Singaporean production company Akanga Film Asia has been selected as the new hub for Spanish audiovisual industries in Asia. It will seek to expand links between the film, television, animation and gaming industries in Spain and those in Asia.
Akanga is headed by Fran Borgia, a Spanish producer with Asian film production credits including Pu Junfeng’s “Apprentice,” Locarno Award winner Yu Siu-hwa’s “A Land Imagined,” Camila Andini’s “Yuni,” and Amanda Nell Yu’s “Tiger Stripes.”
The company was selected following a tender process initiated by the Economic and Commercial Office of Spain in Singapore, representing the Spanish Export and Investment Agency ICEX. Borgia has been appointed “Spain’s Audiovisual Sector Advisor in Asia” and will work closely with veteran producer and festival consultant Lorna T.
“The project aims to strengthen Spain’s position as a production country and destination for filming and post-production of live and digital images and investment in the audiovisual sector,” ICEX said in a statement. “The award of this contract represents an important milestone in the promotion of Spanish culture in the Asian region.”
“As a Spanish citizen who has lived in Asia for more than 20 years, I see the tremendous opportunities for collaboration between the Spanish and Asian audiovisual industries, and we are excited to build bridges with a great team of collaborators,” said Borgia.
The company expects to attend several film markets and festivals throughout the rest of the year. These include the Venice Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Taiwan Creative Content Festival, Goa Film Bazaar Festival in India, Java International Film Festival in Indonesia, and the Asian TV Forum and Market in Singapore.
T, which extends between Asia and Europe and is the former diverse Executive Director, most recently Producer of Vietnam & Nam at Cannes. She is Secretary General of the Asian Film Alliance Network (AFAN), an association of 7 film agencies from Asia to promote understanding and cooperation within the region.
