New Waves

New Waves shines a spotlight on filmmakers who are making an impact through their storytelling, with a focus on building a film community within Southeast Asia. In this fourth edition, New Waves is transformed into an intimate weekend of screenings and a panel discussion. We illuminate the past, present, and future generations making their mark in the region and beyond. Join our sessions and get a glimpse at these exciting works in anticipation of the 30th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival from 21 Nov–––1 Dec 2019.

SCHEDULE
12 – 13 July 2019
VENUE
*SCAPE Gallery (Level 5)

TICKETING
Free seating.
Tickets are priced at $5 per session.
Bundle discount available (purchase 4 tickets for the price of 3 across all sessions).

SESSIONS

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY DIALOGUE WITH
FRAN BORGIA MODERATED BY JEREMY CHUA

Since his arrival in 2004, Spanish-born producer Fran Borgia has been steadily working behind the scenes with passionate determination and a keen eye. His early creative collaborations in the short films of Boo Junfeng, K. Rajagopal and Ho Tzu Nyen set them on a path to critical acclaim. Borgia’s oeuvre now includes the stellar successes of Apprentice (2016), A Yellow Bird (2016), and Yeo Siew Hua’s Golden Leopard-winning A Land Imagined (2018). New Waves examines his career through his collaborations with Singapore’s foremost filmmakers, and pays homage to Borgia as an invaluable and respected figure in the regional landscape.

SPEAKERS

The Singapore-based founder of Akanga Film Asia, FRAN BORGIA has produced films such as Ho Tzu Nyen’s Here (2009), K. Rajagopal’s A Yellow Bird (2016) and Boo Junfeng’s Sandcastle (2010) and Apprentice (2016). His latest production, A Land Imagined (2018) by Yeo Siew Hua, became the first Singaporean winner of the prestigious Locarno Film Festival’s Golden Leopard Award.

JEREMY CHUA is an independent film producer and screenwriter. In 2014, he founded his company Potocol and has co-produced films as A Yellow Bird by K. Rajagopal (2016), A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery by Lav Diaz (2016), Brotherhood by Pepe Diokno (2016) and A Family Tour by Ying Liang (2018). A Yellow Bird was his first feature screenplay.

SHORT FILM SCREENING

BLACK AND WHITE AND SILENCE
DIR. FRAN BORGIA / SINGAPORE / 2012 / 12 MIN / PG

A is a young, infertile preschool teacher who yearns to be a mother. K is a five-year-old boy about to have a little sister. Their lives and dreams intertwine, now and into the future.

THE FLAME
DIR. K. RAJAGOPAL / SINGAPORE / 2015 / 17 MIN / PG

As the British Royal Air Forces prepare to leave Singapore, an Indian family who were loyal servants are faced with a life-changing offer of British citizenship – a reward for their years of service.

KATONG FUGUE
DIR. BOO JUNFENG / SINGAPORE / 2007 / 10 MIN / PG

Adapted from the short play by Alfian Sa’at, Katong Fugue depicts the fragile relationship between a mother desperately trying to reach out to her gay, closeted son with a hidden life.

THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING
DIR. HO TZU NYEN / SINGAPORE / 2011 / 28 MIN / PG

Based on a 14th-century treatise on the sensory experience of faith, eight figures in a soon-to-be-demolished HDB encounter a magical and mysterious cloud, connecting their seemingly disjointed lives.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY DIALOGUE WITH
FILMMAKERS MODERATED BY LEONG PUIYEE

The women in this programme offer a myriad of stories – tied together through a singular unmistakable gaze: relationships forged and not easily forgotten, the devastating tenacity of motherhood, of burgeoning female sexuality and monstrous femininity. Join them as these 6 Southeast Asian filmmakers discuss their collective experiences and events that have impacted their work, and what it means to be a woman in film in the current Southeast Asia film scene.

SPEAKERS

GLADYS NG‘s films reflect her nature, nuanced and subtle, interspersed with wry humour. My Father After Dinner was awarded Best Singapore Short Film at the 26th SGIFF, and the festival-commissioned short The Pursuit of a Happy Human Life opened the 27th edition. Her latest short, Still is Time, was in competition at Uppsala International Film Festival.

Thai filmmaker JIRASSAYA WONGSUTIN gained recognition when her short films garnered the Best Student Short Film Prize for three consecutive years at the Thai Short Film and Video Festival. Her thesis film That Day of The Month won the Grand Prize at the 26th Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, and Special Jury Mention at the 37th Clermont-Ferrand ISFF.

With her first film Bird (2013), writer-director KRIS ONG was nominated for a record 8 prizes at the 2014 Singapore Short Film Awards. Kris was the youngest participant at the SGIFF Southeast Asian Film Lab in 2014, and her short film You Idiot premiered at the 29th SGIFF. She is the co-writer on He Shuming’s SEAFIC-award winner Ajoomma.

LINH DUONG is a Vietnamese independent filmmaker. Her trilogy of shorts centered on middle-aged women and their sufferings is largely influenced by her mother. She previously attended the Asian Film Academy, Locarno Summer Academy and Fantastic Film School, all of which offered great inspiration and encouragement for her filmmaking career. Linh is currently developing her feature debut.

A Berlinale Talents and Asian Film Academy alumnus, Singaporean director, writer and editor NICOLE MIDORI WOODFORD‘s works focus on the myriad portraits, trials and traumas of female protagonists. Nicole’s debut feature project, You Are There, was selected in SGIFF’s Southeast Asian Lab. It won two prizes at the SEAFIC lab and the Co-Production award at Torino Film Lab.

An alumna of Berlinale Talents Campus and Locarno Filmmakers Academy, AMANDA NELL EU‘s works explore the female body and identity within the context of Southeast Asia. Her previous short film, It’s Easier to Raise Cattle, premiered in competition at the 74th Venice Film Festival. Amanda is developing her first feature film Tiger Stripes, set in Malaysia.

LEONG PUIYEE is a Programme Manager at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) overseeing the short film and Singapore Panorama programmes. Additionally, Puiyee manages the the film programme and projects at Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film. She was also part of the selection committee of the inaugural Singapore Shorts 2018 programme.

FILM SCREENING

YING & SUMMER
DIR. GLADYS NG / SINGAPORE / 2011 / 11 MIN / PG

Ying & Summer explores the immigrant experience through the eyes of Ying, a young shy Chinese girl settling in within the urban landscape of Melbourne.

SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND
DIR. JIRASSAYA WONGSUTIN / THAILAND / 2012 / 13 MIN / PG

Meen and June, two Thai 18-year old girls play badminton together after-school. Meen challenges June to defeat her.

BIRD
DIR. KRISTEN ONG / SINGAPORE / 2014 / 16 MIN / NC16 – MATURE CONTENT 内容只宜十六岁及以上

Two young women revisit their past relationship at an abandoned house which threatens to be torn down for redevelopment.

MOTHER, DAUGHTER, DREAMS
DIR. DUONG DIEU LINH / VIETNAM / 2018 / 19 MIN / PG 13 – SOME COARSE LANGUAGE

Phuong’s father vanishes one night after yet another quarrel with her mother. As the search for their man goes on, the two women find themselves trapped in the maze of their own unfinished dreams.

PERMANENT RESIDENT
DIR. NICOLE MIDORI WOODFORD / SINGAPORE / 2014 / 21 MIN / PG

A middle-aged woman lives near the Little Guilin quarry. She creates a persona as a prospective buyer arranging to view several condominiums, claiming a token or memento from each resident.

VINEGAR BATHS
DIR. AMANDA NELL EU / MALAYSIA / 2018 / 14 MIN / M18 (SOME DISTURBING SCENES)

A tired and overworked nurse at the maternity ward finds joy when she is alone roaming the hospital corridors at night. It’s the time when she can finally eat.

SCREENING FOLLOWED BY SKYPE CONVERSATION WITH
ANTHONY CHEN MODERATED BY BOO JUNFENG

In anticipation of his eagerly awaited sophomore effort Wet Season, New Waves spotlights the short films of Anthony Chen. Collectively, Chen’s short films have screened at Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Busan, London, Sao Paulo, Stockholm, Sydney, Montreal, Melbourne, Chicago, and Hawaii. The programme will chart his rise to prominence from his debut short film G23 in 2005, and his development into one of the key voices and leaders in the new wave of Singapore filmmakers winning accolades and acclaim both in the local and international scene.

SPEAKERS

Following his award-winning short films, Singapore filmmaker ANTHONY CHEN’s debut feature Ilo Ilo premiered in 2013 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and was unanimously awarded the Camera d’Or, becoming first Singapore feature to be awarded at Cannes. It won four Golden Horse Awards at the 50th Golden Horse Awards and was Singapore’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film.

BOO JUNFENG wrote and directed several award-winning short films before his debut feature, Sandcastle (2010) became the first Singapore film invited to Cannes Critics’ Week. Apprentice premiered at Cannes Un Certain Regard, and was Singapore’s Best Foreign Language Film entry for the Academy Awards. Boo has been conferred the Young Artist Award and the Singapore Youth Award.

FILM SCREENING

HAZE
SINGAPORE / 2008 / 15 MIN / R21 – SEXUAL SCENES

On a hot humid day, Singapore is shrouded by the haze from Indonesia. Two teenagers skip school to idle the time away, and an innocent love affair plays out indoors.

G23
SINGAPORE / 2005 / 19 MIN / PG

The lives of three characters intertwine through a ticket-tearer working at the local Indian cinema, who soon develops an interest in the stories of his patrons.

AH MA
SINGAPORE / 2007 / 15 MIN / PG

Ah Ma is lying in the hospital, her life hanging by a thread. Her family gathers by her deathbed, each struggling to come to terms with the impending end.

KARUNG GUNI
SINGAPORE / 2012 / 8 MIN / PG

A chance encounter between strangers, a foreigner and a local, results in the possibility of an unlikely friendship.

LIGHTHOUSE
SINGAPORE / 2010 / 24 MIN / PG13 – COURSE LANGUAGE 粗俗语言

A mother takes her three children on a road trip but finds that home cannot easily be left behind.

PANEL DISCUSSION WITH
AMANDA NELL EU, NICOLE MIDORI WOODFORD, NELSON YEO, M. RAIHAN HALIM
MODERATED BY ALFIAN SA’AT

This generation of Southeast Asian filmmakers has increasingly eschewed more classical forms of narrative in favour of a more urgent experiential type of storytelling. Their approach is rooted in the contemporary, weaving together fragmentary images and haunting sounds drawn from the region’s own ever-shifting socio-political landscapes. Join celebrated Singaporean writer Alfian Sa’at and filmmakers Amanda Nell Eu, Nicole Midori Woodford, Nelson Yeo and M Raihan Halim as they share their journeys and creative divergences, their upcoming feature works, and where they situate their films within the diverse tapestry of Southeast Asian cinema.

SPEAKERS

An alumna of Berlinale Talents Campus and Locarno Filmmakers Academy, AMANDA NELL EU‘s works explore the female body and identity within the context of Southeast Asia. Her previous short film, It’s Easier to Raise Cattle, premiered in competition at the 74th Venice Film Festival. Amanda is developing her first feature film Tiger Stripes, set in Malaysia.

A Berlinale Talents and Asian Film Academy alumnus, Singaporean director, writer and editor NICOLE MIDORI WOODFORD‘s works focus on the myriad portraits, trials and traumas of female protagonists. Nicole’s debut feature project, You Are There, was selected in SGIFF’s Southeast Asian Lab. It won two prizes at the SEAFIC lab and the Co-Production award at Torino Film Lab.

Singaporean filmmaker NELSON YEO graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Filmmaking from Nanyang Technological University in 2011. He participated in Berlinale Talents Tokyo 2014, BiFan Fantastic Film School 2015 and Locarno Filmmakers Academy 2018. He is currently developing his debut feature film, which was selected for SGIFF Southeast Asian Film Lab in 2017.

M. RAIHAN HALIM has pushed the boundaries of storytelling with TV series like SR115 which won Best Original Screenplay at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. His debut feature, Banting, screened at the 34th Hawaii International Film Festival and had a successful commercial run in Singapore theatres. He is currently in post-production for his next film, Ibu.

ALFIAN SA’AT is a Resident Playwright with W!LD RICE. His published works include three collections of poetry, One Fierce Hour, A History of Amnesia and The Invisible Manuscript, a collection of short stories, Corridor, a collection of flash fiction, Malay Sketches, two collections of plays as well as the published play Cooling Off Day.