Telling stories of Singaporeans from the 1970s to the 1990s through a series of short films, this groundbreaking project is a collaboration between 15 local filmmakers, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, and film company, Blue3Asia.
Singapore, 8 February, 2018 – The first five films of 15 Shorts were unveiled in a private screening earlier today. This is a landmark film project between local film company Blue3Asia, the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) and 15 Singaporean filmmakers, produced together with AMOK, in support of the SG Cares movement.
The 15 Shorts film project showcases lesser-told stories of everyday Singaporean heroes in the 1970s to the 1990s, aimed at inspiring acts of giving. The films aim to raise awareness on critical and emergent social issues such as, social isolation faced by the elderly, identification and support of learning disabilities and autism, as well as the fair treatment of migrant workers.
Melissa Kwee, Chief Executive Officer of NVPC said, “The film series unearths historical figures and themes which portray the universal and transcendent values which have built our Singapore society. We believe it is important to remember that the courageous giving spirit has always been part of who we are.”
She continued, “The stories capture Singaporeans who dared to do what was right and not just popular or allowed, Singaporeans who cared unreasonably for people who could not repay the kindness and made efforts to ensure no one was left behind. Their compassion for their neighbours continues to inspire us today. In our rush to be developed and modern, we must never forget what has made us and kept us strong as a people.”
The five films previewed as part of the first phase of the project were: Shelter by Sean Ng, One At A Time by Daniel Yam, The Buddy by Jason Lee, Waiting Room by Nicole Midori Woodford, and Ali Baba by Randy Ang. About 200 people attended the screening at Filmgarde Bugis+, including the directors, film subjects, sponsors and donors, and partners. Each film director has dedicated his or her film to a charity in Singapore, whose cause is in line with the respective theme(s) of their films. In addition, One At A Time was given an early preview at the SG Cares Carnival, which was attended by Prime Minister Lee, on 13 January 2018.
Leading the 15 Shorts project is veteran filmmaker Daniel Yun. He said, “Some filmmakers and I believe there are Singapore stories that have not been told – especially during our nation building years when the main narrative was about surviving the odds. We have a culture of campaigns, including campaigns to be gracious and kind. Some of the untold stories will show that graciousness, kindness and selflessness have always been there, right from our striving years. We hope the millennials will get to know the people behind these stories.”
Yun adds, “I took it as a personal challenge to convince a diverse group of 15 local directors to come onboard. Having filmmakers like Eric, Kelvin, Rajagopal come together with Junfeng, Kristen, along with the new directors and online creators, will provide vastly different interpretations of these stories. Thank you NVPC, for helping make this project happen and the team for uncovering some of the most inspiring stories hidden in our archives.”
All 15 films will be hosted on a dedicated microsite, www.15shorts.com, following their release. In addition to acting as a consolidated portal for all films (both released and trailers for the yet-to-be-released), the microsite redirects viewers to NVPC’s online giving platform Giving.sg, where they can support the corresponding charities and contribute towards these causes.
The five films will subsequently be made available through online and offline channels, appearing on the big screen, broadcast, and various digital video platforms, including Singapore-based online video entertainment platform Viddsee, Mediacorp’s free-to-air channel, Channel 5, and online interactive service, Toggle from February to March. From May 2018, these films will also be released on Singapore Airlines’ inflight entertainment system, KrisWorld. The remaining films are targeted for release in phases till end 2019.
This project is supported by Our Singapore Fund and is in support of SG Cares, a national movement to support efforts of ground-up volunteerism in Singapore, to build a more caring and inclusive home for all.
GETTING INVOLVED
Funding for these films has been supported by foundations, corporates, and individual Singaporeans through crowdfunding. This is a unique chance to get involved in community-based film philanthropy. Sourcing for funding for the next 10 films is currently on-going. The next five films will be launched at the end of 2018 and the remaining five in 2019. Interested parties or individuals can make either a cheque donation (payable to ‘Community Foundation of Singapore’, indicating ‘Stories of Us Fund’ at the back of the cheque) or an online donation at www.giving.sg/campaigns/15shortfilms.
All donations made by Singapore tax residents will qualify for tax deductions. The Stories of Us Fund is administered by Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) which will disburse monies in accordance to recommendations made by the Fund’s Grant Advisory Committee.
— END —
For media queries and interviews, please contact:
Jessica Chai Pei Shan
NVPC, Lead, Comms and PR
HP: 9823 8554
Email: [email protected]
