SINGAPORE: Singapore will hold its first Media Fiesta next month, with over 40 events to acquaint the public in the film, animation, gaming, broadcast and interactive digital media industries.

According to the Media Development Authority (MDA), some 10,000 jobs are expected to be created in the media industry in the next few years.

The Media Fiesta will include various activities such as rating a film together with the Board of Film Censors, getting free lessons in creating online games, watching films projected on a roof and learning to animate your own cartoon.

The event will kick off on March 5 at Marina Square and some 50,000 people are expected. There are also going to be 40 fringe events, such as free animation lessons, photography workshops and movie screenings that will take place islandwide.

The aim is to raise media literacy in Singapore and to encourage more responsible media use among the young. Another objective is to attract more talent to the media industry, which currently employs about 55,000 people.

In 2006, Singapore's media industry contributed S$19.5 billion to the economy, a 7.7 per cent increase over 2005.

Dr Christopher Chia, CEO, Media Development Authority, said: "Our media sector is actually doing quite alright right now because many of them are executing projects based on the pipeline, built up over the past one to two years. So the challenge, really, is how to sustain the pipeline, going forward."

More details on the government's plans for the industry will be out next month.