‘A Yellow Bird’ is the only film from Asia to be selected for the 10th Cinefondation’s L’Atelier.
Singapore, May 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Following Anthony Chen’s historic win of the highly coveted Camera d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival last year for his film ‘Ilo Ilo’, four notable titles from Singapore will be heading to the 67th Cannes Film Festival, from 14-22 May 2014.
Participating at the Cinefondation’s L’Atelier is ‘A Yellow Bird’, and representing Singapore to compete in the Cinefondation Selection are two short films, ‘Oh Lucy!’ and ‘Last Trip Home’. The fourth title, ‘On An Infinite Loop’, will be showcased at the Short Film Corner.
‘A Yellow Bird’: Only Asian film to be selected for the 10th Cinefondation’s L’Atelier
‘A Yellow Bird’ is the only film from Asia, among 15 other projects by emerging directors from around the world, to be selected for the 10th Cinefondation’s L’Atelier. Produced by Akanga Film Asia, it is the first Singaporean film to be selected for this prestigious segment of Cannes.
The film tells a compelling story about the life of an ex-convict released from prison, who tries to seek redemption for his past actions and reconnect with loved ones whom he has hurt.
The director of the film, K. Rajagopal, was one of eight recipients of the Singapore Film Commission’s New Talent Feature Grant (NTFG), which supports promising first or second time feature film-makers in with a grant of up to $250,000. The NTFG is administered by the Singapore Film Commission which is part of the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), a government agency which helps promote and nurture the local media industry.
From 16 May to 22 May, Cinefondation’s L’Atelier will arrange meetings for the directors, including Singapore’s K. Rajagopal, to meet with film industry professionals, giving them a golden opportunity to find potential investors for their projects.
Two Singapore short films in the running for the Cinefondation Prize
Two short films from Singapore will be among the 16 titles selected to compete in the Cinefondation Selection, beating competition from over 1,631 submissions from film schools around the world.
‘Last Trip Home’, directed by Han Fengyu and produced by Adar Ng, is the first submission from a Singapore school (Ngee Ann Polytechnic School of Film and Media Studies) to be selected for the prestigious competition. The film features a story about an immigrant and his son who struggles in Singapore and decides to drive back to China with their only possession: their car.
Also in the running for the prize is ‘Oh Lucy!’, written and directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi from the Singapore-based NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia. The film is about a 55 year-old single office worker in Tokyo, who finds a new identity in Lucy – a name and persona she gets from an unconventional English language class. The film was shot in Japan and Singapore, and was co-produced by Upside Down Concepts, a Singapore media company.
These two titles will be part of the Cinefondation Selection which runs from 20-22 May 2014. The top three winners will be awarded at a ceremony prior to the screening of the winning films on Thursday 22nd May in the Bunuel Theatre.
‘On An Infinite Loop’ (Short Film Corner)
Another Singapore title, ‘On An Infinite Loop’, will participate at the Short Film Corner (14-22 May), a platform for filmmakers to showcase content for possible selection at international festivals, as well as network with other talents and meet potential business partners and distributors.
The film is directed by Allysa Sing and produced by Benjamin Lee, and features a story about a daughter who revisits her old apartment after ten years, and discovers that her distant father is living there with someone else.
For more information on the Singapore films and their directors, please refer to http://bit.ly/1iI9c6j.
For a list of Singapore films that have been selected at the Cannes Film Festival since 1997, please refer to http://bit.ly/1jx7aXw.
About Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation and interactive digital media industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interests of consumers, and promotes a connected society. MDA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information (www.mci.gov.sg).
About Singapore Film Commission
The Singapore Film Commission was formed in 1998 and is part of the Media Development Authority (MDA) since 2003. The SFC is made up of an advisory committee comprising 18 members from the film, arts and cultural community, and is supported by a Secretariat within the MDA. The SFC has, over the years, supported more than 500 short films, scripts, feature films, as well as film-related events in Singapore that showcase homegrown talent and works. Some notable films by new and upcoming filmmakers include 4:30 (Royston Tan), Sandcastle (Boo Junfeng), and Where the Road Meets the Sun (Yong Mun Chee).
Source: Singapore Film Commission (via ACN Newswire/Korea Bizwire)
