Effingham County-based Medient Studios announced Tuesday it has signed a joint venture with a Kuala Lumpur company to jointly develop, finance, produce and distribute content for the Chinese and other Far East Asian markets.
The deal with Tarantella Pictures is part of Medient’s strategy to create a content and distribution pipeline for diversified audiences worldwide, according to the news release.
Tarantella is the leading production house in Malaysia, and one of its films, Ombak Rindu, is the third highest box office grosser in Malaysia’s history, the news release said. Established in 1995, Tarantella has produced more than 70,000 minutes of programming. Out of 38 television shows the company produced, 30 were listed on the top ten list of Indonesian television.
“Approximately 60 percent of the world’s population lives in Asia. We see a comprehensive presence in Asia as a cornerstone of our strategy for the future,” said Manu Kumaran, chairman of the board of Medient Studios. “This relationship will leverage our existing strength in the Indian market and create a viable pan Asian platform.”
Kumaran said Tarantella founder Sharad Sharan’s “keen understanding of the Far Eastern market” is the fundamental reason for the joint venture.
“Over the last 20 years, Tarantella has built a formidable reputation in the region, and we are excited by the possibilities,” Kumaran said.
Tarantella’s Sharan said his company is “excited to be part of this dramatic re-engineering of the entertainment industry.
“With the Studioplex in Effingham County and Atlas International in Europe Medient has all the elements required for great success, and we expect to play a vital role in this plan.”
Medient is in the process of building a movie and game production complex on a 1,560-acre property in Effingham County.