Mike Wiluan, Chairman, Singapore International Film Festival,
George Tanasijevich, President & Chief Executive Officer, Marina Bay Sands,
Yuni Hadi, Executive Director, Singapore International Film Festival,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning everyone.
1. The Singapore International Film Festival, or SGIFF, is well-loved by filmmakers and film aficionados from Singapore and Southeast Asia alike. And for good reason too - it has been an important platform for both the appreciation of film and the discovery of talented filmmakers from our region.
2. This is why we are excited to see the return of the SGIFF, and for it to be part of the inaugural Singapore Media Festival this year. Under this umbrella, the SGIFF will join ScreenSingapore, Asia TV Forum and the Asian Television Awards in a two-week celebration of Asia's best film and television talent and content. This December, we are expecting the Singapore Media Festival to be attended by over five thousand international film and television professionals from more than 60 countries.
3. Delegates of this year's Singapore Media Festival who are also attending the SGIFF will be treated to a strong line-up of more than one hundred films from the world over. They can also look forward to the return of the SGIFF's Silver Screen Awards, which recognises excellence in filmmaking.
4. The SGIFF will also be casting a spotlight on Singapore's burgeoning film industry by opening the festival with a local film, and by creating a Singapore Panorama section. This allows for works by Singaporean filmmakers like Ken Kwek and Han Yew Kwang to be enjoyed by a wider audience. And I can't think of a more meaningful way for filmmakers like Jason Lai and Rick Aw to present their debut feature films than on home ground.
5. Building on its role as a platform for uncovering new talent, this year's SGIFF will see a gathering of the region's top aspiring filmmakers who will be participating in the first Southeast Asian Film Lab. The selected filmmakers will benefit from the mentorship of veteran filmmakers, who will work with them through the course of the seven-day writing workshop to develop their stories for feature-length screenplays.
6. It is my hope that many of these projects will be debuted at the SGIFF one day and be seen by film festival attendees as well as Singapore Media Festival delegates.
7. I look forward to the exciting slate of festival screenings, workshops and awards that the SGIFF team has lined up for us, and wish them the very best as they make their final preparations for their big show!
8. Thank you.
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