This MoU will lead to the co-production of 20 hours of documentaries for the international television market, over the next 12 months where the partners will co-produce a range of programs which will be shot in locations stretching from Iran to China.

LIC Australia CEO Philip Nelson says, “Singapore has established a strong reputation for regional co-productions, especially with factual content, and the Asia Factual Forum is the perfect platform for us to announce our collaboration. We are proud to partner with Upside Down Concepts, an enterprising company known for its quality production and creative storytelling.”

LIC Australia has been active in China and Australia for 13 years chiefly in the importation of documentaries into China, and more recently in the production and distribution of documentaries internationally.

LIC’s Beijing studios have been involved in the development of LIC-UDC slate of projects and will be integrally involved in these productions. Nelson says that LIC’s German co-production partner, Kick Films of Munich, will also be involved in the slate.

The first production under the agreement will be Desert Vet. This is a six-part series on the story of Dr Alex Tinson, an Australian vet who uses a radical form of embryo transplant to save endangered animals. Filming of this series will mainly take place in the Himalayas next northern summer.

Other productions that have been developed include several individual, one-hour documentaries with social and historical themes; which will be filmed in China. In addition, there are plans for re-versioning a number of important Chinese documentaries to make them suitable for the international marketplace.

UDC executive producer Gin Kai Chan says, "We have been working towards this collaboration for several months and following the signing of the MoU, we are now able to move ahead on this exciting slate of productions in the New Year. LIC’s vast experience with the China market, familiarity with international demand and perceptive eye for great stories makes them an ideal partner for us. Each production will be a true collaboration of the considerable experience and creative resources available to our three companies.”

UDC is a Singaporean creative house and has produced many hours of factual and fictional programs for local and international channels. A strong believer in synergistic collaborations, UDC has co-production experiences and relationships with producers from various countries, including Korea, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand and the US.