Editor

Exactly one year after the Board of ScreenSingapore announced its ambitious plan at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010 to create a filmed entertainment ‘hybrid’ event in Singapore, key Board members, headed by Chairman Greg Coote, return to Cannes to outline the achievements and the program for the inaugural edition, set for 5 to 12 June 2011.

ScreenSingapore has a myriad of component parts:

1) World, International or Asia-Pacific Premieres (5 – 12 June)
ScreenSingapore features World, International or Asia-Pacific premieres of prominent Hollywood, European and Asian films through a series of red carpet gala and preview evenings.

The opening night at Golden Village Vivocity will unveil a special presentation of the latest thriller, The Devil Inside Me, by director Zhang Qi and starring Tony Leung Ka-Fai (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame) and Kelly Lin (Reign of Assassins). Director Gordon Chan (Painted Skin), producer Abe Kwong Man-Wai (The Lost Bladesman) and stars Yan Ni, Colin Chou, Liu Yan, Zheng Shuang, Xie Nan and Bao Bei-Er will walk the red carpet to present new footage from the highly anticipated film The Mural, while director Jingle Ma (Mulan) will be attending with actress Tang Wei (Lust, Caution) to unveil the latest scenes from the Chinese action drama Speed Angel.

Japan Night features two International Premieres: the Warner Bros’ Japan live adaptation of Ai Yazawa’s popular manga series, Paradise Kiss, starring Keiko Kitagawa (Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift) and Osamu Mukai. Actress Aya Omasa will be in attendance to present the film, while Japanese singing sensation May’n (May Nakabayashi) will present her latest 3D concert film May’n the Movie – Phonic Nation.

An evening of action films presents the World Premiere of the latest Hong Kong martial arts comedy, Treasure Inn, which will see award-winning actor Nick Cheung (The Stool Pigeon), Huang Yi (The Legend is Born – Ip Man), Liu Yang, as well as prolific director Wong Jing (God of Gamblers) walk the red carpet, as well as the International Premiere of French film, The Assault, with actress Mélanie Bernier and director Julien Leclercq in attendance.

Two much-anticipated summer blockbusters will be showcased on Hollywood Night: the family comedy Mr. Popper’s Penguins, starring Jim Carrey and Super 8, J.J. Abrams’ latest science-fiction thriller, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Ella Fanning, Amanda Michalka as well as Kyle Chandler.
A tribute to Bollywood will see superstar Shah Rukh Khan present a sneak preview of his upcoming science-fiction superhero film, Ra.One, directed by Anubhav Sinha (Cash), while Asin will walk the red carpet for the World Premiere of the remake of Ready, directed by Anees Bazmee (Singh is King), on June 9.

A night dedicated to films helmed by Singaporean filmmakers will consist of two International Premieres: Where the Road Meets the Sun, directed by award-winning Singaporean Yong Munchee and starring Fernando Noriega, Laura Ramsey and Luke Brandon Field, all of whom will be coming to Singapore for the occasion, and the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Competition family comedy, Jesus Henry Christ, with actor Jason Spevack (Sunshine Cleaning), director and writer Dennis Lee (Fireflies in the Garden) and Singapore producer Sukee Chew in attendance.

The closing night for ScreenSingapore will be dedicated to the Asia-Pacific premiere of Larry Crowne, starring Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. Two-time Academy Award© winner, Tom Hanks, who also directs and co-writes the dramatic comedy, will grace the premiere held at the S$20 million refurbished Shaw Lido Theatre in the heart of Singapore.

2) Asian Short Film Awards@ScreenSingapore (5 June)
The Asian Short Film Awards@ScreenSingapore celebrates the art of short film story-telling and creativity by filmmakers from the Asia Pacific region. Running concurrently with ScreenSingapore, the Awards aims to provide filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their work to a global audience.

In its inaugural year, three-time Academy Award winning filmmaker, Oliver Stone, heads the jury comprising esteemed film industry professionals around the world, including Eric Khoo, Devesh Chetty and Maggie Lee, to select the winning filmmakers out of the 90 entries that have been submitted from 15 countries and regions.

The winning filmmaker will be announced at ScreenSingapore on 5 June and receive a cash prize of SGD$20,000 (USD$15,800) sponsored by RGM Media and an invitation to attend ScreenSingapore, with accommodation and travel expenses covered.

The top 20 Finalists have already been selected by the jury and they comprise five entries from Singapore, three from Japan, one from the Philippines, one from Malaysia, two from Indonesia, one from Taiwan, one from Thailand, three from China, one from New Zealand and two from Hong Kong, All finalists will each receive complimentary ScreenSingapore Accreditation.

3) Expo@ScreenSingapore (7 – 9 June)
Expo@ScreenSingapore is a trade exhibition to provide a marketing platform, networking opportunities for suppliers, service providers, buyers and entertainment media professionals as well as cinema operators to discover business opportunities, partnerships and to be engaged in themed debates. This will take place over three days from 7 to 9 June, with participating companies such as Christie Digital, Distribution Workshop, Fortissimo and Hyde Park Entertainment.

4) Previews@ScreenSingapore (5 – 12 June)
Throughout the duration of the event, ScreenSingapore will feature sneak preview screenings at major cineplexes – Golden Village, Shaw and Cathay – where movie enthusiasts can be one of the first to catch these movies ahead of their scheduled release in cinemas.

Some of the preview movies include The City of Your Final Destination (UK), directed by James Ivory, starring Anthony Hopkins, A Beautiful Life (China), starring Shu Qi and Liu Ye, Brighton Rock (UK) starring Helen Mirren, The New Daughter (US) starring Kevin Costner, the Korean blockbuster hit, Haunters (Korea) starring Ko Soo and Kang Dong Won, and many more.

5) Closed Door presentations by the US Studios to Asia-Pacific Exhibition (8 June)
Disney, Fox, Universal, Paramount and Warner Bros. will preview their upcoming line ups, at invitation only presentations, to Asia-Pacific Exhibitors at Golden Village’s VivoCity on 8 June.

6) 3D Production Forum (6 June)
The 3D Production Forum on 6 June will spotlight the upcoming Australia-Singapore co-production, Bait, a stereoscopic 3D thriller about a pack of hungry tiger sharks, which has been pre-sold to 24 territories.  It will be moderated by Kenneth Tan, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry) of the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).  Some the panelists include Ross Matthews, Head of Production Investment at Screen Australia; Gary Hamilton of Arclight Films, Bait’s international sales agent; Ian Maycock, Director of  Business Development at Blackmagic Design (Singapore);  and Ian Wee, Manager of Widescreen Media (Singapore). 

7) WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Masterclass@ScreenSingapore (8 June)
A discussion on legal issues in the film industry – potential legal pitfalls when negotiating film co-production agreements, incentives and funding awards available in the Asia region. Topics range from building mutually beneficial partnerships, dealing with different production cultures, to effective negotiation of co-production agreements and film funding in Asia. Speakers include Aubeck Kam, CEO of MDA, Erik Wilbers, Director of WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre, Kenneth Tan, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry) of MDA, Graeme Mason, CEO of New Zealand Film Commission, and Ian Jessel, President of Tranquil Seas.

8) Film Finance Forum@ScreenSingapore (7 June)
Film Finance Forum@ScreenSingapore, from Winston Baker, is a conference dedicated to film finance, production, distribution, and digital innovation. Held on 7 June, the speaking faculty will include leading executives from Hollywood to Singapore and seasoned veterans within the Asian film market.

Chaired by Ashok Amritraj, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hyde Park Entertainment Group, the conference will provide strategies to bolster continued growth for this region of the world as the international film markets see an increased participation from Asian companies. In addition, the keynote speaker, Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment, will also be addressing issues in which media platforms are converging to capture an audience and tell a story. Additionally, he will provide insight into views on collapsing traditional distribution windows; the impact of digitization and 3D films on box office revenues and how this affects 2D revenue; and film finance in the context of corporate and financial markets.

Other speakers also include Greg Coote, Chairman of the Board of ScreenSingapore, Jeffery Chan, Chief Operating Officer of Bona Film Group, and David U. Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Leeding Media.

9) “In Conversation” Series with Patrick Frater (6, 8 to 10 June)
The “In Conversation” series, moderated by Patrick Frater will be held on 6, 8 to 10 June, featuring key leaders of the motion picture industry, including Greg Coote, Sanford Panitch, Michael J Werner, Daniel Yun, Jon Landau (producer of Avatar), Yu Dong (CEO of Bona Film Group), as well as Academy Award© winning director Shekhar Kapur. Singaporean directors Kelvin Tong and Yong Mun Chee will also be sharing their experiences in individual sessions as well.

Jon Landau and Yu Dong on 6 June
Topic: DEFINING A BUSINESS CASE FOR 3D FILM IN ASIA
Greg Coote and Sanford Panitch on 8 June
Topic: PRODUCING FOR A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE
Shekhar Kapur on 9 June
Topic: DIRECTING IN THE EAST & WEST
Kelvin Tong on 9 June 
Topic: TBC
Michael J. Werner & Daniel Yun on 10 June 
Topic: CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF FILM DISTRIBUTION
Yong Mun Chee on 10 June
Topic: TBC
Ashok Amritraj on 10 June
Topic: THE ART OF FILM PRODUCING WORKSHOP

10) Co-located Events
China Film Festival (6 – 10 June)
“A selection of five Chinese feature films will debut in Singapore’s cinemas as part of the 2011 China Film Festival. They are Deep in the Clouds, The Piano in the Factory, Walking to School, The Dreams of Jinsha and Eternal Moment.”

The selection presents a snapshot of China's vibrant and diverse film industry and highlights a new generation of filmmakers exploring a variety of genres including romance, drama and animation.

The five-day China Film Festival, which opens on 6 June and closes on 10 June, is organised by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and supported by the Film Bureau under China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).

The Art of Giving@ScreenSingapore (11 June)
The Art of Giving@ScreenSingapore is a charity cocktail party held at the ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands after the Closing Night screening of Larry Crowne on 11 June. The main theme is “Grand Masters of Expression” which represents a marriage of Art, Fashion and Film, represented by local and international artists. The evening will also seek to have a philanthropic angle by raising funds for UNICEF Japan.

11) Board of ScreenSingapore
Board Chairman
GREG COOTE, Chairman Latitude Entertainment
Board Members
ASHOK AMRITRAJ, Chairman and CEO Hyde Park Entertainment
CHRISTOPHER CHIA, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
DENNIS DAVIDSON, Chairman DDA Consulting
WAYNE DUBAND Wayne Duband Consulting
AUBECK KAM, Chief Executive Officer, Media Development Authority of Singapore
SHEKHAR KAPUR, Award-winning director and producer
CASSANDRA TAY, Director, Communications, Media Development Authority of Singapore
MICHAEL J WERNER, Chairman, Fortissimo Film Sales
For more information, please visit www.screensingapore.com.sg.