Two The Point with Patrick Frater and Janine Stein

ContentAsia/PF Media

A fast, frank briefing on Asia’s screen businesses.

  1. 3d ago

    The APOS Debrief: What Asia's Media Industry Heard in Bali

    Our highlights from Media Partners Asia's annual APOS event in Bali last week, where there was hot and cold running AI and Microdrama, lots of talk about sports and India, with insights into Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The unofficial agenda was all about changes at Disney in Asia and high-drama in Korea on multiple fronts. More about that later; meanwhile, here's the rundown for this episode 👇00:00 – Thomas Tull on AI00:47 – Korea's collapse and piracy fatigue03:12 – Reframing piracy as "cybercrime"05:11 – Vivek Couto's state-of-the-industry address06:33 – Local beats Hollywood: the travelability argument07:08 – Korea's "apocalyptic" collapse and the regional rebalance08:52 – Microdrama 09:51 – Telco bundling: microdrama's monetisation fix11:24 – The US vs Asia microdrama envy12:22 – India's ad-supported microdrama market14:35 – Microdrama: beyond the CEO romance16:43 – The AI conversation begins18:33 – Thomas Tull's AI mandate: "the meat, not the condiment"22:00 – Asia's falling tech stocks22:51 – Tencent, Alibaba, Sony and Nintendo under pressure25:01 – What happens next25:42 – Wrap, and what's coming next weekHosts: Janine Stein, Patrick FraterPodcast: Two The Point with Patrick Frater and Janine Stein — a co-production by ContentAsia and PF Media#APOS2026 #AsianContent #Microdrama #ReelShort #AITools #KoreanDrama #ContentAsia #StreamingNews #VerticalVideo #MediaPartnersAsia

    26 min

  2. May 24

    Who Owns Attention Now? Vivek Couto on Asia's New Power Map

    Hi-anxiety over advertising. Search for a saviour in microdrama. YouTube valued at $600 billion. Netflix worth more than Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros and Sony combined. And a winter freeze settled into Korea. MPA executive director Vivek Couto joins Patrick Frater and Janine Stein three weeks before APOS Bali to map where gravity has shifted — and what broadcasters, streamers and content makers need to do about it.

    37 min
  3. How One Festival Changed Asian Cinema

    Apr 25

    How One Festival Changed Asian Cinema

    What does it take to run an Asian film festival in Europe dedicated to mainstream popular movies, not arthouse cinema? In this episode of Two The Point, hosts Patrick Frater and Janine Stein sit down with Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, the powers behind the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, to explore the festival's 28-year journey from a risky Hong Kong cinema initiative to one of Europe's most important platforms for Asian talent.Sabrina and Thomas reveal how they convinced Hong Kong filmmakers that Italian audiences genuinely wanted martial arts and action films – not just critically acclaimed arthouse selections. They walk through the pivotal moment when the festival moved from a 216-seat art cinema to Udine's grand opera house, and how that shift attracted major Asian directors and stars including Jackie Chan, Joe Hisaishi, Johnny To, and Takeshi Kitano.The conversation turns to the current state of Asian cinema: Why is Japan thriving (with five films in Cannes 2026's official selection), while Korea faces crisis? Why is Chinese cinema unpredictable but commercially dominant? And what does this landscape mean for global distribution?CHAPTERS:0:00 – Intro & Guest Welcome1:12 – How It All Started: From Italian Cinema to Hong Kong3:40 – The Breakthrough: Convincing Filmmakers European Audiences Cared5:55 – The 216-Seat Theatre Story: First Hong Kong Festival Edition6:24 – Moving to the Opera House (1999)8:18 – Festival Evolution: From Intimate to Industry Giant8:50 – Focus Asia Industry Program28:20 – Amazing Guests: Jackie Chan, Johnny To, Joe Hisaishi, Takeshi Kitano30:27 – The Current State of Asian Cinema31:02 – Japan's Strength at Cannes32:01 – The China Question: Why Western Audiences Struggle32:55 – Korea's Crisis & Box Office Dynamics34:04 – Closing Thoughts

    34 min
  4. Microdrama: How to Tame a Multi-Billion Dollar Business | Anne Chan, AR Productions

    Apr 4

    Microdrama: How to Tame a Multi-Billion Dollar Business | Anne Chan, AR Productions

    Changing Models, Day-One Revenue and Why the Michelin Approach Will Fail. Microdrama first-mover Anne Chan talks about who's really making money, what actually works, what doesn't, and what life looks like in a business that looks a lot more glamorous on an investment chart than it sometimes does from the inside. Two The Point is a weekly briefing on Asia's entertainment business. Hosted by Janine Stein and Patrick Frater Guest: Anne Chan, CEO, AR Productions Produced by ContentAsia and F Media

    38 min
  5. Nezha 2: The Truths Behind a US$2.25B Success

    Apr 3

    Nezha 2: The Truths Behind a US$2.25B Success

    What really happened behind the scenes of "Nezha 2" – Asia's highest-grossing film of all time? In this episode, Patrick Frater and Janine Stein sit down with Christopher Chen, Executive Producer / Senior VFX Supervisor at Taipei-based Reno Studios, for a remarkably candid conversation about the making of the $2.25 billion blockbuster, the future of Asian cinema, and where AI fits into all of it.Christopher pulls no punches: six to eight months of animation discarded, cultural clashes, a production that stretched and stretched again, and a delivery that felt like a miracle to everyone involved.But the conversation goes much further — from Taiwan's rising role as a production hub, to why Korean drama budgets have become a "Frankenstein" problem, to the nationalist wave reshaping box offices from Indonesia to Vietnam. Christopher also shares his own remarkable backstory: born in Taiwan, raised in Brazil as part of a diplomatic family, trained in Canada and London, and mentored by legendary producer Gary Kurtz.And as for AI and virtual production? He cuts through the hype with a clear-eyed take on what machines can — and cannot — replace.Topics covered: The making (and near-unmaking) of "Nezha 2"Why 30-40% of the film's VFX was done outside ChinaCultural identity vs. commercial filmmaking in AsiaTaiwan's TAICCA agency and its role / impact Netflix's pivot toward new Asian marketsVirtual production and generative AI: replacement or enhancement?Upcoming projects: "Ghost Month", "Absolution" and Netflix's "Agent from Above"Subscribe for weekly conversations on the Asian screen industry Hosts: Patrick Frater @ Janine Stein Guest: Christopher Chen | Reno Studios, TaipeiProduced by ‪@ContentAsia‬ & F Media

    45 min
  6. FILMART 2026 Post-Mortem: Microdrama, AI, BL & more

    Apr 3

    FILMART 2026 Post-Mortem: Microdrama, AI, BL & more

    Join Janine Stein and Patrick Frater for a candid "nine out of ten" post-mortem on Filmart, recorded live from the Hong Kong Convention Center. This episode dives into the biggest trends, headline series, notable quips and quotes, and industry insights that shaped this year’s event. Video Chapters00:00 Introduction: Filmart Post-Mortem01:30 Our Premium Drama Picks04:00 Microdrama’s Inflection Point06:30 AI in Production08:45 Peter Chan's Reflections on life, co-production and the way forward11:00 Financing and Subsidies12:45 iCable’s free-TV Revival14:15 Netflix’s Murdoch DocumentaryWhat's Inside:Premium Drama Spotlight: The markets top two shows – PCCW Media’s premium English-language drama The Season, and Cantonese series The Night Manager Hong Kong. What we heard…The Microdrama Inflection Point: Microdramas have become something of a "savior" for some in the industry. We analyze some of the conversations and the challenges outlined across Filmart. AI in Production: Lots of human involvement in AI, which is being integrated into everyone’s workflow. The key conversation is no longer if to use AI, but "how to prompt".Peter Chan's Honest Reflections: Legendary director Peter Chan’s insights, including his candid views on co-production (or not), and an admission: "I'm scratching my head on where to go from here".Financing and Subsidies: Despite a shrinking streaming commissioning market, government money is clearly playing a huge roleiCable’s free-TV Revival: Ivy Wong and Cora Yim are leading iCable’s free-TV revival. Netflix’s Murdoch Documentary: Old STAR / FOX hands on what they think of Netflix’s new series… and some of it is not pretty. Hosts: Janine Stein, Patrick FraterPodcast: Two The Point with Patrick Frater and Janine Stein – a co-production by ContentAsia and F Media#Filmart #HongKongFilmart #Microdrama #AsianContent #AITools #PeterChan #TheSeason #TheNightManagerHK #PCCW #iCable #AsianDrama #ContentAsia #FilmMarket #VerticalVideo

    38 min
  7. Vietnam’s Film Boom: Donovan Chan (Beach House Pictures) on Investing in Asian Cinema

    Mar 11

    Vietnam’s Film Boom: Donovan Chan (Beach House Pictures) on Investing in Asian Cinema

    🎬 Vietnam film industry, Asian cinema investment and Beach House Pictures are the focus of this episode of Two The Point with Janine Stein and Patrick Frater. Beach House Pictures creative director Donovan Chan joins the podcast to discuss the company’s push into Vietnamese feature films, beginning with the upcoming theatrical release "Mr Hero". Chan explains why Vietnam has become one of Asia’s most dynamic cinema markets, how Beach House approaches film investment, development and international distribution, and why the company believes Vietnamese stories have strong global potential. The conversation also explores Beach House’s wider slate, including the ambitious period feature "Dumb Luck", the premium drama series "Red Butterfly", and the IMAX documentary "The Elephant Odyssey". Two The Point is your weekly briefing on Asia’s entertainment business.

    35 min
  8. PARAMOUNT X WBD: The Asia Angle

    Mar 1

    PARAMOUNT X WBD: The Asia Angle

    This week on Two The Point, Janine Stein and Patrick Frater break down the Asia impact of Paramount’s likely acquisition of Warner Bros – from theatrical distribution shake-ups to duplication risks in TV sales and syndication, and the future of HBO Max and Paramount+ across the region. Is this ultimately a Netflix win? Could Asian producers be the biggest beneficiaries? We also unpack: • Asian films' disappointing results at the Berlin Film Festival — and the politics swirling around it • China’s Lunar New Year box office crossing US$1 billion in under two weeks • IMAX’s earnings jump in China • Media Prima Malaysia’s content sales surge • iQIYI’s financial pressures From M&A shockwaves to box office realities and streaming power plays, this is your weekly briefing on Asia’s entertainment business. Subscribe for sharp, no-nonsense analysis of the forces reshaping Asia’s screen industry.

    31 min
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