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  • FICCI Frames ’17: Maharashtra to form IP crime unit to fight online piracy

    MUMBAI: Well, well. The Indian media industry and the government are finally getting serious about content piracy. After Telangana Intellectual Property Crime Unit (TIPCU), Copyright Force and the government-mandated Copyright Board, Maharashtra state is all set to get Maharashtra Intellectual Property Crime Unit, which may be called MIPCU.

    Announcing the go-ahead for MIPCU, a body that would be a joint endeavor of the entertainment industry and the state government, Inspector General of Maharashtra Police (Cyber) Brijesh Singh (in the picture) said, however, the initiative would have to be backed by the industry players too in terms of resources to effectively fight cyber crime and online piracy.

    “I would want it to be set up under a public-private partnership model and want the industry to come forward and help me achieve this. I want the industry to come and tell me that this is what we need and we will then help them. There is a commitment from our side,” Singh said while delivering an address at FICCI Frames 2017 session themed `Decoding the Pirate Economy in Interconnected World: From Noise to Action.’

    Though Singh, who was also slightly skeptical of the losses in terms of revenue that were often quoted by the entertainment industry, said that if the industry was serious, so were the law enforcement agencies. Pointing out that it’s often seen that the film industry’s piracy concerns were “limited” to the first seven days of a film’s release, he added, “I think this issue needs us to be more serious. I want the industry to come to us to build this sustainable and long-term partnership.”

    Motion Pictures Association of America’s Indian unit (MPA) and the Film and Television Producers Guild of India have joined hands to fight the menace of online piracy. After discussing the idea of MIPCU with the chief minister of Maharashtra and MPA last month, the state government formally okayed formation of a unit to fight cyber crimes, especially online piracy. Offline offences regarding this issue will be dealt by the regular police units.
    The budget of this new proposed unit will depend on what kind of technology it plans to offer for a solution. The entire idea is to co-create a global facility, Singh later elaborated and added that the unit’s launch was dependent on the industry’s long-term commitment in terms of negotiating that space.

    Commenting on the proposal to form MIPCU, Viacom18 group general counsel Sujeet Jain said the entertainment and TV industry would back any such move as long as results were delivered irrespective of structures and modalities.
    Incidentally, some months back, as reported by indisntelevision.com, MPA, broadcasters and FICCI had joined hands to announce formation of Copyright Force to set agendas for effective safeguarding of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy and engage with the government.

    To give an international perspective, TIPCU, Copyright Force and the proposed MIPCU have been seemingly inspired by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) of the UK , which is a specialist national police unit dedicated to protecting the UK industries that produce legitimate, high quality, physical goods and online and digital content from intellectual property crime.

    PIPCU is operationally independent and launched in September 2013 with £2.56million funding from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the UK government until June 2015. It was announced in October 2014 that PIPCU will receive a further £3 million from the IPO to fund the unit up to 2017. The unit is dedicated to tackling serious and organised intellectual property crime (counterfeit and piracy) affecting physical and digital goods (with the exception of pharmaceutical goods) with a focus on offences committed using an online platform.

    Also Read:

    Online pirates beware, Copyright Force on way

    Internet included in broadcasting for purpose of Copyright

    Telangana leads fight against online piracy in partnership with film industry

    FICCI keen on IPR awareness & enforcement to encourage innovation

    Internet included in broadcasting for purpose of Copyright

     

  • FICCI-KPMG report: Rural India fuels digital consumption; FTA channels gain prominence

    MUMBAI: The ‘Bharat’ story strengthened with expansion of rural measurement in TV and 4G data price wars deepened digital consumption, which were spurred further by mobile Internet and smartphone penetration. While print and films segments were supported by growing demand from the regional markets, demonization affected advertising revenues even as consolidation in the Indian media and entertainment (M&E) industry gained momentum.

    These were amongst some of the key highlights of year 2016 as enumerated in the FICCI-KPMG Media & Entertainment Industry Report 2017 unveiled yesterday at FICCI Frames 2017.

    Amongst the other highlights were roll out of 4G services, government and private initiatives around public Wi-Fi, greater emphasis on broadband rollout by MSOs and wide ranging impact of government policies and initiatives that had inflicted some short-to-medium term damage (demonization and confusion over GST implementation) on the industry as growth in annual advertising spends got slashed by about 1.5-2.5 per cent. However the report said that the industry is expected to be a net beneficiary of GST, primarily due to availability of input credits across the board and subsuming of entertainment tax within the GST.

    According to the report, the Indian media and entertainment industry in 2016 was able to sustain a healthy growth on the back of strong economic fundamentals and steady growth in domestic consumption, coupled with growing contribution of rural markets across key segments.  These factors aided the industry to grow at 9.1 per cent on the back of advertising growth of 11.2 per cent, despite demonetization shaving off 150 to 250 basis points in terms of growth across all sub-segments at the end of the year.

    The big story in 2016 has been the evolution of FTA channels after expansion by BARC India of rural measurement in the television segment, coupled with the impact of the 4G rollout and the resulting price wars. Both these factors have resulted in media consumption penetrating deeper into India, resulting in a realignment of strategy by media companies and advertisers alike.

    Compared to 2016, the industry is projected to grow at a faster pace of 14 per cent over the period of 2017-21 with advertising revenues expected to increase at a CAGR of 15.3 per cent. The year 2017 is likely to witness a marginally slower rate of 13.1 per cent as the economy recovers from the lingering effects of demonetization and initial uncertainties arising from GST implementation.

    Commenting on the industry’s performance and way forward, FICCI M&E Committee chairman and chairman & CEO of Star India Uday Shankar said, “The industry has gulped down the bitter pill of demonetization trusting its long-term benefits and yet is set to bounce back to a steady growth, thanks to strong fundamentals.”

    He added that building solid infrastructure and continued government support will help the industry reach the “tremendous potential” it holds for employment and creating socio-economic value for the country, while a commitment towards a “quick transition to digitization” will ensure growth for all stakeholders.

    Girish Menon, director, media and entertainment, KPMG India, stated that 2016 was a “mixed bag” for the industry with digital media making its way to the centre stage rapidly from being just an additional medium. While it is compelling existing players to rethink their business models, he added, “The long-term factors driving the future growth are expected to remain positive with growing rural demand, increasing digital access and consumption and the expected culmination of the digitisation process of television distribution over the next two to three years.”

    Some of the key highlights of the FICCI-KPMG report are as follows:

    Television

    The TV industry clocked a slower growth in 2016 at 8.5 per cent, attributed to tepid growth of 7 per cent in subscription revenues and a lower than estimated 11 per cent growth in advertising revenues.

    A key theme in 2016 was the emergence of FTA channels as a key focus area following the expansion in rural measurement by BARC India and the resultant increased interest by both broadcasters and advertisers. Additionally, strong performance of sports properties and increased spending for the launch of 4G by telecom operators helped alleviate some of the pressure. The industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.7 per cent over the next five years with advertising and subscription revenues projected to grow at 14.4 per cent and 14.8 per cent, respectively.

    The projections remain robust due to strong economic fundamentals, rising domestic consumption and growing contribution of rural markets, coupled with the delayed but eventual completion of digitization rollout.

    Digital advertising

    Continuing to ride on a high growth trajectory with a 28 per cent growth in 2016, digital advertising has captured 15 per cent share in the overall advertising revenues, with a minor hiccup due to demonetization. 4G rollouts and the resultant data price wars are providing further impetus to the growth as digital consumption and habits are becoming more mainstream. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 31 per cent to reach INR 294.5 billion by 2021, contributing 27.3 per cent to the total advertising revenues. Advancement in infrastructure, evolving audience measurement technology, leading to better content and lowering data costs, will drive user habits towards greater digital consumption, driving tremendous growth for the industry.

    Animation and Visual Effects (VFX)

    The industry grew at 16.4 per cent, driven majorly by a 31 per cent growth in VFX due to increase in outsourcing work, growing use of VFX in domestic film productions and increase in demand for domestic animated content on television. The industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17.2 per cent over 2017–21.

    Out of Home (OOH)

    The industry registered a slowdown in growth rate at 7 per cent majorly due to adverse impact of demonetization. OOH is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8 per cent primarily driven by development of regional airports, privatisation of railway stations, growth in smart cities, setting up of business and industrial centers and growing focus on digital OOH.

    Radio

    Radio recorded a 14.6 per cent growth led by volume enhancements in smaller cities, partial roll out of batch 1 stations and a marginal increase in effective advertising rates. However, weak uptake in batch 2 auctions of FM radio Phase 3 and delays in the rollout of majority of batch 1 stations, coupled with adverse impact of demonetization, dampened the overall sentiment. Nevertheless, it is expected to be the fastest growing amongst the traditional mediums at a CAGR of 16.1 per cent, arising from operationalisation of new stations in both existing and new cities, introduction of new genres and radio transitioning into a reach medium.

    Print

    The revenue growth rates of print continued to witness a slowdown at 7 per cent in 2016, as English newspapers remained under pressure. Regional language papers demonstrated strong growth, but were adversely affected by demonetization given their high dependence on local advertisers. Print is expected to grow at 7.3 per cent, largely driven by continued growth in readership in Indian languages markets and advertisers’ confidence in the medium, especially in the tier II and tier-III cities. Rise in digital content consumption poses a long-term risk to the industry.

    Films

    Films grew at a crawling pace of 3 per cent in 2016. The segment was impacted by decline in core revenue streams of domestic theatricals and satellite rights, augmented by poor box-office performance of Bollywood and Tamil films. Expansion of overseas markets, increase of depth in regional content and rise in acquisitions of digital content by over-the-top platforms are expected to be the future growth drivers that would help the segment bounce back at a forecasted CAGR of 7.7 per cent. However, factors such as dwindling screen count and inconsistent content quality could prove to be limiting factors.

    ALSO READ:

    FICCI-KPMG report projects TV sector to reach Rs 1166 bn by 2021

  • FICCI Frames 2017: Stakeholders feel regulations cripple monetization

    MUMBAI: In keeping with the tone set in the morning about the changing scenario as far the political climate and censorship were concerned, every participant was keen to hear what the Government had to say about this on day one of the FICCI FRAMES meet here.

    Clearly not wanting to disappoint the M and E sector, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Ajay Mittal said the Ministry was conscious of these issues and was working on them.

    He expressed optimism that the entertainment industry will soon get an effective solution to their complaints, though he said he was not liberty at present to give more details about this. But the Government appreciated that “Creativity is a great thing, is the soul of society and it should not be affected”.

    Earlier in the same session, film producer Siddharth Roy Kapoor said, “I would strongly urge the government when it comes to the sub-titling and the litigation of the businesses, these issues must be left to the industry. The maximum support from the government should come from the tax regime, infrastructure sector and censorship.”

    Even as everyone appreciates the growth of the sector over the year, the ‘Do the Lions still roar: a reality check for the M&E industry’ was largely devoted to exploring whether the players in the content ecosystem have done their part to address the industry’s shortcomings or has the plot got lost in translation.

    The M&E industry has been a steady contributor to national revenues, employment growth and socio-economic development; it has shown a trajectory of growth over the past 15 years, been at the real cusp of ‘Make in India’ while promoting Indian culture and its soft power globally. And yet, it was largely dismissed as a glamour hub rather than a serious economic nerve centre.

    Of late, the industry has seen a battle of wits between stakeholders and the Government, thus preventing the sector from realizing its full potential. But the question sought to be explored in the session was whether the industry had done enough to highlight its own story.

    Moderated by The Times of India consulting editor and South Asian History and Culture senior fellow, IDF and editor Nalin Mehta, the session was attended by Union Department of Commerce joint secretary Sudhanshu Pandey, the Film and Television Producers Guild of India president Siddharth Roy Kapur, BAG Films & Media chairman and managing director Anurradha Prasad, Harvard Business School Professor of Business Administration Bharat Anand, Viacom 18 Colors CEO Raj Nayak, TataSky MD and CEO Harit Nagpal, and UFO Moviez India Ltd joint managing director Kapil Agarwal among the panelists.

    Asked about the impact of digitization of content and on the business, Nayak said, “People say that the data is the new oil but my philosophy is that the content is the new water. Digitization is no longer a new word. It is just that the number of pipes delivering the content has multiplied in different platforms. If I look at digitization, what is happening is that people have the choice of watching content wherever they want to. But the television audience today is 180 million households and still expected to grow by 80 billion households.”

    He added, “When we look at the monetization, 85 per cent is between Google and Facebook.Of the balance 15 per cent, the growth may be 30 to 35 per cent but it is so fragmented that everybody is losing money. Even when Netflix came, it came via television. If some breaking news is happening people will watch it, if there is some live speech going on or may be for sports, people will watch it on their television sets. As we evolved, we wanted bigger screens to watch television sets that show reality. For content creators, it is a great thing and it is not a golden but a diamond era for them. But the problem is when it comes to monetization because there is so much fragmentation I really doubt how most of these platforms will survive unless of course you are able to get subscription. If you are not able to make the right subscription revenue model, a lot of digital platforms will find it difficult to survive.”

    Asked whether the DTH players were making money from the content, Nagpal said, “People consume content in different ways. Some will spend Rs 20 on the content and some might take different channels in a bundling. So there are different segments. But the purpose of television digitization is to create the infrastructure which is digital and the customer can make his choice. We created a box between the customer and the television, but is that addressable? Officially, DAS Phase 1 and 2 are digitized. We were also supposed to bring transparency. The Government is one stakeholder, the broadcaster is the other stakeholder and the platform that distributes is the third one and the money is divided between the three of us.”

    Nagpal said, “DTH took 33 per cent of phase1 and phase 2 market and two-thirds is sitting with cable. On the service and entertainment tax, this 33 per cent component of digitization would be paying 80 to 90 per cent entertainment tax and 66 per cent of the digital cable sector is paying 10 to 20 per cent of the taxes. Is that addressability? So let not the government waste its time in deciding how I should be pricing myself. They should be making sure whether the digital transparent addressable platform that has been created rightfully.”

    Prasad asked, “Do we still roar? Sorry to say we don’t roar, we don’t have a voice. We have so many issues and for every issue we are going to the court. The stakeholders and the policy makers have divested their power and authority in the organization called TRAI and they vote themselves as they do not know how to move forward. Content needs to be curated, you have to be innovative and for that you need to spend money. You don’t have money flowing back to the system. So the money is getting divested. We don’t get the money back.”

    Sudhanshu Pandey said the service sector in India largely remained unorganized and had to find its own way to develop and grow. Fair market practices have to come in, and the finances should be there for that industry to grow. Some sectors regulators have come but there are many sectors without regulators.

    Agarwal asked: “How do you monetize the film content? The first window of monetization of the film content is theatre, then it goes to the satellite channel and then to other platforms. As a country we need more than 20,000 screens. The capital is there, the facilitation is there but it is restricted by regulations because at least 40 approvals are required. Today the screens are growing only by 2 per cent per annum. When we move from regulation to facilitation, the growth will start and the growth will just not come from the multiplexes but has to happen all over the country. The multiplex sector is very expensive.”

  • FICCI-KPMG report projects TV sector to reach Rs 1166 bn by 2021

    MUMBAI: The year 2016 was a mixed bag for the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry. The sector is projected to grow at a faster pace of 14 per cent over the period 2016–21 with advertising revenue expected to increase at a CAGR of 15.3 per cent, according to a report released today.

    As per the KPMG-FICCI Indian Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2017, themed Media for the Masses: The Promise Unfolds, the television industry in India stands at an estimated size of Rs 588 billion in 2016, a growth of 8.5 per cent over 2015, and is envisaged to register a CAGR of 14.7 to reach Rs 1166 billion by 2021.

    The Indian economy is expected to outperform major economies with a projected financial year FY17 GDP growth rate of 7.1 per cent despite the speed bump caused by demonetization, the report states, adding TV witnessed a slower growth in 2016 at 8.5 per cent primarily due to a lackluster year for subscription revenues and a slowdown in advertisement revenue growth. However, over the next five years as both advertisements and subscription revenues are projected to exhibit strong growth at 14.4 per cent and 14.68 per cent, respectively, the industry too will grow.

    According to the report, advertising revenues are expected to grow at marginally slower rate of 13.1 per cent due to the lingering effect of demonetization and initial volatility arising from GST implementation. Digital advertising is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31 per cent to reach Rs 294.5 billion by 2021,

  • FICCI Frames: Bridging the gap between story-tellers & industry veterans

    MUMBAI: An initiative started in 2015, to bridge the gap between the media and entertainment industry experts and the storytellers, Frame Your Idea (FYI) is back once again for its third edition. It will be taking place simultaneously with FICCI FRAMES 2017, from 21 March to 23 March 2017 at  Renaissance Powai, Mumbai.

    At the aforementioned event, anyone with a content idea, story or screenplay for a film / TV / digital web series / show / animation / documentary can register, turn up and pitch it within 10 minutes, to the right people in the business. If one has finished content that may be under post-production or seeking distribution, that can be pitched too.

    The 2017 edition of FYI is also empowered by the Screenwriters Association, Mumbai.

    Previous credits to this event are quite a few as well. Anurag Kashyap’s next (unannounced) is a script written by journalist turned writer Nihit Bhave which Phantom Films found at FYI 2015. Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra’s ROMP and Disney India found scripts at FYI 2015. Eros Trinity pictures found writers to hire for its writers’ room at FYI 2016.

    Read detailed story here

    “Frame Your Idea is a unique platform that interfaces young talent and bright idea with producers, broadcasters and content buyers on an unprecedented scale. I would urge all the  creators, illustrators, writers and storytellers to come and pitch your next big idea at Frame Your Idea at FICCI FRAMES 2017,” said FICCI AVGC Forum, co-chairman, Munjal Shroff.

    FYI 2016 witnessed the attendance of over 70 production houses, studios, broadcasters, content commissioners. Over 300 participants pitched in the categories of film, tv, nished content, digital, animation and documentary. Over 3000 meetings took place over the course of three days, between content creators and content idea owners.

    Here are the categories of content at FYI 2017 that one can pitch for:

    – Film TV
    – Digital/web series
    – Animation
    – Documentary
    – Finished Content

    FYI lists commissioners / broadcasters / producers on its webpage and calls for entries (cci-frames.com/fyi). Applicants who register, provide their producer preference list and get allotted meetings by an automated system on a first-come-first served basis.

    On the day of the event, participants are handed a schedule sheet for their meetings based on which they meet the producers for 10 minutes each; that they have opted for during registration.

     

  • Kawamura’s filmmaking, from content and VFX perspective

    HONG KONG: The Digital Entertainment Summit 2017 was held on 15 March as part of the annual HKTDC Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART) organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13 to 16 March.

    The Summit invited industry leaders to discuss the latest developments under the overarching theme of “The Past and Future of Filmmaking, from Content and VFX Perspectives”. The conference opened with Japan’s innovative producer Genki Kawamura providing attendees with a fascinating insight into how he goes about choosing content for his films. The Summit then focused on visual effects (VFX), inviting three leaders in the field to offer their views on the industry.

    Philosophy behind movie-guru’s success

    Kawamura, producer of ground-breaking Japanese animated movie Your Name – a story about body-swapping, took part in a panel with producer Takafumi Yuki, DigiCon6 ASIA Headquarters International Alliance Officer & DigiCon6 Magazine Editorial Office Editor-in-Chief, and Aki Yamada, Festival Director of Digicon6 ASIA Headquarters.

    Internationally acclaimed Kawamura said when it comes to producing films he looks for some fundamental elements – visuals, music and story. “These are the most important elements of the movie and these are things I try to focus on when I produce my films,” said Kawamura. “I often use rock music in my films and sometimes it’s not even from Japanese music but foreign bands such as British group Radiohead.”

    Kawamura said he was inspired to make movies after watching Steven Spielberg’s ET: The Extra-Terrestrial when he was three years old. He said the three elements he described earlier were used effectively by Spielberg in that movie and were fundamental to the movie’s worldwide success.

    “I remember watching that movie and that scene when they fly across the moon on the bicycles, it was something I always remember,” said Kawamura. “I remember when I was three years old and I actually stood up. It was very inspiring.”

    Kawamura, despite his popularity overseas for movies such as Your Name, Confessions and Wolf Children, said he does not consider his audiences preferences when he comes up with ideas for his films. “I make movies that I like to watch,” he said. “I’m from Tokyo and I know what people from Tokyo want and what I want, so I try to produce movies to satisfy what I think is a good movie. I don’t really think about what the people may want.”

    Kawamura related the story of how he once lost his smartphone and it benefited him by allowing him to see the world. “I was on the train and I saw a rainbow and I looked around to see who else could see the rainbow but I was the only one because everyone else was looking at their phones,” said Kawamura. “I realised that sometimes you have to lose something to find something that is more beautiful.”

    Development of VFX

    The second part of the Summit turned to special effects with three executives from top Asian-based VFX companies joining moderator Eddie Leung, Senior Teaching Fellow at the City University of Hong Kong (School of Creative Media).

    The speakers were Zhou Yifu, Executive Director of Digital Domain; Daniel Son, Head of VFX Division for South Korean company Digitaidea; and Felix Xu, CEO of ILLUMINA Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd. The panel discussed the status of VFX in Asia and the technological advances made by companies in the region, particularly in China.

    Son’s company is South Korean and he talked about his experiences working in China and the cultural differences between the two countries in terms of work practices. “Korea is between Japan and China but we don’t really have any collaborations with Japan,” said Son. “About half of our projects involve cooperation with China. There are cultural differences that result in Koreans and Chinese doing things differently.

    “For instance, China is more interested in fantasy and they are very creative with their ideas. China is more or less following Hollywood and they are quite well-advanced in their technology.”

    Xu agreed that Chinese VFX companies are technologically advanced and are continually working to improve the tools they use to create visual effects. However, he said the pressure to produce movies quickly and on low budgets means quality is sometimes lost. “The Chinese market is booming,” said Xu. “Many Hollywood and international companies are now paying attention to us. But in China, there are special situations. We only have a limited time to produce films so we may not pay that much attention to content.

    “Also, a large share of the investments are paid to actors, so we have to cope with that. On the plus side, the low budgets force us to conduct more R&D to cope with the challenges, make up the gaps, enhance efficiency and hasten the cycle.”

    Zhou’s company has offices in Los Angeles and Beijing and it is known around the world for the initial development of the NUKE compositing software. “We have developed the NUKE software and now a lot of companies are using it,” said Zhou. “I agree that we must perform much R&D to develop our technology and we have been successful in doing that and it has resulted is Digital Domain winning academy awards.”

    The panel came to the conclusion that VFX companies in Asia are gradually catching up with Hollywood and Western production houses in terms of technological advancement and it was now a case of improving the quality of their content in order to produce films and shows that cater to global audience.

  • FILMART drew over 8,000 visitors, leaders discussed trends & cooperation

    HONG KONG: The 21st Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (FILMART), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), ended today. The four-day event is a premier trading platform for the Asia’s entertainment industry. This year’s fair attracted more than 8,000 visitors, up nine per cent from last year.

    Among the visitors who attended this year’s FILMART, participation from Asia rose significantly, with the Chinese mainland, Philippines and Cambodia recording double-digit growth.
     
    This year’s FILMART featured the latest productions of more than 800 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions. Chinese mainland and many overseas exhibitors also set up booths to promote their local entertainment productions, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, India and Vietnam.

    An ideal trading platform featuring global buyers and latest productions

    FILMART has long been an important platform for local entertainment companies to release new productions and announce development strategies. This year’s FILMART featured more than 70 special events, including thematic seminars, press conferences and networking events. There were also some 40 world and international premieres. In addition to such film companies as Emperor Entertainment Group, Sun Entertainment Culture Ltd., Universe and Shaw Brothers announcing their latest projects, TVBI and Fantastic Television Ltd also unveiled the line-up of programmes.

    FILMART is an important promotional platform and one that has facilitated numerous successful collaborations. Asian film and TV productions were the focus among international buyers this year. The Thai delegation promoted “Content Thailand” at this year’s FILMART and concluded more than 10 deals with companies from the US and Korea during the four-day exhibition. The delegation was pleased with the results and is considering expanding their participation next year. Chinese mainland exhibitor Zhejiang Dream Stardom Film and TV Culture Co. Ltd. has been taking part in FILMART for many years. At this year’s show, the company successfully sold the first and second seasons of a Chinese TV series to a buyer from Southeast Asia. With so many business opportunities, a Dream Stardom representative said they would be returning to the fair next year.

    The Cambodia Film Commission also led a delegation of local entertainment companies to exhibit at FILMART. One of the companies, Kongchak Pictures, reached a deal with a Korean buyer for a film and also started negotiations with buyers from the US, Canada, Malaysia and Thailand.

    Leading producers share insights

    FILMART featured an extraordinary line-up of more than 70 speakers, including leading industry representatives from the film, digital entertainment, animation and other sectors to share their views and insights. A total of 12 seminars were organised or co-organised by HKTDC, attracting over 3,000 attendees.

    Documentaries were one of the focus areas of this year’s FILMART. The audience raised many questions during the seminar titled “Opportunity for Documentaries in Asia”. Ruby Yang, winner of the Academy Award for Documentary (Short Subject), shared her experience at the seminar. She said buyers tend to prefer productions about universal subjects.

    Also speaking at the seminar was Takahiro Hamano, Senior Producer (Content Development Center, Programming Department) of Japan’s NHK. He said pan-Asian collaboration projects are becoming common; and if the directors could capture promotion opportunities and present well-established stories, finding capital should not be too difficult.

    Jeong Joong Kim, Director of Acquisition and Chief Producer from Korea’s KBS, emphasised the importance of local perspectives. He said Korean audiences favour international stories with a Korean view point.

    Andrew Hevia, co-producer of the latest Academy Award winner for Best Picture Moonlight, also stressed the importance of identity. He said the success of Moonlight is its ability to tell a specific story for a specific audience, narrating the story in an unexpected but down-to-earth way and focusing on ideas.

    The Digital Entertainment Summit shed light on movie content and visual effects. Speakers pointed out that special effects companies in Asia are already quite advanced in the techniques that they use, and therefore should place more attention on enhancing content. At the Digital Entertainment Summit, Genki Kawamura, producer of Confessions and the hit anime Your Name, said that he joined the film industry because he was inspired by Steven Spielberg’s E.T. He said the film’s successful use of visual, audio and story-telling elements also inspired his own productions.

    Daniel Son, Head of VFX Division of Digitalidea, the post production company behind Korean productions Train To Busan and Goblin: The Lonely and Great God, said Chinese filmmakers are highly creative, and have a passion for fantastical works. They also possess advanced technical skills. Felix Xu, CEO, Illumina Technology said that low budgets motivated them to experiment with more technologies to cope with different challenges, enhance efficiency and reduce production time.

    The Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) is a founding event of Entertainment Expo, Hong Kong, and is among one of the expo’s 10 events. Entering its 13th edition, the expo is running from 13 March to 25 April and is featuring 10 spectacular events, including three founding events and seven core events. The three founding events are: the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) and the Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony (HKFA); while the seven core events are: the Hong Kong–Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the Hong Kong Asian-Pop Music Festival (HKAMF), the IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award, ifva (Incubator for Film & Visual Media in Asia Festival), the Asian VFX and Digital Cinema Summit, the Digital Entertainment Summit and TV World International Forum.

  • HAF Awards: 14 selected from 33 projects across 15 regions, featuring young directors

    HONG KONG: The 15th Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum concluded today with the Awards Presentation Ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Filmmakers, leading film financiers and industry professionals from across the world attended to celebrate this HAF milestone, and the presentation of 14 awards that recognise the promising and potential of remarkable film projects.

    Over the past three days, HAF attracted leading film financers, producers, distributors and buyers across the world, connecting them with talented filmmakers through business meetings and seminar, pitching and networking events: the newly launched Work-in-Progress Lab facilitated projects already in production to secure post-production funds, sales agents or film festival support; Operation Greenlight helped foster talented local directors to make their debut feature film; sponsored by iQIYI the seminar “New Opportunities in the Explosive Growth of Online Entertainment” invited respected industry leaders to share fruitful insights of latest market trends, and enriching content for on-line platforms.

    Over the years, HAF has been at the forefront in fostering quality movies and has nurtured a significant number of film projects generating critical acclaim and industry recognition. This year, the 14 award winners were selected from a total of 33 film projects across 15 countries and regions, featuring young emerging directors developing their first feature films. Many of the films are family-driven projects that touch on contemporary social issues, while some others give voice to minorities in society. One observable trend for example, is the increase in the number of women filmmakers.

    The total value of the awards presented amounted to approximately HK$1,588,000 (US$204,600) in cash and value in-kind, thanks to the generous support of various sponsors and partners.

    1. HAF Awards (Presented by Create HK, Hong Kong Film Development Fund and HAF)

    Jerry LIU, Head of Create Hong Kong kicked off the ceremony by presenting two HAF Awards to Impossible Split (Hong Kong) and NARAtive Film 2017-2018 – Yuko (Japan) for Hong Kong Project and non-Hong Kong Project categories respectively. Each project will receive a cash prize of HK$150,000 (approx.US$19,300) in recognition of their originality and creativity.

    2. iQIYI’s Special Award (Presented by iQIYI)

    HAF’s Premium Sponsor for the third year in a row, iQIYI presented the iQIYI’s Special Award to The Patient (China), offering a cash award of HK$100,000 (approx.US$12,900) to encourage and support film talents from the Chinese speaking territories. 

    3.mm2 Award (Presented by mm2 Asia Limited)

    Forget You, Still Love You? (Hong Kong) was honoured the mm2 Award which aims to embrace Chinese-language film projects that exhibit good commercial and artistic quality. The winner will receive the cash award of HK$100,000 (approx.US$12,900).

    4. HAF/FOX Project Award (Presented by Fox Networks Group and Fox International Productions)

    Established to strengthen the development of Chinese-language cinema, the HAF/FOX Project Award went to Drifting Lives (China). The winning project will receive cash award of US$10,000 (approx.HK$78,000) and a development contract with FOX.

    5. Wouter Barendrecht Award (Presented by Wouter Barendrecht Film Foundation, Create Hong Kong and Hong Kong Film Development Fund)

    Dedicated to the memory of the late Wouter Barendrecht, the renowned film producer and one of the founders of HAF, the Wouter Barendrecht Award went to La Luna (Singapore). This cash award of HK$50,000 (approx.US$6,400) recognises a project by a director under 35 who has not made more than three feature films.

    6. Paris Coproduction Village Award (Presented by Paris Coproduction Village)   

    The Asadas (Hong Kong) obtained the Paris Coproduction Village Award, and will be invited to participate in the Paris Coproduction Village event at the Champs-Elysèes Film Festival 2017 with sponsoring hospitality valued at Euro 4,000 (approx.HK$33,000).

    7. Network of Asian Fantastic Films Award (Presented by Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival)

    The Network of Asian Fantastic Films Award was given to Femme Fatale (Japan) with sponsored hospitality of US$2,700 (approx.HK$20,900) to participate in the 2017 Network of Asian Fantastic Films project market, which will take place in July at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea.

    8. Wutianming Post-Production Award (Presented by China Film Foundation–Wutianming Fund For Young Talents)

    The Wutianming Post-Production Award is set up to foster young talent working on Chinese film projects. The award went to Rainbow Mountain (China) with sponsored post-production services at the National Animation Industry Park in Tianjin valued at RMB300,000 (approx. HK$340,000).

    9. White Light Post-Production Award (Presented by White Light Studio)   

    White Light Studio will sponsor two in-kind awards for selected projects from HAF and WIP Lab respectively, in order to promote cinematic innovation and promising Asian directors. The awards went to La Luna (Singapore) from HAF and Village Rockstars (India) from WIP Lab. Each project will be offered post-production services valued at US$15,000 (approx. HK$116,500) at their studio in Bangkok.

    10. G2D Post-Production Award (Presented by G2D) 

    G2D will sponsor two in-kind awards for I AM A BANANA (Singapore, Canada) from HAF and The Third Wife (Vietnam) from WIP Lab.  Each winning project will be sponsored US$15,000 (approx. HK$116,500) towards a sound package for a film including sound services in foley, sound design, dialogue editing and atmosphere sound.

    11. Wanda WIP Lab Award (Presented by Wanda Pictures)

    The new Wanda WIP Lab Award celebrates a creative and original Chinese-language feature film project. The cash award of HK$100,000 (approx. US$12,900) was awarded to Omotenashi (Taiwan, Japan).

    12. “Hong Kong Goes to Cannes”  Shortlisted Projects

    To help open the door to the international film community, HAF is proud to collaborate with Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes to present the “Hong Kong Goes to Cannes” program, and revealed the first round selection of four projects from the WIP Lab for presentation and pitching at the Cannes Film Festival in May, including Omotenashi, Third Wife, Village Rockstars and Echoes.

    Hong Kong International Film Festival Society executive director Roger Garcia said, “We continue to seek out and provide new opportunities for filmmakers. We look forward to the continued growth – both creatively and commercially – of Asian cinema. HAF’s role in developing the cinemas of our region continues to underline Hong Kong’s position as a premier film project hub in Asia.”

  • FILMART: Internet aids nonlinear content delivery on multiple screens, maximises value

    HONG KONG: Content creators and producers have highlighted the opportunities the Internet is creating for Asia’s entertainment industry at a panel discussion during the HKTDC Hong Kong International Film and Television Market (FILMART), which ends today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

    A premier trading platform for the international entertainment industry, this year’s FILMART welcomes more than 800 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions. A series of thematic seminars led by global industry leaders are held during FILMART, including the 14 March session entitled “Is the Internet a Challenge or Opportunity for the Show Business?” While the expert panel urged the need for transformation and development in order to maximise the opportunities that the Internet presents in the longer term, most agreed there were short-term challenges that are affecting the profitability of film and television houses.

    The panel’s moderator Peter Lam, the Vice President of the Hong Kong Televisioners Association, said greater collaboration between stakeholders, a focus on outstanding content and a willingness to experiment would see a more prosperous future.

    “Even if, for the time being, they are not making a profit they would like to build and develop for the future,” he told the panel.

    To open the discussion, Gu Guoqing, the General Manager of China Film Promotion International Ltd, argued the Internet was another platform for filmmakers and that the ability to deliver nonlinear content presented the industry another vehicle to maximise value and deliver content to multiple screens.

    “I don’t see the Internet as such a threat,” Mr Gu said. “Viewers have gone from the cinema to online with 750 million paid subscriptions, online streaming and integrated content. In the Internet age I think that the line between virtual reality and film and television is blurring. The Internet is a factor for change. We can have immersive experiences.”

    The Chief Content Officer of iQIYI.com, Wang Xiaohui, touched on some of the ways that the Internet has changed the lifestyles and habits of viewers, noting that there were increasing opportunities to watch content, be it at home, on public transport or sharing content on social media. In order to capitalise on changing trends, the need for good content was increasingly important.

    “In the short-term, it’s quite challenging since we cannot make a profit, but in the long-term we can see the promise,” Mr Wang said. “But all in all, content is still the basic way to success. I think the film industry is prosperous but it should focus on good content. We should follow the trend to make our own unique content.”

    A discussion on the challenges prompted Akinori Kobayakawa, President, Kyushu Associations of Independent Entrepreneurs, to chart the short-term revival of the entertainment industry. An emphasis on collaboration and on engineering could create opportunities because the Internet was driven by people and was a human machine.

    “You need to create a strategy no matter the outcome,” he said. “The current situation can be described as chaos, so what we have to think about today is working against the old common sense. We cannot use the old common sense to adjust to the situation because what is happening with the Internet and the impact of the Internet is unpredictable.”

    Joe Suteestarpon, CEO, Mediaplex International, has played a significant role in developing a subscription video on demand service called DOONEE for the Thai market. In working with that country’s 22 traditional broadcasters, they had created a new space for the audience to enjoy high-quality content.

    “Everything is on demand and there is no exception for television,” he told the audience. “Right now the client is the one that is controlling the industry. People are still consuming the content but the format has changed. It’s a nonlinear world.”

    Szeto Kit, Director & CEO, Dim Sum TV said the Internet had revolutionised his business. He has found that consumers would pay for subscription content, an experience he had enjoyed in his own business. The Chinese mainland was an excellent test bed for a traditional broadcaster transforming into an Internet-based content provider.

    “The television industry is entering the Internet age and streaming is completely changing the traditional establishment,” he said. “China is an excellent example of what might happen next.”

  • Oscar-winning Moonlight producer shares his journey

    HONG KONG: Fresh from a successful Hollywood awards season, film producer Andrew Hevia led the popular “Sharing by Andrew Hevia, Co-producer of Oscar-winning Best Picture “Moonlight”” session held on 14 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The discussion was moderated by Maurice Lee, Partner, Maurice WM Lee Solicitors. The seminar was part of the HKTDC International Film & TV Market (FILMART) (13-16 March), which is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

    Andrew Hevia, Co-producer of Oscar-winning Best Picture “Moonlight,” used the seminar platform to share how his journey of independent filmmaking in Miami, United States, led to the Academy Awards stage. Using various trailer examples of indie movies that he loves, and often helped create, Mr Hevia explored the theme of specificity and identity in filmmaking. The up-close dialogue explored how his professional journey of micro-budget community filmmaking and the local networks he created in Miami impacted and led to the creation of the Oscar-winning production Moonlight. Having previously resided in Hong Kong, Hevia shared his special connection to the city and discussed how his approach to filmmaking can apply to Hong Kong creators seeking to tell local stories.

    Miami Beginnings

    As a proud resident of Miami with Cuban origins, Andrew Hevia has strived to create and share a film telling the “Miami story from a Miami perspective for a Miami audience.” This passion for authenticity and localised storytelling led to the creation of the “Borscht Film Festival.” Featuring film pieces specific to neighbourhoods throughout Miami, not “just the beaches we are all familiar with”, the event encouraged residents to tell stories important themselves and their niche using minimal budgets. Through this passion project, he “learned how to make movies cheaply and quickly” and shared that micro-budget films are basically “inviting your friends to work with you and make something you like.” Through persistence driven by creative hunger, the Borscht Film Festival led to greater community support and the eventual sharing of his projects across multiple film festivals. It was during his times in the Miami film community he initially met eventual screenwriter and director of Moonlight Barry Jenkins.

    Creative Solutions

    Introducing several key takeaways from his professional journey, Hevia explored the advantages of micro-budget filmmaking. He stated that “it can be better to have no money than some money” because with “some money it is a job that doesn’t pay well but if you have no money it is not job. With no money you have fun.” He further explained that with limited to no funding you have to get creative to achieve your end result and those results are “personal, original and not expensive.” Continuing on, he said “it’s easy to make things look like you spent money; it’s hard to make them good.”

    The Power of Specificity

    The core theme of Hevia’s presentation was the power and importance of specificity in filmmaking. He highlighted the importance of his experiences “focusing on Miami” because it allowed him and the creators he worked with to “explore the stories we knew that no one else knew” which made them personal and unique. He said that “we wanted to show you where we lived, who we were and how we lived.” In reference to the eventual success of both the Borscht Film Festival and Moonlight, he stated that “a limited audience is actually a specific audience, and that is an asset” compared to the standard universal movie approach which creates a movie that appeals to everyone but “universal is bland” in his opinion. He suggested that if you can make a specific movie accessible by “taking what you know and making other people appreciate it, you have done something good.”

    Bringing “Art-house to the Hood”

    Hevia detailed how a personal phone call and invitation from Jenkins led to him joining the Moonlight production. He explained that Moonlight was a hard movie to make because it did not fit the traditional ideals of what a successful movie is – “it had no movie stars, there were no white actors, it was an experimental narrative and it had no international appeal.” But from Hevia’s perspective, “the reasons why people don’t want to fund your movie are probably the reasons you need to make it.” Moonlight was successful because it was “about and for a specific audience, it was told in an unexpected way, it paid attention to craft over spectacle and that it was about ideas.” He said that “identity is specific” and Moonlight is an identity film about “someone growing up poor, black and gay.” He explained that “identity is how people see themselves, and if you show people themselves they will reward you with passion” which leads to success because “when people are passionate about your work, your work will spread.”

    Stories for Hong Kong

    To conclude to the sharing session, Hevia focused on how specificity and identity in filmmaking can apply to Hong Kong. Reflecting on his experience residing in city, he said “one thing about Miami that I recognised when I came to Hong Kong was that Miami is a place nobody lives in; everyone is temporarily there, they are from somewhere else.” This issue was a originally a key inspiration for starting his local film festival to tell Miami stories as a way to express identity and how Miami relates to residents’ identities. He went on to say that

    “I think Hong Kong in a similar way has some of those same issues” and that creates an opportunity to “start talking about what it means to be here, to be from here, what is it like live here.” In reference to Hong Kong’s position juxtaposed with the Chinese mainland, he compared the situation to Miami against New York and Los Angeles and encouraged filmmakers to “do Hong Kong” and focus on the specific stories and identities of the city like he did with Miami.

    Hevia is currently developing a Hong Kong-based mystery thriller with local commercial director Joshua Wong. “Dark Room” will be an English-language film with a focus on authentic Hong Kong aesthetics inspired by his time living in the city in 2015 as Fulbright scholar.