Singapore Pavilion to Launch Asian Factual Content at MIPTV

SINGAPORE, April 5: Led by the Media Development Authority
of Singapore (MDA), a total of 17 Singaporean companies will be exhibiting at
MIPTV under the Singapore Pavilion, which will highlight an extensive slate of
Asian-themed factual titles.

In the run up to the
Beijing Olympics this summer, a slate of Olympics-themed factual programming
will be showcased at the Singapore Pavilion, including Beijing: Biography of a Capital, a three-part HD documentary that
Beijing from its nomadic beginnings, to its iconic dynasties and today's modern
metropolis. Supported by the MDA, this is a joint collaboration between Singapore’s
The Right Angle, Beijing TV and BBC Global Channels. It is scheduled to
premiere on BBC Knowledge across Asia during the second quarter of 2008 and
will be broadcast in Europe. Other China-themed
offerings include Mad About English,
a documentary produced by Journey Pictures on China’s newfound passion for the
English language as it prepares to host the 2008 Olympics; The Crunch, a reality format produced by VHQ TV on how six of the
world’s toughest men and women underwent endurance challenges set against the
backdrop of different natural wonders of China; and Seven Wonders of China, revealing the Chinese builders, engineers,
designers and visionaries behind the region’s many engineering marvels, using
CGI and dramatic reconstruction.

Additional factual titles
showcased by the Singapore Pavilion are Saving
Gaia, an eco-friendly documentary produced by MediaCorp News; Design Asia, a ThreeSixZero Productions
factual program examining the philosophy of iconic Asian designers, covering
retail, fashion, interior design and furniture; The Food Apprentice, which takes viewers on a journey to some of
Asia’s most famous restaurants to discover the history, traditions and trade
secrets behind each Asian cuisine; and My
Life, My Profession, which provides insights into unusual professions in
Asia.

Dr.
Christopher Chia, the CEO
of MDA, commented: ”New Asia Media represents the exciting new opportunities in
Asia created by the explosion of convergent media and an economically-resurgent
Asia driving growth around the world. On the
content side, New Asia Media embodies the finest stories about a confident and
dynamic Asia, told by Asians themselves.”

Continued Chia: “Singapore is well-poised to lead in this genre
due to its strategic location in the heart of Asia
and strong tradition in documentary and ‘info-educational’ programming. Indeed,
with an English-speaking population, high literacy levels, think tanks,
research institutes and a strong telecommunications network, Singapore is one of the very few Asian countries
able to produce English-language documentaries on Asia.
This ensures our documentaries have local relevance, and yet carry
international appeal and commercial viability, providing international media
companies with a very compelling business proposition.”

—By Irene Lew