New Co-Productions from Singapore Revealed at MIPCOM

A delegation of 17 Singapore media companies, co-led by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Association of Independent Producers (AIPRO), is on hand at MIPCOM, where a slew of regional co-productions have been unveiled.

Singapore’s Scrawl Animation is working with Cyber Group Studios (France) and Graphilm (Italy) on Alex Player, an animated action-adventure tween series. The show centers on Alex, a brilliant 12-year-old video gamer who has to toggle between life in school and trying to win the national esports interschool championship. The series utilizes hybrid 2D digital production with CGI animation and will be Singapore’s first long-term animation series produced with the real-time pipeline using Unreal Engine.

Mocha Chai Laboratories revealed Venus on Mars, a romantic comedy about an undergraduate accidentally transported to a parallel universe called M-Earth, where only men live. It stars Taiwanese actors Ivy Shao and Tsao Yu Ning, with a special appearance by former Boyband SpeXial member Wes Lo, veteran actor Renzo Liu and Taiwan-based Singapore actors Gina Lim and Wong Jing Lun. The series is produced by Michelle Chang and directed by award-winning filmmaker Chai Yee Wei, with support from CJ ENM Korea as script consultants.

Infinite Studios and CATCHPLAY have partnered to produce Losmen Melati, a limited supernatural horror series about a secluded and enigmatic Dutch colonial plantation turned guest house run by a mystifying owner who lures in unsuspecting travelers. The original IP will be distributed by CATCHPLAY in Taiwan and Indonesia, while Clover Films will be handling distribution for the rest of Southeast Asia.

IMDA also announced the ninth edition of its flagship annual event, the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), by unveiling a teaser video created for the festival. This year, SMF will return as a physical event with an expected turnout of over 30,000. It will be held from November 24 to December 11 in Singapore, with the theme “Celebrating Asia’s Stories with the World.”

Lew Chuen Hong, chief executive of Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, said, “MIPCOM 2022 has been an incredible showcase for Singapore’s media companies and creative talent. There are immense possibilities for our vibrant media industry as we continue to pave the way for local producers to expand their horizons beyond our shores. We are pleased to announce that the ninth Singapore Media Festival (SMF) will be returning to full physical format this year. With the commissioning and acquisition of quality made-with Singapore content by global partners, Singapore is well-poised to be at the center of deal-making for the region.”

Khim Loh, president of AIPRO, said, “The milestone event has been a stronghold in connecting international players with Singaporean talents, and MIPCOM 2022 has once again demonstrated its strengths in creating additional opportunities and partnerships for media companies and creators in Singapore.”