Campaign Profile

Singapore-based Bomanbridge Media is expanding into new genres, such as drama, and eyeing a merger in 2025, says CEO Sonia Fleck, who also offers a glimpse of the company’s slate of new titles for Cannes.

Founded in 2009 in Singapore, Bomanbridge Media initially focused on distribution across Asia. Over time, the company has significantly expanded both its global rights offerings and its slate of uniquely rich quality content. The success of global sales in the past three years stands as a testament to the company’s positive trajectory and dedicated efforts.

CEO Sonia Fleck states: “We believe there’s much about Bomanbridge of which the market may not be aware. Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve had a sharp climb to innovate. While some initiatives didn’t pan out as expected, they provided valuable lessons, and we’ve seized significant opportunities to accelerate growth with highly reputable key partners, achieving notable success.

“Our confidence has increased, and we now approach market challenges with measured gusto. We are highly opportunistic in the current environment and, strategically, we are aiming to announce a merger by Q1 2025. Additionally, we plan to double our coproduction projects across the factual and kids genres, driven by market demand, while also investing in the development of promising factual producers who require support amidst a fragmented funding landscape.”

Bomanbridge Media continues to hold a well-respected position in Asia, with a strong track record in distribution and coproductions, such as The Great Wall with Ash Dykes (6×60’) produced in collaboration with CICC, Insight TV and Zig Zag; and Chefs Uncut (6×30’) with Netflix and Creators Lab. While these projects represent the continued commitment to Asian storytelling the company is also significantly expanding its scope for global projects.

For Mipcom, Bomanbridge Media announced its latest coproduction, The Climate Restorers (4×60’), in partnership with EarthxTV and Transmediavision. The series looks at the science and technologies currently at the forefront to reduce the CO2 and methane in our atmosphere.

The series will air on EarthxTV in early 2025 in the US and is narrated by Emmy-winning actor, director and activist Peter Coyote (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Erin Brockovich), who said: “As someone deeply committed to environmental activism, I believe The Climate Restorers offers hope. Narrating this series highlights the groundbreaking work being done to restore our planet’s ecosystems. It’s a reminder that the solutions to our climate crisis are within reach if we choose to act.”

As a sign of the show’s global relevance, pre-sales are already being secured, including with SBS in Australia.

In addition to this coproduction, Bomanbridge Media will take a slate of EarthxTV originals for global distribution outside of the US. Successful titles to mention from the factual entertainment space are Texas Gator Savors (10×30’), a series about the bare-handed rescue and relocation of rogue alligators, and House of What (16×30’) about homeowners with a passion for strange and upcycled materials who explain how they’ve transformed ordinary objects into extraordinary, sustainably-crafted houses.

Bomanbridge Media has made a formal commitment to producing and promoting climate science programming and is proud to announce a collaboration with OceanX on a new blue-chip documentary, Mysteries of the Red Sea (1×60’). The Red Sea is one of the most unique bodies of water on Earth — a young sea, still actively forming, with some of the highest water temperatures and salinity levels in the world. Despite its conditions, it harbours one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet.

OceanX, a nonprofit initiative of Dalio Philanthropies, is a global leader in ocean exploration and education, dedicated to inspiring and protecting the oceans to drive positive change. Commenting on the collaboration, Fleck stated: “OceanX’s flagship state-of-art research vessel, OceanXplorer, is currently docked in Singapore for the next three years, equipped with two submersibles. It’s incredibly exciting to work with an organisation and scientists of such high calibre, and we look forward to exploring future projects with them.”

Responding to the competition for limited factual slots, Bomanbridge’s fall slate features several very prominent blue-chip documentaries, including those from Alex Sletten of Story Surge Films, producer of Netflix’s Penguin Town. To accelerate production timelines and attract early interest from buyers, Bomanbridge is investing in a number of the company’s documentaries to bring them to rough-cut stage.
One such project is Cutting The Line, a coproduction between Now Now Media and Story Surge Films (1×90’/1×60’). It’s an inspiring story that follows Naude Dreyer, who has put a team together on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast that rescues seals and other animals that have become entangled in ocean pollution such as fishing lines and packaging straps, saving them from an agonizing death.

Another standout project is Rainforest Rewild (2×60’), a coproduction between Bamboo Docs and Story Surge Films that explores the resilience of nature and never before filmed animal behaviour. Despite modern-day fragmentation and disconnection of forests, when left undisturbed, nature will regenerate itself. This series provides a rare glimpse into this hidden world of Central America through the perspective of the spider monkeys, the central species in this ecosystem, alongside endangered species such as peccaries, tapirs, macaws, jaguars and turtles. The project collected 2000 hours of 4K footage filmed over a year. It’s a stunning endeavour.

Bomanbridge also remains fully committed to animation, despite the budget cuts across the industry, and is co-developing and coproducing Cubemelt (26×7’/11’) in partnership with Animagine. This exciting IP follows the short yet delightful daily adventures of an ice cube and his pet. The project has significant commercial potential and the shareholders are highly ambitious about its future. The writer’s room for the series is currently being established, along with an innovation workshop for licensing and merchandising. Bomanbridge is working to bring in top comedy writers to ensure the characters’ humour resonates with a broad audience and the goal is to finalise key elements of the script and character development ahead of the official launch at Kidscreen 2025.

Building on its strengths in factual and kids programming, Bomanbridge Media has now also expanded into drama with its first foray into the global popularity of Korean content. The company secured the worldwide distribution rights for the series Blackout: Snow White Must Die (16×60’), adapted from the international bestseller of the same name by Nele Neuhaus.

The series, which premiered on MBC in Korea in August followed by Hulu in the US on September 1, 2024, follows the gripping journey of Jungwoo, a man who serves 10 years in prison for a murder he has no recollection of committing. Upon his release, he embarks on a relentless quest to uncover the truth and clear his name.

Produced by Jaemoon Lee, a renowned figure in the Korean thriller genre, Blackout: Snow White Must Die benefits from the same high-calibre production quality that made Lee’s previous works, Save Me and Signal, international successes.

Aegena Tay, head of acquisitions at Bomanbridge Media, underscores the value of strong industry relationships and creative partnerships in today’s challenging media environment. “Despite the difficulties facing the industry, there is an incredible pool of talent eager to explore new ways of collaborating. Many outstanding projects have struggled to secure full funding, but as a distributor, we are able to help jump-start their journey,” Tay explains.

Fleck concludes: “We’ve seen our opportunities expand five-fold, and by working alongside industry leaders, we are positioned to achieve significant success. In this unpredictable media landscape, partnering with experienced producers and co-production partners is essential to navigating the path forward.”