Hollywood
New Umbrella Event for Asian Film and TV Content to launch in Singapore later this year
NEW DELHI: For the first time, a media festival on films and television will be held in Singapore in December for trade visitors and members of the public.
A Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore source said the annual Singapore Media Festival is set to become one of Asia’s leading international media events.
The Singapore Media Festival brings together four complementary film and TV events – a trade market for film and TV, conferences, awards and festival screenings under a single umbrella.
Thus, the Singapore International Film Festival will be from 4 to 14 December, with the Asian Television Awards on 11 December, the Asia TV Forum & Market from 9 to 12 December, and ScreenSingapore from 9 to 12 December.
The Singapore International Film Festival will bring quality films from around the world to the masses; recognising the best films in Singapore and Asia
Founded in 1987 and into its 25th edition this year, SGIFF is widely attended by international film critics, academics, industry practitioners, and general consumers. It is recognised worldwide for its focus on Asian filmmakers and promotion of Southeast Asian films, and is a one-stop location for film programmers and producers to discover filmmaking talent and trends.
SGIFF adds a public component to the Singapore Media Festival, bringing over 70 titles of top-notch international films to be screened across Singapore. It will also have an awards component to recognise film talents in Singapore and Asia with the Silver Screen awards.
“The Singapore International Film Festival being the longest-running and largest film festival in Singapore has always captured the hearts of filmmakers, creative professionals and film enthusiasts here. The co-location of the TV and film market with our Festival offers a new dimension for us which we hope will translate to benefits for the Singapore film industry,” said SGIFF executive director Yuni Hadi.
The Asian Television Awards (ATA) celebrating the best in Asian TV content and will have a new revised digital category, with webcasters competing.
The ATA is one of Asia’s premier awards event that recognises the achievements of talent in Asia’s TV industry. It has grown since its establishment in 1996, and has been consistently receiving more than 1,000 entries annually from across the region. This year, ATA will be introducing a new awards category in keeping with the digital trend, allowing webcasters to compete in the awards for the first time.
Contineo Media CEO and chairman of the ATA Raymond Wong expressed happiness that the Awards will be part of the Singapore Media Festival. “Every December, Singapore becomes a hotbed for the distribution of content and the exchange of ideas; and with both ScreenSingapore and SGIFF exhibiting quality films; it leaves ATA the distinct honor of celebrating the best of television in Asia. The ATA is a celebrated industry event that recognizes excellence in programming, production and performance, and received well over 1,200 entries from across 14 countries last year. This year, with our targeted second regional broadcast, we endeavor to unite Asia-Pacific to collectively witness the wins of each territory’s home-grown talent from the comfort of living rooms big and small,” said Wong.
On ATA’s new digital category this year, Wong said: “This will be the first time that original TV content premiering on online platforms can compete at the awards; this is a reflection of the burgeoning demand for digital content fuelled by the proliferation of OTT and VOD services across the region.”
The Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore is an integrated film and TV market to bring greater business and networking opportunities. The third and fourth components of the Singapore Media Festival are ATF and ScreenSingapore will bring a seamless international trade market for film and TV as well as conferences and master classes under the event.
ATF and ScreenSingapore were co-located in 2012 to bring greater synergies between film and TV content, and will return this year with even more opportunities for local and global media players to meet and exchange ideas.
Reed Exhibitions Singapore MD Michelle Lim said, “Asia Television Forum & Market and ScreenSingapore (ATF & SS) is honored to be part of the inaugural Singapore Media Festival. With the increased accessibility of entertainment content across different platforms, this integration of media and entertainment events under one umbrella will certainly bring more value and benefits for the trade industry. As a leading international entertainment content market in Asia, ATF & SS 2014 looks to provide industry players with a solid platform for networking and knowledge exchange, drawing in a myriad of entertainment content by international and regional sellers, while attracting buyers from the region.”
The Singapore Media Festival is hosted by the Media Development Authority of Singapore, and organised by Reed Exhibitions, Contineo Media and SGIFF Ltd.
MDA assistant chief executive (Industry) Angeline Poh said, “The Singapore Media Festival is set to be a seamless, must-attend media event where international participants gather to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia, making Singapore the choice destination for those in Asia’s media business. With this event, everyone from industry players to public audiences will have something to look forward to. The Singapore Media Festival, with its umbrella of four signature events, can only become bigger and better in the years to come.”
Hollywood
Paramount Skydance secures financing for Warner Bros Discovery deal
Debt syndication and new loans push $111 billion merger closer to close
WASHINGTON: Paramount Skydance has taken a major step towards its planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, securing fresh financing and completing the syndication of its bridge loan facility.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company confirmed that the bridge facility has now been distributed among a group of 18 banks, reducing total commitments to $49 billion from an earlier $54 billion. The move spreads risk across lenders and signals growing confidence in one of the year’s largest media deals.
Alongside this, the company has finalised permanent financing arrangements, including $5 billion in senior term loans and a $5 billion revolving credit facility. A previously planned $3.5 billion credit line has been dropped as part of the restructuring.
The loans are secured against key assets, including Paramount Global, Skydance Media and Warner Bros post-merger, underlining the scale and complexity of the transaction.
The financing push follows a competitive bidding process earlier this year, which saw interest from players such as Netflix before Paramount Skydance emerged as the frontrunner. The deal, valued at $111 billion, is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approvals.
Adding to the momentum, the company has also secured significant equity backing, including investments from Middle Eastern funds, with support from billionaire Larry Ellison, who has guaranteed the equity portion of the transaction.
Commenting on the development, Paramount Skydance chief strategy officer Andy Gordon said, “Our successful debt syndication and new debt facilities represent another important milestone towards the completion of our acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery.”
Once completed, the combined entity is expected to carry net debt of just under $80 billion, reflecting the sheer scale of the merger.
As Hollywood continues to consolidate in the streaming era, this deal could reshape the competitive landscape, with Paramount Skydance betting big on scale, content and financial muscle to take on global rivals.
