SINGAPORE - The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) has named the projects which have been awarded grants, with two Singaporean film-makers among the recipients.
The Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-SGIFF Southeast Asian Documentary Grant (SEA-DOC) has been given to four film projects, of which two are from Singapore and two from Thailand.
The SGIFF Southeast Asian Short Film Grant (SEA-SHORTS) has been awarded to two projects, one from Cambodia and the other from Vietnam.
The two grants, housed under the SGIFF Film Fund, attracted submissions from the region, according to the festival's press release.
The grants are aimed at "developing inspiring and thought-provoking films that can contribute to the growth of a distinctive and independent South-east Asian film-making landscape", according to the release.
Films awarded the SEA-DOC grant each receiving a cash amount of $25,000, are:
- Sandcastles, directed by Carin Leong, Singapore. The documentary contrasts Singapore's land reclamation and urban development with that of a town far away.
- Small Hours Of The Night, directed by Daniel Hui, Singapore. This is an experimental exploration of a forgotten 1980s court case that sheds light on political figures of the era.
- Breaking The Cycle, directed by Aekaphong Saransate and Thanakrit Duangmaneeporn, Thailand. It is about the attempts of a young politician to use the Internet to create a new form of politics free from the cycle of military coups.
- Worship, directed by Uruphong Raksasad, Thailand. The film explores the culture of worship in contemporary Thailand.
Films awarded the SGIFF Southeast Asian-Short Film Grant receive a cash amount of $4,000, with a further $4,000 available in-kind for post-production facilities at White Light Studio in Bangkok.
The projects are:
- Further and Further Away, directed by Polen Ly, Cambodia. The film follows a young couple who leave their home for the capital city in search of fortune.
- Father's Father, directed by Cao Viet Hoai Son, Vietnam. After accidentally killing his grandfather, a young boy must face the funeral as well as find his father and uncle.
This article has been edited for clarity.
