Following the signing of theNew Zealand-Singapore co-production treaty in 2004, Singapore's MediaCorp Raintree Pictures is set to co-producethe first NZ-Singapore feature, TheTattooist, with Eyeworks Touchdown.

The two companies,represented by MediaCorp Raintree CEO Daniel Yun and Eyeworks Touchdown CEOJulie Christie, are scheduled to sign a letter of intent this Sunday in Auckland, New Zealand.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, New Zealand PrimeMinister Helen Clark and Aucklandmayor Dick Hubbard will witness the signing ceremony.

"Raintree and EyeworksTouchdown have a common purpose: we want to fuse stories from each of ourcultures to provide the international market with unique genre stories," saysYun.

The Tattooist is a $3.3m (NZ$5.35m) horror film about an American tattooist whounwittingly becomes the medium for an angry Samoan ghost. The film which beginsin Singapore will be shot mainly in New Zealand.

It marks the feature debutof TV commercials director Peter Burger whose short film Turangawaewae was selected for Critics' Week at Cannes 2003. DoP isLeon Narbey who has worked on New Zealand break-out hit WhaleRider.

Production is due to startsoon while details of the main cast will be announced shortly after the signingceremony.

The worldwide rightsexcluding Asia are handled by the New Zealand Film Commission whichhas already sold New Zealand and Australia to BVI. MediaCorp Raintree handles all Asianterritories.

Eyeworks Touchdown'sChristie regards the collaboration with MediaCorp Raintree as "a long-term,slate-focused agreement that will further enhance both New Zealand and Singaporean filmmaking capabilities".

Another horror film Altar, currently under scriptdevelopment, will be the second co-production between the two companies. Singapore director Lee Thean-jeen is attached to the projectwhich will be mainly shot in Singapore and partly in New Zealand.

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