Berlin Film Festival
• Leading the way is award-winning director Anthony Chen, whose short film Haze is in the running for the celebrated Golden Bear and Silver Bear for Short Film at this year’s Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale) from 7 to 17 February 2008 –the first time a Singapore film is competing in the Festival’s main short film competition. Haze is about an innocent love affair between two teenagers, and is one of 11 short films chosen from over 1,500 submissions from 64 countries.
• Also at the Festival is Tan Pin Pin’s documentary Invisible City which will screen in the International Forum of New Cinema section. This section of the Berlinale programme showcases experimental and avant-garde works by young filmmakers seeking to push the limits of the film medium. Both films were supported by the Singapore Film Commission (SFC).
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
• Local short films continue to make their mark at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (1 - 9 February 2008). Following Royston Tan’s win for Monkey Love in the Labo Competition last year, two local films will be in competition this year - Ho Tzu Nyen’s The Bohemian Rhapsody Project in the Labo Competition, and Boo Jun Feng’s Katong Fuge in the main International Competition section against 70 other films from 50 countries. These short films were supported by the SFC’s Short Film Grant.
• Adding to Singapore’s profile at Clermont-Ferrand, nine other local short films produced between 2001 and 2006 have been selected to screen at the Panorama Section’s South East Asia Focus programme. Please refer to the Annex for details.
Rotterdam International Film Festival
• Meanwhile, the Lucky 7 project, an independently produced feature film by seven up-and-coming local directors (K. Rajagopal, Boo Junfeng, Brian Gothong Tan, Chew Tze Chuan, Ho Tzu Nyen, Tania Sng and Sun Koh) has been selected to screen at the Rotterdam International Film Festival (23 January - 3 February 2008). Multiple award-winning filmmaker Royston Tan will sit on the jury to select the winner of the Tiger Award, which is given to the best first or second films at Rotterdam.
Said Mr Man Shu Sum, Director, SFC: “It is remarkable how much our film community has achieved in a short time. We are proud to see our filmmakers gain recognition from international film festivals and commend them on the hard work they put in to improve the quality and depth of their films. We look forward to more of our films creating an impact in the international arena in the months ahead.”
SFC’s Short Film Grant helps to develop budding local filmmaking talents by funding their short film projects, so that they may experiment with the film genre. Entries for the Short Film Grant can be submitted all year round.
Berlin International Film Festival: http://www.berlinale.de
Rotterdam International Film Festival: http://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival: http://www.clermont-filmfest.com
Ms Nicole Batchelor
Assistant Manager, Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel: +65 6837 9957
Email: Nicole_Batchelor@imda.gov.sg
Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)
Formed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers. For more information, visit www.mda.gov.sg and www.smf.sg
Singapore Film Commission (SFC)
The Singapore Film Commission (SFC) is an agency under the Media Development Authority (MDA) which facilitates and assists in film development for Singapore. The SFC’s key areas of focus are: Funding, Facilitation and Promotion. Its mission is to nurture, support, and promote Singapore talent in film-making, the production of Singapore films, and a film industry in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.sfc.org.sg
Annex
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