SINGAPORE – To inspire travel to Singapore through TV series and films, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Wednesday (April 5) announced the launch of a S$10 million Singapore On-screen Fund. The joint fund will support international media and entertainment (M&E) partners in producing TV and film projects that reach global audiences, and shine the spotlight on destination Singapore. These projects will also provide opportunities for local media enterprises and talent to work alongside global M&E partners in creating content for international audiences.
International media conglomerates, major streamers, and studios that have consistently delivered popular content for the global market will be invited to apply for the fund. Project proposals will be evaluated based on their distribution and market reach, content concept and creative merit, opportunities to feature Singapore’s offerings and experiences, as well as the number of local talents involved in credited roles.
Mr Chang Chee Pey, Assistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, STB, said, “To keep pace with the changing digital landscape and increased demand for authentic and entertaining content, branded entertainment is a key focus of STB’s marketing strategy. The Singapore On-screen Fund allows us to tap the deep storytelling expertise of global media and entertainment players in a more purposeful way, showcasing Singapore through a fresh lens as travel demand recovers.”
With the surge in entertainment content during the pandemic, the fund aims to ride on that momentum to kickstart more projects that profile the destination and support industry development. Jasmine Ng, President, the Singapore Association of Motion Picture Professionals, said, “Singapore has many surprises to offer as a filming destination. The compact city is home to a wide range of striking architecture and rich, diverse cultures while providing a safe and trusted working environment. Over the years, Singapore has also built up a highly-skilled media talent pool with a portfolio of quality, globally-oriented projects. The Singapore On-screen Fund will help to grow collaboration opportunities with global media and entertainment companies, giving rise to more avenues for our media talent to be involved in internationally renowned works. We hope it will be a step forward to inspire more to join Singapore’s media ecosystem and grow our storytelling efforts.”
The Singapore On-screen Fund will support selected projects by key M&E companies, which must be set in Singapore and launched before the first quarter of 2027. Successful projects will receive funding support of up to 30 percent of qualifying costs related to featuring Singapore, including production and marketing costs.
Past collaborations with global M&E companies to profile Singapore include the popular rom-com Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, produced by Singapore-based Infinite Frameworks in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. Close to 300 locals worked as production crew members, including in key roles. The Government-supported production also involved young aspiring talent from Nanyang Technological University, LaSalle College of the Arts, and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. In addition, the film featured 12 local stars in its cast including Pierre Png and Tan Kheng Hua – the latter has since advanced her career in Hollywood following the success of Crazy Rich Asians.
