ATF 2024 is ending today with a certain conclusion. If in the past APAC and whole Asia, were local, niche and closed markets, now they are turning more and more open and global, with international standardized business from and towards Asia. There was a pre day with the ATF talks, then three days of intense market and today, Friday, the meetings continue till noon, confirming the business traffic. There is a lot to do in Asia.

During yesterday, main activities were focused on production and funding. In “Buyers & Commissioners: Navigating new terrains in content strategy”, Cyril Lee Jeune, CEO of Canal+ Myanmar, stressed: 'It is important to attract sponsors to maintain the financing of productions, as the goal is to establish long-term contracts with brands by offering value packages that include digital visibility and satellite platforms’. Justina Wojtowicz, from Rive Gauche, highlighted: 'It is no longer common to count on upfront commissions from large chains. Financing depends on partnerships with brands, integrating products into documentaries and series'.

On the panel “Moving towards a new era of content investment”, Tejkarran Singh Bajaj, SVP of Jio Studios, highlighted his studio's focus on female empowerment and climate change: ‘Indian narrative diversity can be seen in projects such as “Azadna”, an intimate film selected as the country's official entry to the Oscars 2024, and “3,2”, a commercial film extravaganza, both with female empowerment at their core. It is key to democratize local stories and to project them to global audiences’.

The pitching competitions at ATF offered a space for innovative projects. In the horror category, “Hysteria” won the “ATF x EST N8 Horror Pitch” development and distribution package, and received a cash prize of 3,500 Singaporean dollars. In the drama category, projects such as “Cycle” (Singapore), “Detective Daji” (Taiwan/USA) and “Drawn In” (South Korea) were awarded in the “ATF x Mediacorp Drama Concepts & Co-Production Pitch”, each winning 10,000 Singaporean dollars and the opportunity to co-develop with Mediacorpb

Likewise, in the formats category, “The Core - One Thousand and One” (Austria) won the “ATF x Mango 1% Formats Pitch”, obtaining 3,500 Singaporean dollars, in addition to a development and distribution package valued at 30,000 Singaporean dollars thanks to the collaboration with Hunan TV and Mango TV. Finally, in animation, “Mah Jong Pai” (Malaysia) stood out by winning the audience award and an incentive of 1,000 Singapore dollars.

Buyer testimonials? Event participants agreed on the relevance of the ATF as a strategic venue. Jack Zhang from STCZ Film & TV Productions (China) said: 'This event is my second time here. It is the most important part of our foreign industry strategy’. Meanwhile, Andrea Bernsdorf from Seven One Entertainment (Germany) highlighted the diversity of the market: 'We are looking for entertainment programs, and ATF is the biggest Asian market'.

Andri Detulong, from Satuvisi Abadi (Indonesia), underlined the interest in animated content: 'We can't reach animations in European or US productions, so this market is very good for us'. Yarek Danielak from Arsenal Pictures (USA), shared: 'I've been coming here for 20 years. I look for sci-fi, thriller and action content.' Joon Park from Bongo (Bangladesh) highlighted the dynamism of the market: 'Many suppliers are more open to sharing profits, revenues and risks,' a trend that reflects the shift toward more flexible collaborations.

Last conclusions? There is a big opportunity about Asia, from and towards the region. It is emerging strongly while the central markets are complicated, it leads the technology side of content business. It is now a strong consumer for international products, a great production hub and a super partner for coproduction ventures. And also, both its formats and dramas, are gaining solid positions worldwide. An encouraging picture…

Francisco Ferreyra from Singapore

If you want to receive our Daily Reports, please send an email to newsletter@prensario.info with your email and contact details