SINGAPORE - The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is looking to boost "made-with-Singapore" content by launching a number of programmes to support local content producers collaborating with international partners.
They include the Southeast Asia Co-production Grant, which will provide funding of up to $250,000 per project for feature-length regional co-productions between Singaporean and South-east Asian film-makers. It is believed to be the first such fund in South-east Asia, as most countries tend to provide funding for purely domestic projects. Details will be made available in early 2019.
The announcement was made by Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran at the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Wednesday evening (Dec 5).
Other programmes include the Facebook Creator Lab, a partnership between IMDA and Facebook. This initiative is designed to help Singapore content creators learn to build their businesses through Facebook, which is known for its wide reach as well as its digital marketing capabilities. The call for applications for the six-month programme opens on Dec 5 at fb.me/fbcreatorlab.
IMDA has also collaborated with entertainment conglomerate Disney for a new initiative that will train Singapore content creators to develop and produce eight digital-first, multi-platform titles for distribution on Disney's platforms.
Mr Iswaran also announced the launch of the Public Service Media Digital Partnership Fund, which encourages Singapore media players to collaborate with international partners to develop public service content for digital platforms.
Besides these initiatives, he also launched the Skills Framework For Media, which serves to standardise job scopes in the media industry - for example, what a lead animator does - as well as spell out the skills needed for industry roles.
The ATF and ScreenSingapore run till Friday and are constituent events of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), an event that covers film, television and digital media trends and trade deals. The SMF also includes the Singapore International Film Festival and the new Asian Academy Creative Awards.
