Singapore will host 3DX: 3D Film & Entertainment Technology Festival (3DX) – the first-ever festival of its kind dedicated to stereoscopic 3D content and technologies. The five-day festival will comprise conferences with leading international speakers as well as screening of 3D movies for the public.
The World’s First-Ever 3D Festival
The 3DX Festival is hosted by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). 3DX celebrates the artistic achievements of the world’s leading 3D technology filmmakers. Festival attendees will be able to watch a wide variety of 3D films including features, documentaries, animation and shorts. In addition, for the first time, Singapore will welcome world business leaders in the 3D field for a five day deliberation of the issues and opportunities for growing this exciting new digital entertainment sector.
Said Dr. Christopher Chia, Chief Executive Officer, MDA: “We are delighted to host and stage the first-ever 3D festival in the world, in Singapore. 3DX will not only take the lead in gathering the advocates, creators and technology companies in 3D stereoscopic entertainment, it will also serve as a platform for participants to deliberate on the latest trends and developments in 3D while affirming Singapore’s commitment to be at the forefront of digital media. The Festival bridges the East and the West, bringing Asian and Western producers and makers of 3D content together and making Singapore the focal point for the exchange of ideas on 3D content production, developments and technology.”
“Worldwide, Singapore is seen as a respected leader in digital technology and visionary business advancement. In selecting Singapore as host city for 3DX we are kicking off “3D’s Premiere Year-2008” with a week long series of events to activate business leaders and consumers worldwide using the powerful impact of 3D. We are bringing innovators from Hollywood, Bollywood, Asia, the UK, Australia, Europe and other world entertainment communities together to advance this new art form and industry”, said Jim Chabin of Chabin Partners, the Executive Producer of 3DX.
As part of its continuing efforts to develop the Digital Cinema industry in Singapore, IDA together with Thomson's Technicolor Digital Cinema (TDC) business, are providing the necessary digital cinema infrastructure and technical and content management expertise for the 3DX Festival. Technicolor Digital Cinema will be enabling cinema operators in Singapore to screen 2D and 3D digital cinematic content during the Festival and beyond.
The media luminaries and speakers for 3DX include Sandy Climan (CEO of 3Ality Digital LLC and Executive Producer of “U2 3D”); Eric Brevig (Director and Producer of “Journey to the Center of the Earth”); Charlotte Huggins (Producer of “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” and “Fly Me to the Moon”); Ben Stassen of nWave Pictures (Director of “Fly Me to the Moon”); Lord David Puttnam (Deputy Chairman for Channel 4 and International Advisory Committee member of MDA); Shekhar Kapur (Filmmaker and Director and International Advisory Panel member of MDA) and Jean-Jaques & Francois Mantello, (Director and Producer) of 3D Entertainment.
In addition, 3D technology experts will exhibit a wide variety of new products including 3D mobile phones, video games, live television, home theatre entertainment systems and computer hardware and software.
A variety of ticket packages are available for students, media and technology professionals and the general public. A special student package to the screenings will be available for S$50.00. Executive Forum packages will be available in limited quantities. For screenings, tickets can be purchased in packages or for individual screenings. Limited numbers of VIP Diamond Class tickets, which include invitations to receptions, all 3D movie screenings, conferences and red carpet events will go on sale to the public from 1 September 2008. Registration and ticket information can be found online at www.3dxfestival.com starting 15 August 2008.
To date, the selection of films to be screened at 3DX includes:
• “Journey to the Centre of the Earth”, a live action adventure from New Line Cinema and Walden Media, starring Brendan Fraser, Josh Hutcherson and Anita Briem;
• “Fly Me to the Moon”, an animated family film from Belgium’s nWave Pictures and Summit Entertainment, featuring characters voiced by Kelly Ripa, Nicollette Sheridan, Tim Curry and Ed Begley Jr.;
• “DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D: Tribes of the Ocean", an IMAX Digital 3D documentary produced by 3D Entertainment and McKinney Underwater Productions, presented by Jean-Michel Cousteau and narrated by Daryl Hannah.
• "U2 3D", a real-time recording of Irish band U2's "Vertigo" concert in South America by 3ality Digital and distributed by National Geographic.
Media organisations such as CNBC, Content Asia, The Hollywood Reporter, Motion Picture Association (MPA), NBC Universal TV Asia, Star TV India and Star Movies, TV Week and Variety are also among the growing list of media sponsors. Additional support is being lent by Singapore Discovery Centre, Game Axis, Photo Videoi, Cathay Cineplexes, Golden Village Multiplex, Shaw Theatres, Eng Wah Cinemas, Filmgarde and The Fullerton Hotel.
DDD, also known as Dynamic Digital Depth, the 3D software and content company, is happy to be part of the 3DX Festival and Executive Forum. DDD offers 3D technologies, licensing partnerships, and products for each of the "3 screens" in consumers' lives: television, PC, and mobile. DDD's core technology is it's ability to convert the world of 2D video content into 3D, either in real-time or in an off-line, artist-directed process.
As a lead-up to 3DX in November, the festival organisers held a series of private 3D screenings at Golden Village VivoCity today. The attendees, including educators, media, industry practitioners and children from the Rainbow Club, were the first in Singapore to watch “Fly me to the Moon” and “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” in 3D. “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” will open in Singapore on 35mm and 2D digital cinema only in August. The screenings were made possible with the generous support of IDA, Technicolor Digital Cinema, Golden Village Multiplex, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Walden Media, nWave Pictures and Summit Entertainment. Special clips viewed from groundbreaking 3D film “U2 3D” were screened, made possible from National Geographic Distribution and 3Ality Digital. Additional technical support was lent by Christie Digital and Dolby Laboratories.
Registrations for the conference as well as submission of 3D titles for screening at 3DX begin on 15 August 2008. More information on 3DX can be found on www.3dxfestival.com
Chatelin Bruno 
