MDA, mm2 announce plan to develop local Chinese language scriptwriters

SINGAPORE – The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and mm2 Entertainment announced on Thursday (May 12) the completion of the first phase of a partnership to develop local Chinese language scriptwriters for Singapore’s film industry.

As part of a three-year programme with a total budget of S$8 million, mm2 Entertainment will train aspiring scriptwriters and hone the skills of established writers to improve the overall quality of Chinese feature film scripts. The programme is to be carried out in three phases.

The first phase featured a four-day Chinese scriptwriting masterclass in March, carried out over two weekends, which attracted close to 100 applicants, including professional scriptwriters, media practitioners and actors.

Students also attended lectures and seminars conducted by five renowned scriptwriters from Hong Kong and Taiwan whose works include notable films such as A World Without Thieves and Red Cliff.

“This initiative is launched to upscale the capabilities of Chinese language scriptwriters in Singapore,” said Mr Ng Say Yong, managing director of mm2 Entertainment.

“We were highly encouraged by the positive response of the participants to the scriptwriting masterclass. We’re confident that Phase Two of the programme will build on the solid foundations set by the masterclass.”

Phase Two is a Scriptwriter’s Lab, a six-month programme that will help scriptwriters develop and write full-length feature film scripts. Helmed by two mentors to guide the participants through the development and scriptwriting process, scripts of creative merit will be produced into feature films.

Ms Angeline Poh, assistant chief executive officer (Industry Group), MDA, said that nurturing Singapore’s scriptwriting talent was one of the MDA’s priorities under its StoryLab initiative.

“A good script breathes life into a compelling story. It helps the director and actors interpret the story and create a powerful performance to move the audience,” she said. “We hope that through partnerships like this, we will see more great Singapore stories being told and enjoyed by audiences at home and abroad.”

More information on Phase Two and Phase Three will be released at a later date.

mm2 Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of mm2 Asia, which has co-produced and/or distributed well-known local films such as Jack Neo’s Ah Boys To Men series and Long Long Time Ago, Royston Tan’s 3688, the xinyao-driven musical That Girl In Pinafore and the film compendium 7 Letters.