MUMBAI: ScreenWest, Western Australia‘s screen funding, and Singapore‘s Media Development Authority (MDA) have announced the launch of the MDA-ScreenWest Cross-Media Development Initiative.

The aim is to encourage producers in their respective territories to jointly develop and exploit the potential of multi-platform intellectual properties.

The initiative ininvites producers in Western Australia and Singapore to submit proposals in any of the following genres – Children’s Programming, Documentary and Animation. Three selected projects will be awarded up to a total of $90,000 in project co-development funding.

The closing date for submissions is 1 December 2008 and the announcement of selected projects will be made at the Asia Television Forum held in Singapore from 10 to 12 December 2008.

The MDA-ScreenWest Cross-Media Development Initiative follows the Australia-Singapore film co-production agreement signed in September 2007.

MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, "Currently, Singapore’s media companies already enjoy a strong working relationship with their counterparts in Australia and I am sure that this joint initiative with ScreenWest will spur more of such mutually-beneficial collaborations that will make their mark in the international market.

"Content that can be commercialised on multiple platforms will enjoy a wider reach and longer lifespan and the MDA-ScreenWest Cross Media Development Initiative is a step in supporting our media companies to rise to the challenge of the new media landscape where consumers increasingly demand to enjoy content on their own terms.”

Screenwest CEO Ian Booth said, "Screenwest is excited by this opportunity to build stronger ties between the two countries. We believe the development of three projects in the genres of children’s drama, animation and documentary will encourage further co-productions in the future.

“The bonus of this initiative is the development of cross-platform digital media which can be made in Singapore and Australia and viewed around the world.”

Media companies from Australia and Singapore have collaborated successfully on several fronts, yielding co-productions in recent years that include feature film The Home Song Stories, lifestyle TV programme 5 Star Insider, animation series Milly Molly and children’s sci-fi drama series Stormworld.