Lots of prospects in Sarawak for Asia’s media industry, say key players
KUCHING: The serenity of this city could very well be the deciding factor for media organisations to make the Sarawak capital as their next destination for filming.
This point, coupled with having more feature films or documentaries about Kuching – and even on Sarawak as a whole – should contribute to the rise in the number of tourist arrival and also Sarawak benefitting from the media industry in Asia, which is worth more than US$400 million.
This was highlighted during a joint press conference at Hilton Hotel Kuching yesterday, which gathered Thaitv3 chief executive officer ML Rudeejanok Kritakara from Thailand, Formosa Media president Dorothy M Hung (Taiwan), JTBC vice-president Kim Yongdal (South Korea), Today TV executive chairman Lam Chi Thien (Vietnam), Cignal TV president Jane Jimenez and vice-president Yolanda R Viola (the Philippines), and Dr Punchi Nilame Meegaswatte – a member of the judging panel for the 23rd Asian Television Awards (ATA).
“I just love Kuching – it’s very calming, not like Bangkok,” said Kritakara, adding that the Thaitv3 crew had been in the city since Friday to look for suitable locations for filming.
She also said the ATA could act as a platform for them to forge collaborations with other media players that, in turn, could lessen the costs incurred for a single production, which could be very expensive.
Her views were echoed by Jimenez and Viola – both of whom believed that the media industry in Asia would benefit more from collaborations, in that the budget and assets could be ‘stretched’ as the players strove to bring forth quality content to the world.
“We’re really appreciative of this opportunity to attend the ATA in Kuching, as we have the opportunity to share the same vision as well as to strengthen the media industry in Asia,” said Jimenez.
Pitching in was Meegaswatte, who said there was ‘no other cities in the world like Kuching’.
“In Kuching, you can only see cars and buildings; the city areas are not congested with so many people, like my home country Sri Lanka,” said the 12-time ATA judge.
The press conference yesterday was moderated by Global Creative Media Industry chief executive officer Adam Ham, who regarded the ATA as being ‘more than just an awards show’ in that ATA could form a deep collaboration with all the media industry giants.
“During this period, we can forge a partnership on how to create a vibrant industry in South East Asia and try to bring it to Sarawak,” he said.