ciNE65 marks bicentennial with Singapura theme
Winner of film competition will direct a feature
Royston Tan is happy with the current state of Singapore's film industry.
The veteran local film-maker told The New Paper: "It is a healthy ecosystem of indie art house as well as commercialised films."
Tan, 42, is one of the commissioned film directors for ciNE65 2019, and his short film 36 Ways To Say Good Morning premiered during the launch of ciNE65 last month.
Other commissioned film directors include Koh Chong Wu, Sanif Olek and Alvin Lee.
Koh, 31, is a ciNE65 alumnus, having participated in the competition twice previously.
His advice for participants is to be open-minded and open to changes.
His short film Afternoon At Bukit Ho Swee also premiered at the launch, which was held at The Cathay and was attended by 250 young film-makers.
Started in July 2011 by Nexus, the Ministry of Defence department responsible for Total Defence and National Education, the objective of ciNE65 is to strengthen Singaporeans' sense of belonging to the country through short films.
It encourages aspiring young film-makers to share what Singapore means to them via a short film.
ciNE65 2019 will consist of commissioned films, a short film competition, film-making seminars and workshops and a film festival.
The short film competition is called the ciNE65 Movie Makers Awards and is jointly organised by Nexus and mm2 Entertainment.
The most prestigious prize is the Movie Makers Award, where the winner will get to direct a feature film with mm2 Entertainment.
In line with Singapore's bicentennial next year, the theme for the competition is Singapura, with an open call to all film-makers to express what Singapura means to them in a three-minute film.
Film-makers have until March 18 next year to submit their entries.
Previous short films from ciNE65 have been showcased in film festivals, screened in cinemas, streamed on social media and used as an education resource by schools and uniformed groups.
The ciNE65 short films are now part of the records in the National Archives of Singapore, alongside other films that contribute to Singapore's cultural heritage and national identity.
Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Psalm Lew, director of community engagement at Nexus, told TNP: "We hope that these thought-provoking and heart-warming films that highlight the values we hold fast to as Singaporeans help spark conversations about what it means to be Singaporean, and the things that shape our Singaporean identity."
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