PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bangkok, Tuesday 16 January 2018

DOCUMENTARY TAKES CENTRE STAGE
AT ASIAN SIDE OF THE DOC 2018
IN BANGKOK

ASIAN SIDE OF THE DOC will return for its 8^th edition from 30 January to 2 February 2018 to celebrate the best of factual programming in Asia and will provide unique business and networking opportunities, knowledge exchange, and an important forum for industry debate and discussion at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok.

This year’s international marketplace event, co-organised with MAXIMAGE Co., Ltd., will play host to Asia’s largest gathering of documentary and factual sector across four days of exhibition, pitching sessions, one-to-one meetings with key decision makers, an outstanding line-up of panels, distributors showcases, innovative workshops and networking events.

Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion – Ministry of Commerce (DITP), the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of Culture, Thai Media Fund and Thailand Film Office are co-funders of the event. Bangkok remains host city, to set scene to further acquisitions, sales and coproduction opportunities and provide a major boost for the local industries to reach beyond borders.

With the invaluable support of Gold Partner, Thai PBS, Thailand’s national public broadcasters and Thailand Docs Group this year’s edition will present the region’s most talented content creators, exciting opportunities to discover the latest trends and reinvent the way Asian stories are told.

 

Dr. Wilasinee Phiphitkul, Director General, Thai PBS

« While Thai PBS documentaries are praised and well known among the Thai viewers, they are not as reputable internationally. JoiningAsian Side of the Doc 2018 will broaden Thai PBS opportunity to a much wider market and a potential co-production partners from Asia and beyond », commented Dr. Wilasinee Phiphitkul, Thai PBS’s Director General. The event also provides Thai PBS personnel an opportunity to learn more about international contents, pitch techniques and distribution channels. »

Asian Side of the Doc 2018 will also gather major stakeholders – particularly international distributors who are purposefully setting out to grow their business in regions like China and South-East Asia: Flame Media Pty Ltd. (Australia), Looking Glass International (Australia), Bomanbridge Media (Singapore), National Film Board of Canada, AB International Distribution (France), CPB International (France), Wide House (France), ZED (France), Kwanza (France), Off the Fence (The Netherlands), Albatross World Sales GmbH (Germany), 3BOXMEDIA (Germany), Harbour Rights (Hong Kong), TI ComNet Japan, Activator Marketing Co Ltd. (Taiwan), Cineflix Rights (UK), Sideways Film (UK), TCB Media Rights (UK), PBS International (USA).

New Content & New Talent at Asian Side of the Doc 2018

Asian Side’s highly coveted pitching sessions will see 24 documentary and factual projects with teams from across the world, pitch to 80+ local and international decision makers, providing participants and observers with crucial insights into the kinds of projects being sought and how they are commissioned. In addition to the main awards for Best International, Best Asian and Best ASEAN projects, the NBCUniversal Archives Award to the value of US$3000 worth licensing of archival content from NBCUniversal Archives will also reward one of the live pitched projects. Pre-arranged one-to-one meetings with leading commissioners and potential co-producers will help creative teams raise finance & complete their original stories.

Yves Jeanneau, CEO of Asian Side of the Doc

“The range and quality of this year’s pitch selection is outstanding with documentary projects coming from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, China… and also from Canada, Australia, Germany, Finland and France.” said Asian Side of the Doc CEO, Yves Jeanneau. “They are exciting projects with international potential on a variety of topics: wildlife, environment, history, discoveries, strong and movies stories! The 24 projects selected to be pitched live at Asian Side of the Doc, in front of 80+ international decision makers and distributors, demonstrate the continuous quality improvement of doc productions.”

Spotlight on the Future with Interactivity in Reality

Major programme highlights during Asian Side of the Doc 2018 include the 3rd Group Steering Meeting of all Asian-Pacific broadcasters involved in the production phase of the global trans-media project « Generation What ? Asia-Pacific » in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), UNESCO, Yami 2.

Additional sessions will place a greater emphasis on:

• the rise of regional streaming services to springboard new content ideas,
• international documentary strands for Asian stories,
• ASEAN broadcasters’ programming strategies and priorities,
• increased regional collaborations opportunities such as The Asian Pitch, an incubator and funding initiative supported by Japan’s NHK, South Korea’s KBS, Taiwan’s PTS.

Putting a spotlight on Interactivity in Reality, delegates can look forward to hearing from industry professionals such as Creative Director and CEO of the World VR Forum (Switzerland), Salar Shahna, who will share his Asian Side’s Guide to VR as well French producers Christophe Nick (Yami 2) and Laurent Duret (Bachibouzouk), who will go in-depth into the business models and production process of interactive storytelling and immersive media experiences.

Key speakers also include:

• Sudarat Disayawattana Chantrawatanakul (Thailand) – Deputy Director General, Thai PBS
• Rudy Buttignol (Canada) – President and CEO, British Columbia’sKnowledge Network
• Jennifer Batty (Singapore) – Chief Content Officer, HOOQ
• Yeni Priana Anshar (Indonesia), Vice President, Programming, RTV – Rajawali Televisi Indonesia
• Akira Yoshizawa (Japan) – Senior Producer, Global Content Development Center, NHK
• Justin Deimen (Singapore) – Group Managing Partner, Aurora Media Holdings
• Fabrice Puchault (France) – Head of Society and Culture Department, ARTE
• Curtis Raphael Gallant (UK), Funding Organisation Researcher, Whicker’s World Foundation.

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ABOUT ASIAN SIDE OF THE DOC

Created in 2010, Asian Side of the Doc is a must-attend programmes sales market and coproduction platform for factual content in Asia. The 8^th edition will take place in Bangkok, from 30 January to 2 February 2018. Designed to maximize investment and business-making through an exhibition space, a high-quality pitching forum, a line-up of inspiring panels and hands-on workshops, one-to one meetings with key buyers and commissioners, the four-day event create unique networking opportunities for industry professionals to make stories and partnerships go from local to global.

NEW WEBSITE : www.asiansideofthedoc.com

Media Enquiries: Aurelie REMAN // aurelie@sunnysideofthedoc.com // +33 (0)5 46 55 79 94