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PCCW (SEHK:0008) – KUALA LUMPUR, July 13, 2021 ‒ Talented writer Ms. Aina Izzah has been named as the winner of the inaugural Viu Pitching Forum in Malaysia. She will have her very own concept brought to life as a Viu Original production to be aired in 2022 across Viu’s 16 markets globally.
Viu Pitching Forum was first launched by Viu in Indonesia in 2016, resulting in three highly successful Viu Original series – Halustik (2018), Knockout Girl (2019) and Star Stealer (2020). Following the success of this program in Indonesia, Viu expanded the initiative to Malaysia (September 2020) and Thailand (May 2021) to serve as a catalyst to the growth of the local entertainment industry.
Viu Pitching Forum in Malaysia garnered over 700 submissions, and 10 entertaining concepts were shortlisted. The finalists were mentored by renowned industry veterans Kye Fariz, Razaisyam Rashid, TJ Lee, Ghaz Abu Bakar, Faisal Ishak, Bernice Low, Chi-Ren Choong, Douglas Lim, Nam Ron, and Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim.
Showcasing a wide variety of themes with young adult focus and strong local resonance, the genres of the concepts shortlisted included, amongst others, sci-fi, fantasy and comedy. The background of the finalists has been similarly diverse, with shortlisted applicants from the world of advertising, law and biology – a testament to Viu’s aim to provide an equal opportunity to anyone with a passion and aptitude for scriptwriting.
Sci-fi drama “Electric Dust Agency” by Ms. Aina Izzah emerged victorious and will be made into a world class production for release on Viu in 2022. The future-set story revolves around Kina, a ‘memory writer’ with the Electric Dust Agency – a company that has invented the technology to alter people’s memories. When she uncovers clues that suggest the EDA has been illegally altering the memories of its clients, she must race to uncover the truth even as she fears her own memories are potentially compromised as well.
Speaking about what inspired her to come up with the story, law graduate and journalist Aina said, “I had the idea after my mother’s passing in 2018. I was with her on her deathbed and often wondered about my final memory of her. “Electric Dust Agency” challenges the theory that if you could alter a terrible memory to help you cope with trauma, would you do it?” Elaborating on her experience as part of the initiative, she added, “VPF was a blast – it felt like attending a bootcamp on writing and filmmaking. The masterclasses were informative, collaborative and extensive. Having the best people from the industry giving us insights and sharing their experiences was truly eye-opening.”
Ms. Sahana Kamath, Head of Original Production for Viu Malaysia and Indonesia, said, “We were impressed with the creativity shown by all of the aspiring writers who joined us for the Viu Pitching Forum in Malaysia. Each and every finalist channeled the guidance they received from their mentors into an inspired and compelling pitch, making the business of judging a difficult task indeed. A worthy winner emerged in Aina, whose “Electric Dust Agency” speaks volumes of her skill, imagination and fearlessness in sharing her emotional truth. We have always believed in the talent and stories to be found here in Malaysia, and the outstanding quality of work showcased during this initiative only drives us further in our commitment to help nurture the local creative community.”
Two additional concepts received special mentions at Viu Pitching Forum and were selected by the judges for further development at Viu. These were the supernatural family drama “Pulangkan” by Qamarul Hassan and a college-set drama titled “Kelab Lelaki Beta” by Ausz Din.
Do keep an eye out for the release of the first Viu Original production from the Viu Pitching Forum in Malaysia. For more information and updates, visit www.viu.com.
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About Viu
Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service, is available in 16 markets across Asia, the Middle East and South Africa with 45 million monthly active users (MAU) as of December 2020.
The Viu service is available to consumers through a dual model with an ad-supported free tier and a premium subscription tier. Viu offers fresh premium TV series, movies and lifestyle programming in local and regional languages and subtitles in different genres from top content providers, as well as premium original productions under the brand “Viu Original”.
Viu also offers users streaming and download features, and localized user interfaces across a myriad of connected devices. Viu can provide the best viewing experience regardless of device or network conditions.
The service can be accessed via Viu app (available for free on App Store and Google Play) on connected devices, e.g. smartphones and tablets, select smart TVs, as well as on the web by logging into www.viu.com.
In addition, Viu International Limited, through its subsidiary Moov (Hong Kong) Limited, also operates MOOV, a popular digital music streaming and live music concerts service in Hong Kong.
About PCCW Limited
PCCW Limited (SEHK: 0008) is a global company headquartered in Hong Kong which holds interests in telecommunications, media, IT solutions, property development and investment, and other businesses.
The Company holds a majority stake in the HKT Trust and HKT Limited, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider and leading operator of fixed-line, broadband, mobile communication and media entertainment services. HKT delivers end-to-end integrated solutions employing emerging technologies to assist enterprises in transforming their businesses. HKT has also built a digital ecosystem integrating its loyalty program, e-commerce, travel, insurance, FinTech and HealthTech services to deepen its relationship with customers.
PCCW owns a fully integrated multimedia and entertainment group in Hong Kong engaged in the provision of OTT video service locally and in other places in the region.
Through HK Television Entertainment Company Limited, PCCW also operates a domestic free TV service in Hong Kong.
Also wholly-owned by the Group, PCCW Solutions is a leading IT and business process outsourcing provider in Hong Kong, mainland China and Southeast Asia. In addition, PCCW holds a stake in Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited and other overseas investments.
To learn more about PCCW, please visit www.pccw.com.
Click here to download the press materials:
1. Press release ENG
2. Press release BM
3. Images
