The 2nd Singapore Short Film Awards Night 2011 was held last Sunday, 6 March at the Substation. I was part of the 4 person jury for this year. I think there were some surprise that 3 Awards were not given out. Straits Times even wrote an article about it! (Click on it to view full document)
Here are some pics from the awards night 🙂
We came back late. Your room was dark but you just switch on a single lamp. You know I didn’t like to drink. Under the weak light, you went to your rows of CDs strewn on the floor. The soft hiss of the player cover opens as you pop one in. You didn’t say a word, you just let the music play:
“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……
Another project that I was involved in last year was the tele-movie for Channel U, <等一等愛情> (Love in a Cab).
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.
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
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.
Was involved in quite a number of film productions towards the end of last year. Since the films has been out for some months in the theaters now, I guess it is safe to post some of the behind the scenes pictures, haha 🙂
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! 🙂
Time passes really fast! Without knowing it, it has been 5 months since I updated my blog! Oh dear! Been very busy with crewing on projects as Script Supervisor or Assistant Director for the past months. Watch out for new pics and articles which I will be updating soon 🙂
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/
Had to cut a 60s showreel of my documentary work for a pitching job in Shanghai. It is for a Mercedez Benz SUV cross-country documentary. Thought maybe I will share it 🙂 Here’s it is:
Been ages since I have updated my blog. Apologies for those that have been following 🙂
Had been helping as Continuity (again) for my fellow filmmaker and friend Han Yew Kwang and his producer Chee Nien with their no budget feature “When Hainan meets Teochew” – the most unromantic romance comedy! haha! The story revolves around the blossoming relationship between a very manly woman and a very womanly man. It is filled with the characteristic comedy touch of Yew Kwang. Hopefully the film can come out in time for the Singapore Film Festival this year. Please support Yew Kwang and Chee Nien.
Filming has been continuing on for about six months now. This is because of its no budget nature, everyone helping on the film, including the actors and actresses are not taking any pay. So the production usually is after working hours like from 6pm to midnite or on weekends only. But everyone still comes to help whenever possible.
Here are some pics from the production (with permission from Chee Nien):
Hong Chye as Teochew looking pretty in a cheong sum. Hong Chye is a well known award winning costume designer in the theatre and film industry.
Chau Min as Hainan looking smart and suave. Chai Min is a veteran in the TV industry and we call her 大姐
The three leads having a shower bonding time! Yeo Yann Yann is acting as Mei Hui, one of the love interest in the film. Guess whose?
Alaric who is Teochew’s brother, Kwang, in the film seems to be having a head banging time.
Hong Chye and Alaric in a pivotal scene in the film. In the background is Yew Kwang (in white) and the DP Ling Hui (in blue). In the foreground with the slate, in red pokka dots shirt, is Warren Sin; he came after work.
The production is using the Canon 5D MkII to film the whole film. Results are quite impressive.
Chau Min trying out the bra for size. She doesn’t look too happy.
Filming a scene with Chau Min and Catherine, who acts as Hainan’s mother in the film.
The Threesome.
The cast trying out the theme song for the film. The song is written by Neal. This is the 1st version of the song and probably will change a bit from the final version. enjoy! 🙂
The good people at the Asian Film Archive (Bee Thiam & Tee Pao) are doing a important job of preserving our film heritage. Together with UNESCO, they are launching a series of online video advertisements to raise awareness on the importance of film preservation. Below is their call to battle 🙂 :
As part of its education and outreach efforts, the Asian Film Archive is, for the first time, launching an online campaign to generate greater awareness of the importance and urgency of saving Asia’s film heritage. In line with UNESCO’s message on World Day for Audiovisual Heritage to save a fading heritage, the Archive anticipates that this series of videos will reach out to the public as well as film communities with the vital message on the need to properly and adequately preserve their filmic works.
In Asia’s tropical climate and environment, films in both print and digital video formats can disintegrate rapidly when not kept properly. Even films in the digital format are not spared given that the longevity of the digital format is still under scrutiny. Through these videos, the Archive hopes to generate the realisation in filmmakers on how urgent it is to archive their works early as they become aware of the fragility of their creative works physical shelf life when stored improperly.
Released on YouTube, these part informational and part tongue-in-cheek videos will be released online periodically. Two videos have already been uploaded onto the Archive’s YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/AsianFilmArchive), as well as on its Facebook group.
In conjunction with the online campaign, the Archive also held an In Conversation With Filmmakers session on 22 October 2009 at The Arts House, in which filmmakers and film producers engaged in discussion with the Archive on the issues of film preservation. The pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/36088625@N06/show/ and blogpost:http://www.asianfilmarchive.org/Blog/.
Asian Film Archive
The Asian Film Archive is a non-governmental organisation founded to preserve the rich film heritage of Asian Cinema, to encourage scholarly research on film, and to promote a wider critical appreciation of this art form. As an important nexus, it brings together the various segments of the Asian film community in order to open and enrich new intellectual, educational and creative spaces.
For more information, please contact:
Asian Film Archive
Tan Bee Thiam
Executive Director
T: (65) 6777 3243
F: (65) 6543 1643
Leonard Lai Yok Wai's Weblog 
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