Event Preview: Asia TV Forum & Market

The annual Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), which is positioned as Asia’s leading media and entertainment content market and conference, is celebrating its 20th edition this year. Held from December 3 to 6, the event aims to present top-flight content and fresh insights, as well as provide a platform where industry players can find lasting partnerships to help navigate the content landscape.

“ATF has grown significantly since our first show in 2000, which saw only 800 delegates,” says Hui Leng Yeow, group project director of ATF and ScreenSingapore at Reed Exhibitions. “In tandem with Asia’s rising importance in the global media and entertainment scene, we expect attendance to increase by 3 to 5 percent compared to 2018.”

Yeow adds, “In our position as a global marketplace for international content that is located strategically in Asia, we bring together global players and content, both big and established and up-and-coming names.” This year’s theme is “Streaming the Future,” and accordingly, ATF is expecting a strong turnout of digital platforms from Asia and beyond.

Part of the conference, the ATF Leaders’ Summit aims to reflect the spirit of Asia’s dynamic content industry and its bold step into the digital future, with decision-makers shedding light on opportunities and strategies looking ahead. “With China establishing itself as a key OTT market and India becoming an original-content hub, both nations play a pertinent role in shaping the region’s entertainment content market,” says Yeow. “In view of this regional development, we are excited to have the leaders of two media powerhouses—Gong Yu, founder and CEO of iQIYI, and Shibasish Sarkar, group CEO of Reliance Entertainment—as keynote speakers for the ATF Leaders’ Summit on December 3.” Also headlining the summit is Giorgio Stock, president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, distribution and advertising sales for EMEA and AsiaPac.

The following day, December 4, Content Connection will turn the spotlight on scripted and unscripted formats. Asian and international businesses will get a look at the best from across Asia, in a showcase from Korea, Thailand, India and more.

On December 5, format experts, creative leaders and decision-makers will address pressing issues and present user cases to advance production capabilities at Production Day. Speakers include Banijay’s Deepak Dhar and Turner Asia Pacific’s Leslie Lee, among others.

“As ATF celebrates our 20th anniversary, we remain committed to keeping Asia ahead of the curve and at the forefront of content creation through the ATF Animation Pitch, ATF Chinese Pitch and ATF Formats Pitch that will help kickstart and finance projects from around the region and the world,” says Yeow.

The ATF Animation Pitch, co-organized by Green Gold Animation, scouts for animated concepts targeted at kids. The winning entry will receive a $19,000 prize from Green Gold. This comprises a $2,500 cash award and a consultancy package worth $16,500 tailormade to further develop the animation, making it ready to pitch to broadcasters. The ATF Formats Pitch, now in its fourth edition, seeks out innovative concepts for new and original non-scripted entertainment formats from pan-Asia. The winner will receive S$3,500 ($2,600) in cash to develop the idea. The winners for ATF Animation and Formats Pitches will be announced after live pitch sessions on December 5.

There’s also the ATF Chinese Pitch, a partnership with GHY Culture & Media, which aims to provide scriptwriters with greater opportunities to enter Chinese-speaking territories for content in two categories: theatrical and online movies, as well as online drama series. Winners will be announced after a live pitch on December 4. Each will win $2,500 to help kickstart their projects and could potentially be offered a $11,000 buyout of their script.

“Winners and finalists of various pitches under ATF have achieved success with support from our partners, and we hope to facilitate the emergence of more Asian stories in the years ahead,” says Yeow.