Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase Animated

Singapore-based distribution giant Hub Media Group and media financing outfit Silver Media Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the sidelines of MIPTV 2014, kick-starting an exciting collaboration to finance, produce, and distribute television content and feature films. Sourcing the best intellectual properties and stories from around Southeast Asia, the partnership seeks to develop them into compelling content for the international market.

Home to more than 600 million people and a bustling economy, Southeast Asia has a media industry that is rapidly growing but lacking in investments and a strong distribution network. As members of the Southeast Asian Audio Visual Association (SAAVA), Kevin Balhetchet and Chan Gin Kai, of Hub and Silver respectively, designed the collaboration to bridge the gaps in the region, contributing their expertise to help mature the industry.

SAAVA, an alliance of film and television producers from Southeast Asia, seeks to promote best practices, facilitate skills transfer and foster co-productions within the region. Balhetchet, a pioneering member of SAAVA says of the collaboration, “The production quality and storytelling abilities of Southeast Asian producers have grown tremendously and this is apparent in the critical acclaim our content has garnered internationally. However, the region is still a fragmented market and lacks a strong distribution network. We hope, through our collaboration, to bring the best of Asian works to the world market.”

The first project that the partnership has embarked on is Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase, a 25-episode animated series co-produced by Advent Media (Singapore) and Ambient Media (Philippines). Based on a best-selling book series created by writer and popular TV personality Neil Humphreys, the children’s series is an entertaining concept with environmental messages. Hub Media Group will be presenting the USD3 million project to broadcasters at MIPTV.

Humphreys is excited that the Hub Media Group and Silver Media Group collaboration helps fulfills his dream to bring his books to the screen, "The question I get asked more than any other at school visits and story-tellings is ... When is Abbie Rose and the Magic Suitcase going to be on TV? Now, I have an answer. The magic suitcase is coming to your TV screen soon. Get ready for some funny, eco-friendly adventures. I truly couldn't be more proud."

A firm believer in international co-productions, Silver Media Group’s Chan emphasizes the importance of fostering greater collaborations between producers of Southeast Asia and with the rest of the world. “Silver Media has consistently invested in international co-productions because we cannot rely only on the small local markets. Just as Southeast Asian countries are moving towards regional economic integration by 2015 because of the vast potential that greater cohesiveness in our markets can bring, SAAVA hopes to unify producers from the region to achieve the same goal. My partnership with Hub Media Group will hopefully be a platform to help foster greater collaboration between producers from around our region.”