Here are some pics from the awards night

“Suzanne takes you down

to her place near the river

you can hear the boats go by

you can spend the night beside her

And you know that she’s half crazy

but that’s why you want to be there

and she feeds you tea and oranges

that come all the way from China

And just when you mean to tell her

that you have no love to give her

she gets you on her wavelength

and she lets the river answer

that you’ve always been her lover

And you want to travel with her

you want to travel blind

and you know that she can trust you

for you’ve touched her perfect body

with your mind“

That was the first time I heard this deep, gravelly golden voice. “Who is this?” I asked. “Don’t you know? It’s Leonard Cohen.” It must have been more than 15 years ago. You and I have both aged, You and I have both been through sorrows. But he still keeps on singing, singing, singing……

這些毒素當然很厲害，可是比起我覺得是世界上最毒之物，真是大烏見小烏，少見多怪。這最毒之物 不會讓您在幾分鐘內死 得痛快，而是在不知不覺中，慢慢的把您折磨致死。

“哇！有那麼厲害！到底是什麼？” 這最毒之物就是：女人的一巴嘴！

“哎呀！怎麼可能？胡說八道嗎！”請聽我解釋。在您生命中的女性，例如您的太太，母親，女友等，會不會時常向您發牢騷。為了一些事，她們看了不悅或是覺得心裡不舒服，不吐不快，就會在您的耳旁：碎碎唸，碎碎唸，碎碎唸。這是毒素形成的開端。

這毒可厲害了。它剛開始時根本無法察覺，是無色無香無味，無跡可尋。可是每當您身邊的女性再讓她遇到這些不快的事時，她那張嘴就開始情不自禁的下毒。這些不快的事常常是很根本，很複雜，很難解決的。例如事業上的問題，感情上的困擾，婚姻的維持，父母的期待，能力的比較，自尊的衡量，性格上的沖突等等。男人的應對方式是默默的聽著，承受著。可是對女性來說，這無反應更是雪上加霜，意示男的根本不關心， 碎碎唸得更厲害。事情還是沒得到結決。久而久之 ，時間長了，女人一開始下毒，男人就會想避開，有時發脾氣，說她又來了，在發神經病。對女人來說時間只會累積一切的不快，變本加利。 日以月積，慢慢的，這 碎碎唸 就在無形中變有形，形成一種如万斤重的壓迫力。此時，這毒素在中毒者的體內已經潛入五腹六臟，仙丹都救不了。毒素攻心的時候，威力驚人，輕則兩人大鬧一場，事後心平氣和的解決問題，重則有如火山暴發，一發不可收勢，以暴力悲局收場！記得多年前有報導，有一對夫妻，女的不滿丈夫的經濟能力，老是把他跟別人做比較，一直在旁碎碎唸。男的只有默默忍受著。日子久了，女的 變本加利 ，有時在大庭廣眾修辱他，有時甚至在兒女面前讓他下不了台，根本沒尊嚴。男的終于忍無可忍，像發瘋似的把妻子殺了，然后開瓦斯与兒女自盡。

天啊！您看這毒是多麼的厲害！更可怕的是，下毒者根本不知道自已在下毒，只知道自已是在說說而以，又不會死人。這麼厲害的毒，歐陽峰真的也要甘拜下風，讓出他那“西毒”的綽號，乖乖另奉這“世界上最毒之物”！

I was the 1st AD and Han Yew Kwang was the Director, with Lau Chee Nien as the Producer. The tele-movie is produced by 18grams Pictures. It stars 白薇秀 (Joanne Peh) & 许立桦 (Julien Hee) as two total strangers that keep bumping into each other while waiting for taxies, and slowly over a ten year period, they find that the other half that they are waiting for is actually each other.

It was quite an enjoyable shoot, although the budget was very tight and the whole production was completed in just 11days for a feature length tele-movie. The Director of Photography (DP) was Liu Long Fei, who had also lensed Yew Kuang’s previous feature <當海南遇上潮州> (When Hainan meets Teochew). The Canon 5D MkII is used as the main camera for the shoot. 李昭敏 (Lee Chau Min) also plays a supporting role as the driver of the taxi that the two leads keep bumping into. Working with Joanne and Julien was a joy, both of them are great actors. They are also very popular. Whenever we are filming on location, hordes of fans will be crowding around, asking for their autographs. And their fans include teenagers as well as old uncles and aunties!

The tele-movie is a light hearted comedy but Yew Kuang employs a series of drawings that illustrate the feelings of the Joanne’s and Julien’s character and also to punctuate the end of a story year.

Some of the drawings used in the tele-movie

李昭敏 (Lee Chau Min) trying on various wigs for her progression through the ten years in the tele-movie. The lady in grey is Doreen, the makeup & hair stylist.

One of the looks for 李昭敏 (Lee Chau Min)

The Director, Han Yew Kuang

A scene on the street outside the main house location. Actually, we don’t have permission to close off the street like that. After discussing with Chee Nien, we decided to go ahead and film there because it is a quiet two-lane road and we can still direct the traffic to the other lane.

Filming a taxi scene outside a club in Dempsy Road. the guy in purple with back facing camera is me

Myself, Yew Kuang & Doreen checking out the monitor.

Stills from the tele-movie.

Some of the cast & crew.

I really liked it. Me and my friend had not kept in contact for years, but I still have the CD and every time I listen to it, it reminds me of her and how I got introduced to Franciose Hardy. “For you”, I hope “You will like it too”.

In conjunction with the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards, the good people of SINdie are organizing the 1st ever Singapore films Poster exhibition at the substation! 100 posters of Singapore Films for the past 5 years will be exhibited! The posters for my two films “The High Cost of Living” <生活的代價> and “Love Lost” <失去愛> will be displayed in the exhibition. Please come and support, and its totally FREE! haha.

More info:

Dear friends!

I would like to invite you to an exhibition I put up with my dear team from SINdie - Singapore’s first-ever local film poster exhibition Mise En SIN.  100 Singapore film posters, no more no less, will go on display at the Substation in this exhibition, held in conjunction with the Singapore Short Film Awards 2011.

Walk through 5 years of cinematic gold, Singapore style, with these posters from films made in the last 5 years. Some are controversial, some are profound, some are fun, some are beautiful and some, simply expensive, one even costs close to $600!

Mise En SIN

28 Feb – 13 March 2011

Weekdays : 4.00 pm – 10.30 pm

Weekends : 12.30 pm to 10.30 pm

The Substation

45 Armenian Street

Singapore 179936

You can order these posters at a contribution to the filmmakers, both at the exhibition and online. For online orders, please send an email to sindieonly@gmail.com stating your name, contact number and the serial number of the posters you want to own. We will follow up with pricing, delivery and payment instructions.

In addition, you can vote for your favourite poster in our Facebook Best Poster Voting Contest. 5 lucky voters will stand to win prizes sponsored by Objectifs Films. The creator of the most voted poster will also be awarded with a prize. Visit this link and click on the Mise En SIN tab to get to the voting contest now!

Check out these essential links

Link to webpage of Mise En SIN

Link to SINdie (sindieonly.blogspot.com)

Check out how to get to the Substation here.

*****

About the Organiser – SINdie

sindieonly.blogspot.com

SINdie is a blog on Singapore independent films with a keen eye on the people and efforts behind the films. Like a chronicle of the independent film scene, it contains selected news, interviews, film reviews, special features on filmmakers and photo splashes. It is a first-stop and online resource for anything on Singapore independent films and filmmakers. Its mission is to be the champion for Singapore independent films and help them reach out to a wider audience via different platforms.

About the Exhibition Sponsor – Samuel Seow Law Corporation

Samuel Seow Law Corporation is a full-service law practice based in Singapore.

Boasting one of the busiest Media & Entertainment practice groups in Singapore, the Corporation has been consistently ranked as one of the top law firms in its areas of expertise in the prestigious “Asia Pacific Legal 500”. Mr. Samuel Seow, Singapore‟s “celebrity lawyer” and Managing Director of the corporation, has been ranked consistently as a “leading individual” in the same publication. Reflecting its corporate social responsibility, the corporation has also been awarded the National Arts Council‟s Patron of the Arts Award for the past few years.

Passion, dynamism and care sets apart the corporation‟s lawyers and professionals who strive to recognise the uniqueness of each client and seek always to employ sound and cost effective legal solutions to ensure relevance and most effective legal support.

The corporation has expanded its reach to Malaysia in the last 2 years, and is presently associated with the Kuala Lumpur-based legal firm, Seow & Associates, which provides legal services to some of the most exciting media businesses there.

About the Prize Sponsor – Objectifs Films

Objectifs Films is the only international short film distributor based in Singapore and the Southeast Asian region, dedicated to bringing the world of Southeast Asian short films to a global audience.

Objectifs Films distributes Southeast Asian short films of all genres and types to television stations (broadcast, cable, pay per view and satellite), Internet sites, educational institutions, museums, galleries, airlines and other screening venues internationally. We select and represent quality short films from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Our films are carefully chosen based on quality, innovation and the profile of the filmmaker.

Driven by an executive team with experience in film development, marketing and education, Objectifs Films is poised to provide a launching pad for the myriad of visual voices from Southeast Asia to worldwide viewers.

Objectifs Films is jointly owned by Kinema Entertainment (the media investment company that owns Singapore’s leading post-production facility, Infinite Frameworks), Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Filmmaking and Shooting Gallery Asia.

Guys and Girls, it’s here again! The 2nd Singapore Short Film Award will be held at the Substation from 28 Feb ~ 6 March 2011. Out of 126 films that were submitted, 30 films have been nominated for the various award categories. Although I have no work in the festival this year, I am part of the Judging Jury! hah

Best part is that the admission is by donations, you donate at the door any amount that you are comfortable with! How can you beat that. Must support and go and see the newest short film works by Singapore filmmakers!

Here’s more info:

The 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards
Dates: 28 February to 6 March 2011
Monday to Friday, from 7 pm
Saturday to Sunday, from 11am
Admission: By donation (no minimum amount)
The Substation Theatre
Presented by The Substation Moving Images
Co-organised by Objectifs: Centre for Photography and Filmmaking

An entire week of short film screenings every night showcasing all Singaporean short films produced in 2011! This is your chance to find out what our filmmaking landscape has yielded. Come see new works from established filmmakers to explorations by first timers. This is your chance to catch the films that you may have missed, the films you’ve seen and loved, and discover new talents before everyone else does!

In conjunction with the awards, SINdie, the only online site in Singapore fully dedicated to independent Singaporean films, will be presenting the first-ever Singaporean film poster exhibition. MISE EN SIN will feature over 100 film posters from about 60 Singaporean filmmakers. Many of these posters are unseen and only available in limited editions. They will be on sale to the general public during the course of the Singapore Short Film Awards.

MISE EN SIN, the exhibition, will take place in the foyer and random room, both located on the ground floor of The Substation.

For more information about The Substation & the 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards, please click here.
For directions to The Substation please click here.

The first is <鬼也笑> (The Ghost Must be Crazy). Another J-Team production but this time Jack Neo is not directing but executive producing the film. I am the film’s Continuity & Script Supervisor. The film is divided into 2 stories, each helmed by a different director. The 1st is <鬼才嫁給你> (Ghost Wedding) directed by Mark Lee (李國煌). This is Mark’s directorial debut and he also stars as one of the main characters. The other main character is 煇哥. This story revolves around a down & out middle-aged man played by 煇哥, who would do anything to strike it rich, even marrying a ghost.

The 2nd story is <鬼才給你Off> (Only a Ghost will let you OFF) directed by Boris Boo (巫培雙). His previous feature film include “PCK: The Movie”. This part of the films revolves around a pair of army reservist buddies played by 南哥 & 王雷 who goes back to the army for reservist training, but try all their ways and methods to get out of the training with unexpected results. It can be said to be a continuation of the roles they played in previous year’s “Got Ghost Meh?”.

Here are some behind the scenes pics. Click on them to see the full size pic, enjoy!

But first, some great update from the good people from SINdie.

Since National Day, they have been collecting a series of responses from different filmmakers and creative voices about what they would like to have if given the chance to direct next year’s National Day music video. The responses ranged from the philosophical to the outright funny! They compiled it into a super funny short video and I have the privilege to provide my input, hehe…..

For more on the project, you can visit: http://sindieonly.blogspot.com/