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Tag: film

  • Pantene’s latest #WANITABESI film encourages women to stay in sports

    Pantene’s latest #WANITABESI film encourages women to stay in sports

    Pantene Malaysia wants to change consumers’ mindsets on sports as a boys’ playground by highlighting in its latest “Braids of Strength” films that sports also plays a key role in moulding the next generation of strong women.

    The films are part of the brand’s WanitaBesi campaign (Iron Lady campaign) and were produced in collaboration with Grey Group Malaysia and Directors Think Tank. They tell the stories of two Malaysian athletes – Farah Ann and Nur Suryani – who remained in sports despite the challenges they face. Throughout both films, the tying of a hair braid is used to symbolise the strength to stay in sport.

     

    In celebration of the upcoming International Women’s Day, customers who purchase any of Pantene’s range of shampoos will receive a golden ribbon, and any woman wearing a braid during the month of March can gain nationwide free access to Fitness First and Celebrity Fitness.

    Anggia Pulungan, haircare commercial director of P&G Malaysia, said Pantene is rooted in the belief that strong is beautiful. For a woman, her hair is both a personal and a public matter; it is a big part of her confidence. Through Braids of Strength, Pantene wants to encourage more women to embrace the #WANITABESI spirit, pursue any sport of their choice and eliminate their worry of self-image, Pulungan added.

    “By showcasing the perfect way to braid their hair, women get the confidence boost they need to look good, and it positively helps them to perform in sports,” Pulungan said.

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  • Four Korean firms join forces to fight Netflix

    Four Korean firms join forces to fight Netflix

    SK Telecom is teaming up with three major broadcasters to launch a new video content service in a bid to challenge the popularity of foreign services like Netflix. On Thursday, SK Telecom and broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS signed an MOU to combine their current over-the-top (OTT) media service businesses and launch a new and improved service by the first half of this year. OTT refers to content that is delivered directly to users over the internet without going through intermediaries like television.

    The four companies will also establish a joint venture that combines the OTT operations of each party. SK Telecom CEO and President Park Jung-ho said he is seeking around 200 billion won ($177.9 million) in investment for the new firm.

    SK Telecom’s subsidiary SK Broadband currently operates Oksusu, a television and movie platform released in 2016. The three broadcasters have Pooq, a joint venture that MBC and SBS both have a 40 percent stake in, while KBS holds 20 percent.

    Videos from over 70 channels are available on Pooq, including drama series from the 1990s and early 2000s.

    All four companies are expected to benefit from the partnership. Pooq has already established ties with Southeast Asian companies, having partners in Hong Kong’s Viu, Malaysia’s iflix and China’s iQiyi.

    During the MOU signing, SK Telecom CEO Park said he hoped to see the new strengthened service launch in Southeast Asia by June.

    In return, the three TV channels will have access to SK Telecom’s financial resources, which can be invested in original content production.

    The partnership is seen as an effort by the domestic companies to combine forces to fend off growing foreign competition, especially that posed by Netflix.

    Oksusu has 9.46 million registered users while Pooq has 3.7 million. Netflix is estimated to have around 900,000 domestic registered accounts, still trailing far behind the local companies.

    These figures only tell half the story, however.

    While Oksusu is the No. 1 OTT service in Korea in the number of accounts, its number of monthly active users is only estimated to be two-thirds of registered users. OTT services from competing mobile carriers like KT’s Olleh TV and LG U+’s Video Portal are also catching up quickly in total users.

    Also, very few original videos produced by Korean OTT service providers have enjoyed success.

    Netflix, on the other hand, saw tremendous growth in the three years it has been operating in Korea.

    As of last September, users spent a total of 283 million minutes a month on Netflix’s mobile app on Android according to WiseApp, which analyzes mobile app usage. Just two years ago, users had spent 14 million minutes a month on Netflix, or 20 times less.

    During the same period, the time that Oksusu and Pooq users spent on the apps increased less than twofold.

    Users spent a total of around 600 million minutes a month on both apps as of last September.

    Experts believe that the content budget is largely to explain for the differences in growth.

    Netflix is estimated to have spent around $8 billion on content production and licensing last year. Oksusu spent only around 10 billion won in content investment, however, a fraction of Netflix levels.

    “Through this partnership, Korean OTT service providers can strengthen the competitiveness of their content, which has been their weakest point,” said Jung Ji-soo, an analyst at Meritz Securities. “[The companies’] goal of becoming Korea’s Netflix will also help in energizing the domestic media ecosystem.”

  • NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17 in Thailand” to be held on Sep 16-17

    NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17 in Thailand” to be held on Sep 16-17

    The Camões Portuguese Cultural Centre in Bangkok and the Embassy of Portugal in Thailand, in partnership with Arte Institute in New York and Siam Piwat present the “NY Portuguese Short Film Festival ’17” in Thailand for the second year between September 16-17, at Royal Paragon Hall, the 5th floor, Siam Paragon

    The NY Portuguese Short Film Festival (NYPSFF) was the first Portuguese film festival in NYC and the US. The Festival shows the work of the new generation of young Portuguese directors. By annually organizing the Festival in several countries, the Arte Institute intends to expand and gather new audiences for the contemporary Portuguese cinema worldwide.

    This year, the Festival showcases 11 shorts films by Portugal’s most promising filmmakers. The short films were selected and submitted to a distinguished jury composed of American, Portuguese and Brazilian film experts, as Rúben Alves (Director), Márcio Miranda Perez (São Paulo International Short Festival) and Don Cato (Director).

    In this regard, the Camões Portuguese Cultural Centre and the Embassy of Portugal in Thailand in partnership with Arte Institute in New York and Siam Piwat organize the “NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17” in Thailand aiming to support and disseminate the works of Portuguese short film directors to international audiences. 11 short films with English subtitles will be showcased between September 16-17, at Royal Paragon Hall, the 5th floor, Siam Paragon.

    His Excellency Francisco Vaz Patto, Ambassador of Portugal to Thailand will preside over the opening ceremony on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at 6.00 p.m. onwards.

    Don’t miss it!! The return of the NY Portuguese Short Film Festival to Thailand presents a unique blend of culture and new perspectives on the mind and spirit, transmitting the life of the Portuguese through short films, which this year’s highlights the short film Carga, by Luís Campos, the awarded film at this year’s festival in New York.

    The “NY Portuguese Short Film Festival’17” in Thailand is divided into two series of 54 minutes each.

    First series include CARGA, by director Luís Campos, THE WOOD CRAVER OR THE WORLD’S MOST IMPROVED WORKSHOP, by director João Vasco, THE FEAR INSTALLATIO, by director Ricardo Leite, YOU, by director Hugo Pinto and ONCE UPON A THREAD, guest short film by director Patrícia Figueiredo.

    The second series showcases A ROOM IN LISBON, by director Francisco Carvalho, ALVANÉU, by director André C. Santos, MANUEL, by director Bruno Carnide, THE AMAZING ORDINARY MAN, by director Paulo Portugal, RIBBON TOOTH, by director Sara Gouveia and A LONG DAY, guest short film, by director Sérgio Graciano.

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  • Film festival in Beijing shuns Korean movies

    China blocked the screening of Korean films at the upcoming 7th Beijing International Film Festival, the latest retaliatory measure against Seoul for the deployment of a U.S.-led antimissile system.

    Film industry sources confirmed Tuesday that Korean films were invited to partake in the annual film festival in Beijing, which runs from April 16 to 23, but they are not going to be screened because of Chinese authorities’ orders.

    Since the announcement last July of Seoul and Washington’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or Thaad, system to Korea, China has taken various retaliatory measures against the Korean entertainment industry, including unofficial bans on Hallyu, or Korean wave, content, as well as restricting tour packages to Korea and a crackdown on Korean retail stores in China.

    “The Beijing International Film Festival has invited Koreans but have suspended this because of Chinese authorities’ orders,” one film industry insider said. “Thus, it appears Korean films will not be screened at the film festival.”

    Last year, top young Hallyu stars including Lee Min-ho and Kim Woo-bin were in the spotlight at the film festival in Beijing, which launched in 2011. Lee, who starred in the 2016 comedic action film “Bounty Hunters,” a co-production project among Korea, China and Hong Kong, took part in the opening ceremony of the festival last April, which was broadcast on state television.

    There were several Korean films that were screened and made shortlists for awards last year. This year, no Korean films are reported to be on the preliminary screenings list.

    The eight-day Beijing International Film Festival is held by the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality.

    China’s Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, which is responsible for broadcast policy, has been reported as being behind the order to production companies to stop making programs with Hallyu content as well as joint projects with Korea.

    Earlier this month, a Korean-Chinese co-production starring Korean actor Ha Jung-woo with Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi fell through after Ha faced trouble with getting a visa from China and other problems.

    News about Hallyu entertainers and Korean films is rare on Chinese television and in newspapers these days, and no Korean movie was released in China last year though about four films are usually released in theaters in China annually.

    The Chinese government became even more aggressive in its retaliation following the finalization of the government swapped land with Lotte Group at the end of last month to find a home for the Thaad battery. Lotte’s businesses in China were particularly targeted.

    When asked by a reporter for Seoul’s response to China’s blocking of Korean films and the continued retaliations for the Thaad deployment, Cho June-hyuck, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, replied that the Korean government is “paying close attention to the series of measures taking place within China.”

    Cho continued in a briefing Tuesday, “Our government holds the consistent position that under no circumstance should civilian exchanges between two countries, which form the foundation of bilateral relations, face artificial handicaps, and will actively respond to China’s unfair measures in order to minimize the damage against Korean companies.”

    The Foreign Ministry also spoke up against the destruction of South Korean flags in China following the Thaad fallout, saying it has lodged a strong protest with Beijing.

    Several Taegeukgi, or Korean national flags, were found torn in pieces in health clubs in Tianjin earlier this month in a sign of anti-Korea sentiment.

    “The national flag symbolizes the dignity of the country and our government takes the destruction of our flag in some regions in China seriously and gravely,” said Cho. He said that the Chinese government responded it recognizes the gravity of the destruction of the flags and will take necessary measures including retrieving destroyed flags.

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  • Maxis taps YouTube for 360° film series

    Maxis taps YouTube for 360° film series

    Maxis is partnering with YouTube and Malaysia’s best storytellers to produce a Merdeka-themed film series, shot entirely using the latest cutting edge 360° cameras.

    Maxis will be working with award-winning filmmakers that include The Ming Thing, YouTube superstars with over 20 million video views; Junad Mohd Nor, whose film Ikal Mayang’s Odah premiered at Busan International film festival; and Denes Kumar & Vimala Perumal, the filmmakers behind Tamil’s box office hit, Vetti Pasanga.

    The company said that, using YouTube 360° video, it wants to empower Malaysians to be the first to “see Malaysia from different angles.”

    “Instead of premiering in a traditional physical cinema, these films will premiere exclusively via the YouTube platform to an estimated audience of 15 million via their mobile screens starting August 25,” said Sulin Lau, Maxis’ head of marketing services.

    “Because 360 films are truly immersive video, it’s a great way to demonstrate how great the Maxis 4G network is for seamless, buffer-free video,” said Lau.

    For this film series, the filmmakers are drawing inspiration from Malaysia’s diversity and will tell stories showing that even though we are made up of many different people, we can still come together and embrace each other’s differences.

    Maxis and YouTube are also inviting students and the public to submit their own Merdeka film and stand a chance to be premiered alongside the films of these award-winning filmmakers.

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  • Cinemaxx to Open First D-BOX Theatre in Indonesia

    Cinemaxx to Open First D-BOX Theatre in Indonesia

    D-BOX Technologies and PT Cinemaxx Global Pasifik (Cinemaxx), affiliate of Indonesia’s Lippo Group, are pleased to announce the conclusion of an agreement to install D-BOX immersive motion systems into the first auditorium in Indonesia in 2016.

    “The addition of D-BOX reinforces our commitment to give moviegoers the best cinematic experience possible” declared Mr. Mohit Dubey, President of Cinemaxx. “The D-BOX brand has international notoriety and we are absolutely convinced that today’s agreement, which may expand over time, will be a tremendous success for our business and the satisfaction of our guests.”

    “This announcement marks yet another milestone in our international expansion. Teaming up with an exhibitor like Cinemaxx is an important step in our mission to build on our presence throughout Asia”, mentioned Claude Mc Master, President and CEO of D-BOX Technologies. “Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, is on an upward growth path. It also has a relatively young population which enthusiastically responds to the type of entertainment we provide”, added Mc Master.

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