VOTE and you can win these prizes!

Thank you to all who supported Mise En SIN the exhibition! The online Best Poster Voting Contest is still on and your 2 WEEKS LEFT to vote in order to win prizes. The closing date is 15 April!

Here is how to vote:
1. Go to SINdie's Facebook page via this link.
2. Click on any of the images to go to our Flickr.com account where you can find all the film posters.
3. Browse through the entries and click on "Favorite" to vote.
4. You're done!

Here are what you stand to WIN!
5 DVDs from Objectifs Films for 5 lucky voters
The winners will be randomly selected from anyone who voted.

1. Almost Famous
by Mark Pestana, Kenny Png, Marilyn Tan and Angus Yang

Almost Famous looks at the stories of 16 characters who thrive in a parallel world they inhabit.
Ep 1: CLOSE-UP OF THE KATHOEYS
Ladyboys or “kathoeys” occupy a precarious position in the Thai social landscape. While alienated as outcasts, they are an important feature in the package of images making up “Amazing Thailand”. Follow the social phenomenon of the country’s ubiquitous transgendered population through the triumphs and tragedies of 3 Thai ladyboys.

Ep 2: VOICES
The youth of today’s Taiwan they have traded their white lilies and gentle folk songs in exchange for corpse paint, black leather and the hellish howls of metal music. Is the Taiwanese obsession with independent music a reflection of the island’s own

Ep 3: SMALL MOVIES IN INDIA
India’s educated middle-classes, schooled in the language of visual storytelling through a lifetime of exposure to film are picking up cameras to shoot their own stories. Find out how women, armed with cameras are finding their voice and with documentaries, finding a platform for their voices to be heard in India. The documentary has become for them, a means to declare, “I exist”.

Ep 4: COSPLAY: CULT TO CULTURE
Not content with merely reading manga, fans are taking it a step further by dressing up as characters and imitating their trademark mannerisms. Yet, as Cosplay has become a global phenomenon, Japanese cosplayers are frowned upon in their own country, for choosing to be different in a society that values conformity. Are these sub-cultures slowly creating a new image of Japan?


2. Let's Fall in Love
by Wuna Wu
The subject is love, not the heartwarming, quixotic, groovy kind of love but one that is draggy, agonizing and messy. Indeed the unflattering, painful and downright awkward do not faze the brave married men and women interviewed in the film. They talk to one another and to the camera about their struggles and disappointments in the relationship, with great openness and vulnerability. Helping these couples build a life together is Consultant Chen, matchmaker extraordinaire and exceptional crusader of the human heart. She works her brand of magic with tireless passion, old-school wisdom and solid straight talk. Some documentary filmmakers keep their distance but director Wuna Wu shares her own painful past as transparently as she tells the stories of others.


3. Fireflies
by Gili Meisler

This is the story of two brothers. Giora, the most talked about MIA of the Yom Kippur war, and Gili, who has been searching for him and for himself ever since. In 1973, on the first night of the Yom Kippur war, Giora Meisler, a tank driver in the Sinai peninsula, went missing under mysterious circumstances after his tank was hit by Egyptian forces. Fireflies is a film about three journeys. It is the story of a 12 year old boy, a 24 year old man and a 44 year old adult in search of answers. This is also the story of Giora, who will forever remain 19.

4. I-San Special
by MingMongkol Sonakul

“I-San Special” is a bus that travels from Bangkok to Nong Bua, a very small town in Northeastern Thailand (I-San). On this bus, a group of up-country and native I-San is returning to their hometown via the normal bus route. However, in this “Special Bus” the routine route under a full moon night is anything but usual. The travelers become the focus of a story worthy of the surreal world of Thai Soap Opera. Their scripted drama unfolds as the bus travels east interrupted only the reality of gas station stop and other usual roadside diversions. At first glance, the film will look as if it is divided into two parts: the soap style acting on the bus, and the documentary-style story telling of the bus passengers off the bus. However, as the film goes on, we will see that these two sections are not really parallel. There are many links between these two worlds: the world of a harsh reality and the world of a surreal soap.


5. Carrot Cake Conversations
by Michael Wang

Four strangers find themselves stranded in Singapore two days before Christmas. This is a story of how they find companionship over a plate of carrot cake and a conversation. Kate, a failed American actress, is in transit in Singapore for one night, on her way to New Zealand to set up her dream café. Kate meets Daniel, a dishevelled businessman who recently caught his wife cheating on him, Matthew, a rich property mogul who finds himself at the crossroads of his life, and Ruth, a prostitute who longs to be Singapore’s first blues singer. Is it possible that a conversation can change everything? Perhaps sometimes in life, all we have to do is talk.

The Most Voted Poster also gets a prize. The filmmaker (or he could pass it to his designer!) will win a LIMITED EDITION COLOURSPLASH CHAKRAS LOMO CAMERA!

This sleek Lomographic camera (see below) will re-cast your world with a gorgeous riot of color. Its patented colorwheel system puts several tinted flash filters at your finger tips for instant selection; with an additional 9 filters included to exchange. Just select your color, put it in front of your flash, and fire a burst of colored light at your subject! Long exposure capability creates dreamy streaked backgrounds behind crisp, color-flashed foregrounds.

This special limited edition has been customized by Staple Design with a rubberized surface and Staple’s signature pigeon graphics. Inspired by the ubiquitous bird of New York City (and countless other urban locales), this special edition is outfitted in a slick grey & red color scheme. It uses regular 35mm film that can be developed anywhere.

So to all filmmakers, get your friends to vote for you today!

Finally, we would like to thank Objectifs Films for partially sponsoring the wonderful prizes!

ShoutOUT! First Takes for the month of April

First Take Playlist for the month Of April

Screening Schedule:

SLAYER / ANWAR WU / 8 MIN / 2009 / TBA

A young average girl stumbles upon a man dressed in white, bleeding profusely, and strives to help him. Little does she know that a mysterious man in black will include her in his hunting spree.

Anwar is a Singaporean of both Malay and Chinese descent. A graduate from MDIS in 2008, with an Advanced Diploma in Mass Communications, he is currently pursuing his degree in film, at Lasalle College of the Arts.

SUNSET / EZZAM RAHMAN / 2 MIN / 2010 / TBA

December, a flight ticket, a digital camera, a quiet moment = result.

Sunset is part of a series of short experimental “visual sketches” collected by the artist in his travels.

Ezzam Rahman is a practicing multi-disciplinary artist and an accidental filmmaker. He recently completed his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fine Arts from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of Huddersfield. He was formally trained in LASALLE SIA College of the Arts. As an artist, he has participated and co-curated numerous local and international group exhibitions, events and festivals. His works vary from the choice of medium, concepts and strategies of presentation. Ezzam also enjoys talking to himself, and smiles to sleep..

TRIO DEKIL (TRIO) / GHAZI ALQUDCY / 40 MIN / 2010 / TBA

Three boys try to escape poverty by heading to the city to form a band. The journey of them being discovered leaves their mother all alone at home.

Trio Dekil was produced as part of the director’s objective while participating in the Jatiwangi Artists in Residence Festival (JARF 2010). The director conducted a scriptwriting workshop with the educators and acting workshop with the elementary school theater club. With the script from the educator, he works with the fifteen kids to produce the film that was inspired from an open source street song.

Ghazi Alqudcy enjoys telling stories through digital film. His works vary in its approach – from fictional narratives, to documentaries, to experimental projects. Thematically, Ghazi has touched on issues of sexuality, spirituality, and death. During his free time, he loves to indulge himself in a slumber party with his friends and that is how he usually gets inspired. Currently his motto is, ‘ Buy less t-shirts and do more films’.

First Take

Monday 4 April, 8pm
The Substation Theatre
Entry By Donation

Presented by The Substation Moving Images

SFC-funded 'Gurushetram' opens in India

After a successful recent run in Malaysia, Singapore Film Commission funded film '24 Hours of Anger' or 'Gurushetram' (right) made its Indian debut in Tamil Nadu on 25th May as 'Singayil Gurushetram' (left). Check out the difference in the posters styles!

Wonder if 'Singayil' means Singapore?

This film is produced by Blue River Pictures and Singapore Film Commission
Distributed by Metro Films (P) Ltd

ShoutOUT!: SG Films@library:DownLeft Dirty

From Jan - March 2011, library@esplanade, in partnership with the Singapore Film Society, will be hosting a showcase of local films - SG films@library. The screenings will take place every 2nd and 4th Friday evening of the month. All screenings will be followed by a meet-the-filmmakers session + Q&A discussion held at the Open Stage of library@esplanade. You can also expect some SG films memorabilia & prizes to be won at the Q&A sessions.

Programme Lineup & Ratings

March 25 - DownLeft Dirty (R21)
5 Short Films
Bedroom Dancing & Dirty Bitch by Sun Koh
A Family Portrait (Un Retrato De Familia) & Tanjong Rhu by Boo Junfeng
Haze by Anthony Chen

Today's Screening:Downleft Dirty[R21]

ShoutOUT!:Media Fiesta (Singapore Movies Under The Stars)

Catch this rare outdoor movie experience in the heart of town! For those who‘ve missed out on our local movie classics, it’s the right time to play catch-up! Go local with an exclusive two-day line-up of local films including Dynamite Johnson, The Maid and Mat Tiga Suku.

Admission is FREE and seats are limited, so register for your tickets now early to avoid disappointment!

Date & Time :	Saturday, 26 March 2011 8.00pm Dynamite Johnson* 10.05pm Being Human 12.00mn The Maid
	Sunday, 27 March 2011 8.00pm One Leg Kicking 9.45pm Mat Tiga Suku
Venue:	*SCAPE (beside Orchard Cineleisure) Level 1, PLAYSPACE 2 Orchard Link, Singapore 237978

Note: - All films shown are in digi beta format.
- This is a rain or shine event.

*Media Fiesta is screening the only surviving version of DYNAMITE JOHNSON for this event. The quality of the film is inherent at source.

Films need special care so they can be shared with future generations. The Asian Film Archive is a charity founded in 2005 and has been preserving Singapore films but it is a race against time. Some films that arrive at the Archive have already deteriorated in condition. Dynamite Johnson is one of them. We need your support so more films can be saved.

"Be Sure to catch it~!"

Perfect Rivals: Not At All Perfect

You know the whole star-crossed lover deal. Boy and girl from rival families fall in love with each other and eventually end up being torn apart, the eventual separation their inevitable moira. When you transpose this premise to a romantic comedy, of course, the star-crossed lovers are not so tragically fated after all; they always magically end up together. This premise is not at all uncommon, and Han Yew Kwang's latest film Perfect Rivals borrows that concept for the basis of its narrative conflicts.

Touted as his first foray into commercial cinema(though 18 Grams Of Love and From Hainan Meets Teochew were also pretty commercial films in my opinion, perhaps only sufferring from limited screening), Perfect Rivals revolves around two rivalling families in the bak kwa business, one headed by Zeng Mei Mei (Irene Ang) and the other by Chen Hao (Ha Yu). The two have some history to them, being lovers in their youth as well as sharing the same mentor. Mei Mei's business is burgeoning, however, and her life happens to look glitzy at first glance: she has a modern looking shop, a beautiful home and two very beautiful daughters. Chen Hao is portrayed as a man down on his luck. Bitter and angry about his business' ailing sales, his only (self) consolation comes from the pride derived from his better tasting bak kwa. He has two children whom he sees as a disgrace to him: an autistic child who constantly imagines himself as superman (Stanlyn Hsu) and a drunkard good-for-nothing son (Josh Lai).

With a bak kwa tournament looming ahead, Mei Mei, worried that Chen Hao may claim the crown of King of Bak Kwa with his secret recipe, decides to send her slightly boyish looking young daughter Yuan Yuan (Mindee Ong) to spy on him, under the guise of working for him. Of course, that is where things start to get messy, with both Mei Mei's daughters very fortuitously - and somewhat bizarrely - falling in love with Chen Hao's two sons. The ending will come as a surprise to none.

Han's quirky visual flair shines through in one of the early scenes, where the members of the two rival families were introduced in brilliant fashion, as the two families were trying to outdo one another with their different business tactics. A favourite filmic device of his is going balls out wacky with the surreal scenes, and clear examples would be the aforementioned 18 Grams of Love and From Hainan Meets Teochew. In this film, the flashback scenes of Mei Mei and Chen Hao provide the outlet for Han to put his stamp onto the otherwise insipid and lacklustre A.I. Pictures outing.

The film struggles to deliver the laughs. One may criticize many local comedies (e.g. those directed by Jack Neo) for never evolving, often sticking to the same slapstick schtick and familiar gags to up the humour quotient, but at least most of the time those films have an anarchic energy throughout their course that gives a constant sense of fun and adventure. Perfect Rivals suffers from very inconsistent pacing; some scenes are over-the-top fun, like the massage scene with both Mei Mei and Chen Hao trying to spite each other, but many others feel flat. Fortunately, many otherwise lacklustre scenes are buoyed by the spirited performance of Mindee Ong, who plays Yuan Yuan with much verve, and her scenes are some of the funniest in the film. Ha Yu, being the veteran that he is, turns up a solid performance too, but the same can't be said of the two playing his children. Stanlyn Hsu and Josh Lai turned in absolutely dull, lifeless, and at parts even annoying performances that are occasionally cringe worthy. The usually ebullient Irene Ang is muted down somewhat for this role, and her performance appears contrived at times, perhaps due to her lack of comfort with the mother tongue.

More worrying though, is the revelation that both Mei Mei's daughters may have been fathered by Chen Hao. This development may at first seem to suggest both of them has a deeper bond than we had expected, but it also throws an otherwise innocent family film into incestuous territory. That the children get coupled along the way so coincidentally is already bizarre in itself; but when the curveball is dropped along the way that the children of Mei Mei and Chen Hao may in fact be siblings, there is a disturbing incestuous tone underscoring the remainder of the film. The film does not try to sort out details of the relationship between the couples; it is solely focused on the relationship between Mei Mei and Chen hao, and of course the film ends on a good note when both of them get back together. This plot development (Yuan Yuan realizing she may be Chen Hao's daughter) is probably meant as a mechanism for Mei Mei's children to understand her past history with Chen Hao and also to push her to reconciliation with him, but it reduces the supporting characters to mere peripherals as it essentially trivializes their relationships, since their blood relations will no longer render them romantic lovers.

Entertained by the film, I sure was, but to say that Perfect Rivals is less than perfect would be an understatement.

ShoutOUT!: The Blue Mansion DVD,OUT NOW!

Following a year long journey through international film festivals ,The Blue Mansion has returned to Singapore with therelease of its DVD in a special edition box set. Described as “a milestone movie” by The Straits Times and “a gift to the nation” by critic Tara Tan, it has been touted as the film every Singaporean should watch (Philip Cheah, film critic).

The Blue Mansion has been released in an limited edition DVD Box Set, which
includes Goei’s first feature film, Forever Fever, exclusively through the online store at
www.thebluemansion.com.

If you missed it in the cinemas,it's your chance to grab the DVD now!

"FINALLY IT'S OUT~! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR IT!"

2SSFA - 'The Beat of the City that Freezed' by Joo Choon Lin

The amount of dedication that goes into any stop-motion animation piece is a surefire testament to the passion to the art. This eight-minute piece is clearly a budding sign to Singapore’s fledgling future in the animation scene, one that is unwise to remain insouciant to. With local input in films like Rango (2011), there is definitely room for upcoming filmmakers like Joo Choon Lin, whose verve shines in The Beat of the City that Freezed (2010). The tour de force, a stop-motion silent, harbors an effortless integration of sound effects making it a worthy nominee in both the Best Animation and Best Sound categories.

At first glance, the short is seemingly sheer jabberwocky. Yet it is anything but, the short film an experimental environmental piece that jars. The pulchritude of Choon Lin’s takes lies in cognitive dissonance with the cesspool as inflicted in the film. The preamble harks back to Darwinian theory, a pursuit of the single oddball misfit—the red ball, a persona non grata forced into eventual evolution, a metamorphorsis that clearly espouses the “survival of the fittest”. It then becomes the heart of a bigger creature in a stark empty room that soon is filled with debris. A wall disintegrates, and external elements diffuse within, the outside world portrayed through “live” traffic footage as a metaphor to technological advancement and its inevitable pollution. The conveyor belt of waste, a clever innuendo of the cyclical nature of garbage, and how it is neverending unless someone puts a stop to it. The world freezes over, a second Ice Age burgeons, and the environmental message possibly timely given the scrutiny of environmental messages and with contrived events like Earth Hour around the corner. Sorry for the cynicism, but I don’t see how such forced campaigns will do anything to alter long-term mindsets.

To take things a step further in what continues to flummox me, Choon Lin misspells the past tense of ‘freeze’ as ‘freezed’ as opposed to ‘froze’. The reason, perhaps, is an open mystery.

This film was nominated for Best Animation and Best Sound and the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards

2SSFA - 'Epiphany' Han Xuemei

The premise of this short film—a final-year project for NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information—seems a tad overdone. From the breakout award-winning Crash (2004) to Babel (2006), the butterfly effect has been a recurring theme in films attempting to capture a tangible link to what starts out as seemingly disparate events—and possibly discombobulate audiences.

Yes, we get it. What goes around comes around, karma is a bitch. And the synopsis, all of one sentence, easily augurs a sense of foreboding. Quoted verbatim, it reads as such: “On a particular morning, three vulnerable individuals unknowingly cross paths and play a part in changing one another’s destinies”.

That said, Epiphany provides a hackneyed Asian angle to this theme. We have the forlorn suicidal daughter, all decked in bright red and threatening to haunt as a vengeful spirit; her grandmother, fraught with worry at the sudden disappearance of the daughter leading to near tragedies; the hooligan boyfriend, the distracted speeding driver, et al. The short purveys these stereotypes, along with the notion of an interconnectability of fate that would perhaps lead some to ponder over the very existence of life, watch out for signs of fate, and question the law of averages.

While characterization is strong, the short 23 minutes was unfortunately insufficient to make me commiserate with the characters. After all, everything that happens is seemingly out of their hands. Life is unfair, they get the short end of the stick. Er, too bad for them? It’s not as if there was any clear attempt to get out of their rut.

Yet the mature editing warrants a nomination—strong pacing ensures that the audience is kept at bay throughout the numerous twists and turns—right up to the final scene of the suicidal daughter’s creepy smile at the camera. The gaze, a pivotal cinematic component, is well-executed. We see the stark fear, despair, anxiety, realization, and a myriad of emotions through the window of the soul. And they beguilingly connect, both with the other onscreen characters and with the audience.

This film was nominated for Best Editing at the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards.

2SSFA - 'Lost Soles' by Ng Wee Kiat

Shoes are sensitive matters. Above their obvious function, they give us dignity. Many films have demonstrated how close shoes are to the human heart, like Jack Neo’s Home Run and The Devil Wears Prada (‘soleful’ in all senses of the word). Similarly, ‘Lost Soles’ by Ng Wee Kiat (surprisingly a Chinese director directing a Malay language film), deals a mother child relationship and how a pair of shoes bring them closer together.

This film does not escape the trap of stereotypes – the long-suffering mother who gives her child everything and leaves nothing for herself; the young naïve boy who is still learning the ropes of life. The only ‘un-stereotypical’ quality is that the boy appears rather well-fed despite his family’s financial difficulty that prevents his mother from buying him a new pair of shoes. Leaning on a simple, unpretentious storyline, this film is about keeping your eyes open and noticing the little (or big) things the people around you are doing for you. While linear most of the time, a few narrative twists and suspensions add bite to hidden moral messages. But ultimately, it is its plain-speaking style and the way the actors slip so easily into their roles (sorry for shoe pun) that make it a quiet winner.

2SSFA - 'V1K1' by Tzang Mervyn Tong

What is a ‘techno fairytale’? Just a fairytale with sci-fi touch or a does it aim to be something that relates to the future world that we are going to inherit? I’d like to think it’s both – that’s it is an visual exploration as well as a something that echoes modern sensibilities and carries a pertinent message. Can ‘Avatar’ be considered a techno-fairytale? Possibly, even though some of the visual influences seem prehistoric. VIK1 can certainly be what it claims to be – a techno fairytale. It ‘s got the full motley bunch of alien-like characters, dramatic sound effects, bursts of stardusts around the characters and man vs ‘natural order’ moralistic slant to the story to make it complete.

Director Tzang Mervyn Tong breaks another new ground with sci-fi in this one. The film reflects his closeness to the genre, a knack for special effects (given the limited budgets), a seasoned director’s eye and even some occasional punches of humour. However, from the rather purist opening to this review, you might smell a whiff of skepticism to towards the film somewhere. While the film is very conscientiously put-together, what was presented would have worked better as a book. After the initial visual pyrotechnics (literally), the film slips into long bouts of preachy dialogue that dilutes the very confident visual build-up right from the delightfully suspenseful opening credits. The actors in this film certainly had a heavy burden to bear, trying to sustain the prolonged conversation about mankind and the ecosystem. Just as trying were some of the costumes! Given the demands of the content and the relative inexperience of the actors, director Mervyn could have done himself a favour with some cutaways and even relied on the power of the unspoken and hence, our interpolation. Too much had been explained.

It is a formidable task applying the sci-fi genre to the Singapore context without looking too much like SBC’s Channel 8’s sci-fi attempts in the 1980s. The Singapore landscape just does not provide an ambience that inspires and Tzang has actually done a tremendous job with preventing it from falling into a huge B-Grade trap, all things considered. Having said that, watch out for the ‘kitchen sieve-like’ round antennas of the master alien! Not that affects the overall viewing.

Production Talk - 'Perfect Rivals' by Fly Entertainment

Perfect Rivals 美好冤家 trailer

Based on the urban legend of 2 rival bak kwa stores, the movie is a heart-warming story about two feuding families and how their relationships become funnily complicated because of an event that happened 28 years ago...

We speak to director Han Yew Kwang for a scoop behind the scenes

*****

Hi Yew Kwang, what was the inspiration behind Perfect Rivals?
Perfect Rivals is actually Irene’s concept. She wanted to do a comedy about bak kwa with a strong family theme, so she got me to write the story and direct the film.

What can we anticipate from this film?
The chemistry between veteran actor Xiayu and Irene is very good. Irene’s role is very different from her previous ones. In fact, she is the serious one in this film. Mindee’s role is very unique and I really hope she leaves a strong impression on the audience. All her previous roles often left a mark. In this film, Pamelyn’s role uttered some really nasty and sarcastic words. I’m eager to find out how the audience will react to this!

Bak Kwa is the main ingredient in Perfect Rivals but chinese new year is over. How are you marketing or positioning it so that it does not feel like it's off season?
Actually, we did not emphasize Chinese new year in the film. When we originally wanted to release it during it CNY, we build on the feel good factor that will bring happiness to the audience. Now that CNY is over, I think the film still works as a stand-alone comedy.


Why the decision to shoot the entire film in Penang instead of Singapore?
We wanted to build in a strong sense of 怀旧风味 into the film. The sceneries and buildings in Penang fit the film very well.

Do share some interesting experiences you had doing this in Penang?
I look forward to having good food in Penang. Everyone has been telling me about Penang laksa. Ironically, I didn’t have a chance to eat or even think of Penang laksa when I was there. I was so busy that I basically stuff food into my mouth without really caring about what I was eating.

If there was a Yew Kwang 'brand of comedy', what would it be? And how is it expressed in Perfect Rivals?
In fact, the comedy style in Perfect Rivals is very different from my previous films. I would say it is a family comedy more than a quirky comedy. But of course there are still a few scenes which are quirkily funny, especially the shower scene which involves Mindee and the rat scene which involves Irene and Xiayu. I should not reveal too much ;)

I am curious. Irene Ang cast as a big-haired, rather glam looking towkay? Was this role made for her? What can the audience expect from her?
Well, we wanted to bring her age up so that she matches the veteran Xiayu better. The big hair helps. Yes, I wanted to create a quiet role for her. She used to play loud roles like PCK’s Rosie. So for a change, I thought the audience will be surprised to see a quiet and “pretentious” Irene.

Perfect Rivals features a stellar cast of international actors. How was it working with this very experienced cast as compared to your previous films?
Well, the international cast are very professional. They are very serious even during rehearsals. During rehearsals, it is basically about trying new things with them, getting the right “choices”.
Whereas when I shoot “When Hainan Meets Teochew”, I focus on getting the right and comfortable performance from the 2 non-actors, communicating and explaining to them the scene and why and how their characters should react.

Can we expect veteran Hong Kong actor, Ha Yu, to speak Singlish?
Haha, he can’t but he tried. He said one line “I don’t know what the you say!” It is not exactly Singlish but it has the comic effect of Singlish. I laughed on set when he said this and also while editing the scene.

What were the biggest challenges making this film?
Time constraint. The script is a little long and we needed to shoot a lot of stuff within 21 days. Due to the cast’s tight schedule, we only had 1 off day and we had to spend that off day doing recce! Phew, it was extremely tiring.

What is the total budget for the film? And was it difficult raising the funds for this film?
I think it is between 700-800K. SFC funded half the film and the rest of the funding came from Fly entertainment and a few Malaysian distribution and production companies. Basically, Fly entertainment did all the fund raising.

Any last words you'd like to share on Perfect Rivals?
Well, I’m eager to see how the mainstream audiences and followers of my previous films would react to this film. I think I’ve made a different film and it is important for my journey as a filmmaker. Finally, I hope that lots of people would buy a ticket to catch this film! ☺


Perfect Rivals is now showing in theaters

More tidbits on their facebook!

Images courtesy of Fly Entertainment

2SSFA - 'Dinner' by Kaz Cai

'Dinner' by Kaz Cai is a supernatural romance by a filmmaker who has produced, directed and/or edited documentaries and live concerts over the past decade, and whom also has a number of television commercial Apollo Awards to her name. With multifarious accolades, it comes as no surprise that this short packed the most punch. It’s the best written, it grips you right from the start and doesn’t let you go till the end. It has interesting characters—you’ll never go wrong with ex-convicts-turn-good who wishes to forge friendships with just about any old lady you meet in the middle of the night along a creepy street. The best ambience, it’s vintage lighting as a renaissance of the 1924 era, and the cricket sounds accentuating the spooky deserted streets in the middle of the night. With minimal dialogue, this is easily the best showcase of the adage “Show, don’t tell”, especially when you can easily infer what is going on onscreen. Kaz shows impeccable eye for detail, her mise-en-scène stunning. The still chair against a passing bicycle, the smiling old lady sitting on a bench centralized within the frame, which tracks out to show her sitting directly beneath the lighted cross of a church. Which in itself is really creepy, the fact that everything occurs on Chinese Valentine’s Day, which falls on the seventh day of the Hungry Ghost Month, in itself a clear harbinger that things may be anything but normal—to the audience, but sadly not to our protagonist.

2SSFA - 'Yours Truly' by Kevin Chan

The hopeless romantic in me really enjoyed (and even teared at) 'Yours Truly' by Kevin Chan. Yes, the plot has obvious Korean drama inspirations—just look at the promotional film still—but what Kevin has done was remarkable. He condensed what would otherwise be a 2-hour melodrama into a 12-minute short, whilst managing to take the audience on a whirlwind emotional roller-coaster of Rachel and Chris’ relationship. We earnestly want the picture-perfect couple together in a happily-ever-after ending. But alas, the twist can be seen coming from miles away and the audience knows disaster is bound to strike. Too many bombs are littered throughout the film—the cornea transplant, photography, the need for a deceased to be the cornea bearer—such that the bombshell at the end is, in all its literal scene of the word, is just a shell without the explosives. Yet it works, because that’s how Korean melodramas are typically like. Which makes me also think that the film would perhaps be more palatable if it was shot in Korean. Though perhaps casting might have been tough given how it was Kevin’s graduation thesis in his Master in Film & Television at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in Melbourne. But Kevin demonstrates acuity in his direction, with strong angles, beautiful cinematic photography and a lingering storyline that’s impactful and touching despite the foreseeable twist.

2SSFA - 'A New Hope' by Chermaine Ong

'A New Hope' is a social documentary chronicling the life and hardship of 30-year-old Pong, a HIV-stricken Thai woman. Also central to the film are her close relations, namely her infected 6-year-old daughter and her boyfriend, a handicapped Casanova who ironically philanders around but yet has been given the clean bill. In Thailand, HIV was the norm more than a decade ago but has been slowly eradicated from the public eye as effective public affairs campaigns managed to stem the spread. The decline in the disease coincides with a rise in social stigma against it, Pong tells her tale in this biography. Chermaine, a Communications Studies graduate in her final-year project, stayed true to her subjects through the use of first-person commentaries that convey the trauma of being a HIV carrier in present-day Thailand. The audience is taken through a journey of shock, denial and eventual acceptance as Pong relates how she dealt with social clichés, her downward spiral into near-suicide as she slit her throat, overdosed on sleeping pills, before being resigned to fate. Most of this documentary was shot in Pong’s native Thai language and it is impressive how Chermaine managed to source for her contacts and conduct the interviews especially given the (plausible) language barrier. The film does away with fanciful editing and all that schnazz, opting instead to remain faithful to the core storyline surrounding Pong. And true to the optimistic title, A New Hope had an equally upbeat conclusion.

TNP First Film Fest :13 Year-old crowned as the winner of the Festival!

13 Year-old,Amos Yee,won the First Film Fest with his work Jan.

Besides being crowned the grand winner, Amos also snagged the Best Actor Award.

Irene and her Fly Entertainment artistes,Mindee and Pamelyn Chee present the award to Best Actor,Amos. (video taken by Darren Ong who was a little drunk, apologies for that)

Kumar making an AWESOME appearance with her friend,DIVA while revealing Nat Ho for the nomination of Best Actress Nomination.

The Winner Goes to~ *Drum Roll*

Quick Chat with the Youngest Filmmaker...

Amos Won a Sony NEX-VG10E Camcorder with SAL24F20Z lens, LA-EA1 adaptor and

PRO-HG Duo HX 16GB memory stick worth about $5,500

Tabula Rasa won the 1st Runner up:
Sony HDR-CX550E Camcorder with PRO-HG Duo HX 16GB memory stick
worth about $2,700

The Last Job won the 2nd Runner up:
SONY HDR-CX350E Camcorder with PRO-HG Duo HX 16GB memory stick
worth about $2,100

Besides these,The top 10 films will get MICA grants worth $5,000,as follows(In Random Order)

1. Bandh
2. Escaping Reality
3. Facebook Obsessions
4. Jerry
5. Square One
6. You Are My Inspiration
7. I Am Nothing Without ______
8. Here,I Will Always Be
9. The Artisans
10. Ordinary

We are a young team... but not too young for alcohol....(left to right) Jeremy, Melody and Darren
SINdie with David Liu,Producer of "Tabula Rasa"SINdie was Here...

Look out for our 'Production Talk' interviews with the winners soon...

"Is he Singapore's Justin Bieber?"

2SSFA - 'The Highest Stakes' by Gavin Ramoutar

A casually dressed father resting on the living room sofa on an ordinary day, suggesting unemployment, a responsible housewife who manages the family's purse and typical young daughter who seeks attention from her distracted father. A phone call comes, he looks troubled yet surreptitious and you get the whole picture. Mouths need to be fed and the father owes money. But even the most done-to-death loanshark story can be given a new lease of life.

This is where director Gavin Ramoutar understands the magic of character quirks as a visual motif and a narrative tool. In this case, the daughter has the quirk - she likes playing underneath the table, like it was her tent, her little abode. This quirk is the film's pivot. It helps register the beginning and signals the ending. The man who has to go out was forced by his wife to take his daughter. Shots of the Sunday stampede at Little India provide a clue to the later development that daughter would get lost, at which point, a halo of an epiphany hovers above enlightening you on why the film is titled so. In fact, what's delightful about this film is that visual metaphors are effortless. The bustle of a crowd of foreigners seeking fortunes in Singapore, the familiar 'wheel of fortune' near Rowell Road, the menacing traffic, all add to story's visual fabric, without trying too hard. And amidst the chaos that's Little India, here is the director who is not lost to the drama and madness but sure-footedly completes his narrative loop.

2SSFA - 'Rice' by Sofrie Yusof

The film's title and its publicity still of someone's mouth being stuffed with rice froze my attention for a while. The simple title belies the twisted expressionism of the film. Rice, a commodity so familiar with all Asians is used in a way that subverts the traditionally and almost sacredly-held notion that it is our lifeblood, something to be treasured and wasting would be like a sin. Here, the protagonist, abused by her parents (not made very apparent) takes revenge on her parents. While both lean their 'dead-body weight' on the sofa, she stuffs their mouths with rice, humiliating them. With the film ending there, it neither seems to be making a statement or telling a story. Perhaps more like doing something many directors are guilty of (to different levels of subtlety) - sadistic expression.

Our Predictions for First Film Fest and some other noises from us

Jeremy Sing: what's the one you remember most out of the 11?
Alvin Choo: I can't decide between 2. 'here i'll always be' and 'paranoia'. my favourites i think. You?

J: I thought you'd like the funny ones. Like Jan. I remember Jan most. Why do you remember the 2 psycho films most? Well, the former's not really that psycho i guess

A: Come to think of it, yeah Jan's probably the most memorable. but not in a favourable way to me. I really liked the conceptualization of both films, multi-faceted and least predictable i felt, of all the finalists
J: You find it too 'skit-ish'? I agree about Here, Ill always be. It's a very different film and its transition to a more poignant scene in the hospital was quite seamless. But just thought they could be more creative with the hallucinatory parts
A: Yeah Jan felt more like a Youtube video-of-the-day then a film competition entry
J: But it's so witty, don't you think? Especially the see Jan in heaven part. No?
A: Nope, i didn't take to it at all. but i get the feeling that films/vids of this nature, you either love it or loathe it. i think i'm the latter. You enjoyed the wit?
J: Yes and the clever use of the same actor but varying the behavior and the pacing and editing were very funky
A: he's the director too, apparently all of 13 years old.
J: Oh! What a prodigy
A: Maybe a kid with lots of guidance
J: Certainly not parental guidance !!! hahaha. if we have Singapore's Got Talent, he must be on it... Thailand's already got their video sensation, he could be the Singapore one.
A: Yeah, i think the reason I didn't take to it might have something to do with some of the humour leaving a bad taste. i.e. him making light fun of cancer, or maybe that's just me being prudish.
J: Yes you are being prudish!
A: But refreshing it certainly was, from the field of similarly themed films.
J: Similar themes certainly…many about madness…losing the mind
A: yeah, jaded-ness..
J: Yes that too
A: I felt i should be a country bumpkin after watching like 3 of them. So which was your fav of the lot?
J: Jan
A: Haha really
J: Maybe I am looking at how the films make the best of the 3 mins. But many other films come close. I like Hide and Seek, Here, I'll always be, Citylapse.

A: Here I'll always be' takes the cake for me. Leaves me impressed how the director could convey such a complex storyline in all of 3mins. But yeah, if there was a talking point of this competition, guess it'll have to be Jan.
J: Yeah... i like the bittersweetness of here. How did you find Hide and Seek?
A: Came across feeling over-dramatized.
J: I liked the premise and can be potentially very moving and cutting. But the delivery was not sharp enough. Too easy an ending too.
A: The opening scenes made it feel more like what it turned out to be. It felt a little downhill after that. The camerawork and music, almost makes you prepped for a psycho-thriller.
J: Don't you find City Lapse familiar?

A: Yup we last saw it...Panasonic film fest right?
J: No. It was the civic life 90 sec competition. There was one entry that had this diorama effect. Ddo you remember?
A: Yup i do. How do you think this director did?
J: I liked it, in fact this time round, he sharpened his diorama visuals even more, making familiar city-scapes look like toys
though unfortunately, I wished more craft was put into the narrative.
A: Yeah my thoughts exactly. perhaps the issue with leaning too much on technical brillance is that compromise on narrative/flow...i think i felt the same w that previous film. You think? (Previous meaning the civic life one)
J: Yes, the storytelling component moved only inch between that and this. So what else did you fancy?
A: I thought paranoia made great storytelling use of the 3mins too. Not easy considering the buildups needed of a psycho-drama genre. How did you find it?
J: The biggest things that caught me was the cinematography. The shots were nicely lit and framed and I bet the final product had been colour graded. Sorry, story wise, found it too predictable….like you could guess how it would end after the first 30 secs.
A: Probably true, but good execution nevertheless. Which else do you like?..,…besides the love-it-or-hate-it Jan.
J: Hahah…I liked the initial 1st minutes of Square One. It's the Stephanie Sun music video look….white washed colours, Saturated, emotive shots.... but.....

A: So more an aesthetic appeal than anything else?
J: Yes, cos it kept repeating visual motifs and the grieving voice
A: Yup. I thought it interesting the almost-synonymous moods captured by all these films..
J: The layman will just call it emo. The film educated may label them contemplative. (pause) What did u think of Tabula Rasa?

A: I liked it. I looked up the meaning of that actually. Tabula rasa is the epistemological theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. -Wikipedia
J: What language is it?
A: Latin, I think. Bet you thought it was Malay?
J: Haha. Yes! Rasa as in Rasa Sayang.....
A: Haha don't worry I did too. How did you find it?
J: I like the film. It's 'inception' with a bit more heart. What did you think?
A: I liked it too, thought the open-to-interpretation ending served it well.
J: It's a thoughfully crafted film that does not overdo the visual 'effects', was afraid David would do a 'Steadfast' (his earlier action flick) on this one. The lighting and camera work also reflect a seasoned pair or eyes and hands
A: yup probably one of the more experienced directors in competition.
J: I noticed many films were visual plays more than narrative pieces.
A: Maybe it's the 3 minute restriction….to save themselves the editing dilemmas, you think?
J: But it echoes a comment a Malaysian filmmaker made some time ago, that Singapore films are very glossy pieces with high production values but rest on weak narratives or stories. I mean entries like Carnival of Animals, Square One, reminisce, city lapse are products of editing wizardry.
A: Yup that comment sums it up quite well. the stereotype, almost of arthouse/indie works in Singapore.
J: How did you find Carnival of Animals?

A: i liked the metaphors concept, thought it worked well...up to a point when it seemed to deviate a little. but overall, a 'like' for the visual narrative. You?
J: I prefer to 'comment' instead of 'like' haha.
A: So what's your comment?
J: I like the moment when the giraffe was trying to feed on the leaves and you can still see the human body frame moving, it was kinda transcendental in a way that it achieves its aim of making you see humans in a different, more primeval way. Vice versa, you discover animals have humanly characteristics too.
A: Felt it was narrowing down to women specifically. The tiger therefore was a nice touch.
J: Haha! Agree! (pause) How did you find My Little Brother?

A: I thought the narrative felt fragmented, like it was going in a number of directions and you as audience never really knew which to follow. One minute it's focusing i assume on childhood ambitions, the next starting a family...felt more like random thoughts than a congruent flow.
J: It was a visual statement having the teenagers play parents but he did not carry that forward to a deeper level, so it remained a gimmick, like his use of text (which was quite distracting while it was interesting). I kept guessing where the text would appear next!
A: I thought it was more the hopes and dreams an older sister had for her brother.. in his ambitions, family et al. yeah it somewhat turned out gimmicky.
J: Here’s something funny about 'Reminisce'…….it's the film I remember least.

A: Haha. And why?
J: From my reminiscence, it was like a prototypical wedding video.
A: Haha, except with darker themes i suppose. But i agree the aesthetic touches made it feel like that.
J: Moving on, we are down to our last film, The Last Job.

A: Haha, you're not done with puns are you?
J: I am done, this film is not that 'punny'. Lol.
A: In one word, ambitious. but I'm not sure whether to put it down to the acting or the script, it was a promising concept that fell rather flat for me.
J: Yes agree, good concept but 'make-shift' execution. I mean I would have preferred the victim to not have worn T-shirt and bermudas. Makes the action flick sleepy.
A: Haha. Like a pajama party roleplay!
J: By the way.... do you notice something missing in The Last Job? And sorry, this is my final pun
A: No what's it?
J: Make a guess la
A: Oh...blood?
J: Bingo.
A: Haha
J: No blood on the last job. No more puns I promise, we are done!

Our Favourite Top 3
Jeremy
1 - Jan
2 - Here, I'll always be
3 - Tabula Rasa
Alvin
1 - Here, I'll always be
2 - Tabula Rasa
3 - Paranoia

Our predicted winner
Here, I'll always be

Snapshots from SINEMA Retrospective!: Fran Borgia's Tapas Treats

Visitors Get a Chop & Programme Sheet at the ‘Registration Checkpoint’

A Spot to ‘Chill Out’ While Waiting for the Door to Open

The 2011 debut session of Sinema Retrospective! featured the works of Fran Borgia, a familiar 'foreign talent' whose name we have often seen appearing on the credits of local films as director, assistant director and producer.

(Left to Right) Actress Bobbi Chen, Fran Borgia, Tara Tan & Filmmaker Ong Chao Hong

True to the retrospective format the curatorial team selected six short films where Fran had ‘a hand’ as director, assistant director and producer over a span of six years (2004 - 2010).

Fran Borgia & Tara Tan Posing With ‘Early Birds’ Before the Start of the Screening

The screening selection included ASIA (Fran Borgia), CHANGI MURALS (Boo Junfeng), REFLECTIONS (Ho Tzu Nyen), KATONG FUGUE (Boo Junfeng), MASALA MAMA (Michael Kam) & TIMELESS (K. Rajagopal).

Fran was in attendance for a Q&A session moderated by arts journalist & director Tara Tan.

Tara Tan Made Fran Borgia Answer Some very 'Tough' Questions

Photo Credit :Singapore Polytechnic

Sinema Retrospective! is a new programme format hosted by Sinema Old School and curated by academic staff and students from School of Architecture and the Built Environment (Diploma in Integrated Events & Project Management), Singapore Polytechnic.

The organisers hope to bring local films and personalities to regular cinema goers and festival programmers.