SIKAP brings in international experts to champion PH creators’ original content

The Creative Content Creators Association of the Philippines or SIKAP brings back AYO 2023, its flagship event showcasing the original work of the country’s animators, game developers, storytellers, character illustrators, musicians, and more. Taking place at the Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, Cebu on May 12-14, the AYO conference features an exciting lineup of key speakers from all over the globe.

“SIKAP believes in the competitive talent of Filipino creators, and we know they have a place in international markets. This is why we launched AYO — to give them the spotlight, meet with fellow creators, and gain more insight about the business of creation,” said Marla Rausch, President of SIKAP. “We’re thankful for the support of the Department of Trade and Industry in Region 7, the Department of Information Communication and Technology, and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines — together we were able to craft a festival of creativity with an engaging lineup of speakers while facilitating the advancement of Filipino creators to the forefront of the global entertainment industry.”

The market size for original content development in the US alone is USD$3.3 trillion. And the demand is growing for unique stories from all cultures in the world. While the Philippines remains high in the creative services market, the country is still trying to find its big success story when it comes to Philippine original content. 

Trese, Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo’s comic book series which debuted as an animated show by the streaming giant Netflix in 2021, was one of the first major international adaptations for a local creator. With SIKAP’s various programs and its flagship event, this non-profit organization of original content creators is banking on developing and pushing more original Filipino content into the global market in the next few years — well aligned with the government’s objectives for the creative industry. 

Among the international speakers who will be joining AYO 2023 are:

• Marcin Sobczak – Marcin is founder and owner of This Way Publicity and a member of the European Film Academy. He is a recognized expert in running international campaigns and recently international publicity for the Academy Awards.
• Gin Kai Chan – Gin Kai is an international award-winning film and TV producer from Singapore producing content for worldwide audiences. He is founder of Silver Media Group and most recently, Stardust Digital, getting into the world of the metaverse.  
• Eric Calderon – Eric is VP of Creative Development for Falcon’s Beyond based in the US. He was also a writer, showrunner, and producer and has worked on globally renowned award-winning shows in the US, Canada, South East Asia and Japan. 

As advocates and supporters of the talent and promise of the Filipino creators, Marcin, Gin Kai and Eric are also part of SIKAP’s Board of Advisors.  

“As a Filipino, I feel it’s part of my responsibility to try and lift up the voices from my original home,” says Calderon. “There’s so much raw talent. There’s so much passion. If Filipinos living in the Philippines just had more industry intuition, connections and capital, I know we could create incredible works!”

The global entertainment industry is constantly changing and searching for more players. SIKAP is ensuring the Philippines finds its place in it, and seeks to provide original content creators a platform to get started with AYO. Bringing together a diverse group of experts from different disciplines of creation to share about the business of creating, it’s an event not to be missed by anyone involved in creation, production or marketing of original content. Whether you are a creator, a producer or a business owner, AYO will have something to offer you.

To stay up to date with the latest on AYO 2023 please visit the association’s Facebook page or website.

About Creative Content Creators Association of the Philippines

The Creative Content Creators Association of the Philippines is a non-profit organization created to help Filipino creators navigate the tricky world of Intellectual Property, with the vision of locally produced content, consumed globally.  SIKAP is composed of creators, studios and institutions from various disciplines ranging from prose to animation and games and comics developing original creative content. The goal is to successfully mentor and launch creators to develop and sell their intellectual properties competitively. Visit www.sikapphilippines.org/ayo2023 for more information.

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