SINGAPORE – 15 MAY 2023
Three highly acclaimed Made with SG films will have their world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Singaporean director Anthony Chen will debut his latest film, The Breaking Ice in the Un Certain Regard section, while two local producers, Fran Borgia and Jeremy Chua, will also world premiere their new films, Tiger Stripes at Cannes Critics’ Week and Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell at the Directors’ Fortnight respectively.
Tiger Stripes and Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, which were awarded the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)’s Southeast Asia Co-Production Grant under the Media Talent Progression Programme (MTPP), will also be competing in the festival’s Camera d’Or for best debut feature. If successful, one of them will join the rank of Anthony Chen’s Ilo Ilo, the first Singaporean feature film to be awarded the Camera d'Or for Best First Film in 2013.
We are absolutely thrilled that we have the most number of Made with SG films debuting in Cannes this year, especially since 2023 also marks the 25th anniversary of the Singapore Film Commission. The Commission has been instrumental in supporting our budding local directors and film talent in producing well told stories and we are so happy to celebrate this significant milestone. Over the years, Singapore has had more than 25 titles premiering in the major and parallel sections of the Cannes Film Festival, no mean feat for a small city-state! Recognition from established international film festivals is an affirmation of Singapore’s media industry capabilities and the ability of our many wonderful talents to tell our stories to the world.
Mr Justin Ang
Assistant Chief Executive of Media, Innovation, Communications and Marketing, IMDA
Mr Fran Borgia, Singapore-based producer of Tiger Stripes, shared, “We are extremely proud of Tiger Stripes to be selected from over 1,000 submissions as one of the eleven feature films for this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week. Premiering in Cannes is meaningful in many ways, but most importantly it will allow the film and the talent in the region, in particular Singapore, be seen by international audiences and critics.”
Mr Anthony Chen, Singaporean filmmaker, added, “It’s great to screen at Cannes for the fourth time, with a new film. It’s especially meaningful for me as it will be exactly 10 years since ILO ILO won the Camera d’Or at Cannes. Even though this film is shot and set in China, I find it a wonderful opportunity to introduce new Singapore talent to the world. In The Breaking Ice, Singaporean musician Kin Leonn composed all the original music, marking his feature debut.”
This year’s participation will mark nearly 20 years that Made with SG content and Singapore media companies are showcased at the Cannes Film Market, one of the key platforms for Singapore filmmakers and producers to market their films world-wide and explore collaborative partnerships with international media players.
To continue ongoing efforts to nurture Singapore’s media industry, SFC and IMDA have issued the Call-for-Proposals for Films: Long-Form and Short-Form Content Grants under the MTPP. Since 2018, these Content Grants support the production of content that provides quality roles for local media professionals, in order to build up their portfolio and experience. As of 1 May 2023, more than 300 media professionals and 35 projects were supported under the MTPP, of which 11 have been released, while the others are in the development pipeline or in the process of premiering. All released films have performed well, having garnered top accolades at prestigious international film festivals and award platforms, or sold to major streamers such as Netflix and Amazon.
Grants such as the Southeast Asia Co-Production Grant not only help to provide a much-needed source of financial support for emerging filmmakers but also catalyse independent film production within our region. Apart from being familiar with each other's food, culture, music and way of life, we also understand each other in terms of colour, rhythm, emotion, and nature. Hence, we are able to create our own unique cinematographic methods and language. By premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell hopes to showcase this local artisanal, handmade Southeast Asian texture to the world.
Mr Jeremy Chua
Lead Producer of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
From now until 17 July 2023, interested individuals and companies can visit https://go.gov.sg/cfp2023 to find out more details on the Call-for-Proposals (CFP).
For a list of Made with SG films that have been selected for the Cannes Film Festival since 1997, please refer to Annex A.
For the list of selected projects supported by the Content Grants under the MTPP, please refer to Annex B.
Annexes
Made with SG Films Selected for Cannes Film Festival Since 1997
Made-with-Singapore films in Cannes to date: 2 titles for Main Competition, 6 titles for Un Certain Regard, 6 titles for Directors’ Fortnight, 4 titles for Critics’ Week, 5 titles for Cinefondation L’Atelier (in development) and 4 titles in Cinefondation Selection (short films)
| Year | Made with SG Films |
|---|---|
| Year 2023 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2021 | Made with SG Films
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| Year 2019 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2018 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2017 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2016 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2015 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2014 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2013 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2011 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2010 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2009 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2008 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2007 | Made with SG Films
|
| Year 2006 | Made with SG Films
Singapore showcased of 12 films at World Cinema (Tous les Cinemas du Monde)
|
| Year 2005 | Made with SG Films
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| Year 2003 | Made with SG Films
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| Year 1997 | Made with SG Films
|
List of Selected Projects Supported by the Content Grants under the MTPP
| CFP 2022 Selected Projects |
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| CFP 2019-21 Selected Projects |
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