Viu Pitching Forum in Malaysia will focus on identifying, grooming, and nurturing local up and coming scriptwriters. As part of the initiative, shortlisted participants will receive mentoring and guidance from leading creative talent from across the industry.

At the end of the process, one winning writer will see his/her story brought to life as a Viu Original production, which will be aired in 2021 across Viu’s 16 markets globally. Additionally, three finalists will receive mentorship to develop their concept further and refine their pilot scripts.

Viu Pitching Forum is an innovative program first launched by Viu in Indonesia in 2016. It received widespread participation from the creative community, as well as interest from brands and commercial partners. Additionally, Viu Pitching Forum resulted in highly successful Viu Originals that were developed locally and ultimately reached a global audience of millions. Following the success and impact of this program in Indonesia, Viu is pleased to expand the program and for the first time bring it to Malaysia.

Ms. Sahana Kamath, Head of Original Production for Viu Malaysia and Indonesia, said, “What we have learned over the past two years of producing Viu Originals in Malaysia is that there are a plethora of rich local stories yet to be told and unique Malaysian voices still to be heard. In bringing together the country’s most celebrated veterans and brightest up-and-comers via Viu Pitching Forum, we are sure to see path-breaking stories and forward-facing themes emerge. At Viu, we are proud to provide a global platform for this kind of complex, inventive storytelling and to support the growing local industry for premium content as well as the Malaysian storytellers of the future.”

As a catalyst to growing and empowering the local entertainment industry, Viu Pitching Forum aims to create opportunities for scriptwriters to hone their craft and further develop their stories. With that, Viu is on the search for local budding scriptwriters and directors who are able to conceptualize distinctively bold, unique, and differentiated concepts that are strongly grounded in a local context and appeal to Gen Z and millennial Viu-ers across Malaysia.

A key highlight of the Viu Pitching Forum is a unique mentorship opportunity with renowned writers, directors, and producers who have been involved in Viu Malaysia’s original productions. Finalists of the Viu Pitching Forum will be given an opportunity to interact with and learn from these industry veterans as they further advance their story ideas. Mentors for the programme will include showrunners Kye Sayed Fariz, Razaisyam Rashid, and TJ Lee, head writers Alfie Palermo, Bernice Low, and Chi-Ren Choong, actor/directors Douglas Lim and Nam Ron, and many more.

Writers interested in participating in Viu Pitching Forum Malaysia can submit their ideas to vpf.malaysia@vuclip.com. Submissions are open from 10 September 2020 to 30 October 2020, 5:00 p.m.