MDA, Tiger Gate Team for Action, Thriller Commissions

CANNES/SINGAPORE: The Lionsgate/Saban Capital Group JV Tiger Gate Entertainment is partnering with the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) to commission action, horror and thriller films that can roll out theatrically and on television.

The four-year pact, announced in Cannes, will seed the production of genre film projects for distribution in Asia and beyond. Projects will be jointly selected by Tiger Gate and the MDA for co-investment. Tiger Gate—which operates the Thrill and KIX pay-TV channels in Asia—will hold the rights for all platforms, including theatrical, within the region, while Lionsgate will manage distribution in the rest of the world.

“The addition of the MDA-Tiger Gate initiative to our existing pool of funds translates immediately to greater opportunities for Singapore filmmakers," said Dr. Christopher Chia, CEO of the MDA. "Through the alliance, green-lit projects will have access to Lionsgate’s extensive global distribution networks, providing Singapore filmmakers with a greater impetus to co-produce internationally marketable projects peppered with Asian sensitivities that resonate with the global audience. To this end, MDA will continue to anchor such international media funds in Singapore to catalyze new growth in Singapore’s media sector."

William Pfeiffer, CEO of Tiger Gate, said of the pact: “There is significant synergy between MDA and Tiger Gate, and we believe the partnership will prove to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. We are delighted to be working with MDA to bring to the world, as well as to Tiger Gate’s own channels KIX and Thrill, original films from Asia in the genres for which Asian productions are most renowned: action, thriller, and horror.”