SINGAPORE — The film production arm of Philippine media giant ABS-CBN Corp. on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-based production company Cre8 Productions to collaborate on five more films, just days after their first project together, the horror film “Eerie,” made its world premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival last Monday.

“Because it was an exciting collaboration, we decided we are going to do a lot more of this. We would like to announce our company Cre8 Productions and ABS-CBN Films are collaborating to do five more films,” Cre8 executive producer Chan Gin Kai said at the signing ceremony, which was held at the Singapore Pavilion in the Singapore Media Festival at Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

Representing ABS-CBN Films at the event were Star Cinema managing director Olivia Lamasan and Star Cinema creative adviser Malou Santos.

“As former head of ABS-CBN Films, I’m very, very lucky that in my last year I was able to do this collaboration with Cre8 Productions. This is really a wonderful experience working with them,” Santos said.

“Yes, we’re opening ABS-CBN Films and the Philippines to the whole world,” Lamasan added.

For “Eerie” director Mikhail Red, his journey has come full circle since it was at last year’s Singapore Media Festival where he pitched the horror film at the Southeast Asian Film Funding Forum and met with Cre8 Productions.

“I’m really glad the Philippines and Singapore are now partnering to create more genre films that are made not just for our own local cinema but for export and I hope this develops the audience locally and hopefully we slowly elevate the genre film in the Philippines,” he said.

Apart from ABS-CBN Films, Cre8 Productions also signed a three-project deal with another Philippine company, Ursa Entertainment, headed by Jessel Monteverde, the nephew of Regal Films matriarch Lily Monteverde.

“It could be a mini series, it could be a TV show, it could be a documentary, it doesn’t have to be a feature film. It’s anything that’s content,” Monteverde told ABS-CBN News, adding that they are already developing the script with possible release in the third quarter of next year.

The Philippines is the country of focus at this year’s Singapore Media Festival, which is being attended by 32 Filipino companies.

“Now it is time to build up and strategize to go regional and international with our content, most especially when our stories are universal in nature and theme. And what better way to do this than here,” Liza Diño-Seguerra, chairperson and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines, said in a speech.

“The goal is to secure more cooperation and partnerships to strengthen our industry as an economic driver locally and even regionally. Our films, TV and digital content and services are all ripe and ready to go out in the world and it is our responsibility to continue to create these opportunities and take advantage of platforms that offer such opportunities for business, network and trade.”