Film: ciNE65 2021 Film Festival – Stronger Together

The ciNE65 2021 Film Festival celebrating short films produced by local filmmakers was launched at the Singapore Discovery Centre iWERKS theatre.

The film festival is the gathering of budding filmmakers seeking new voices and fresh perspectives in the local filmmaking scene. Open to the public at the iWERKS theatre and The Grand Cathay, the film festival will showcase a variety of short films including award-winning local short films, ciNE65 current and past commissioned films, and animated films curated by renowned film director Ervin Han. 

Rising Singaporean filmmakers, such as Huang Junxiang – the co-director of this year’s NDP music video, The Road Ahead – will have their works spotlighted at the film festival during the SG Filmmaker’s showcase time blocks. The film festival will also feature this season’s top film entries for the short film competition known as the “ciNE65 Movie Makers Awards”. Based on the theme ‘Stronger, Together’, these shortlisted film entries are evocative of our unique Singaporean context and story, with several films that explore how people in Singapore have braved adversity amidst a raging pandemic.

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Social and Family Development, said: “Over the years, ciNE65 has become a national showcase for stories that explore our emotional connection to Singapore and affirm our sense of belonging to the place we call home.”

“These stories offer us glimpses into experiences and worlds that might be novel and unfamiliar to us, even if they are set in Singapore. They expand our understanding of the Singapore experience, of the lives of our fellow Singaporeans. In doing so, they create a more expansive sense of “us” and what it means to be Singaporean.”

– Mr Eric Chua, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Huang Junxiang, featured Director for ciNE65 2021 Film Festival, said, “ciNE65 has forged a local community of aspiring filmmakers, fostering a greater exchange of ideas. With the film festival, ciNE65 has provided yet another avenue where local filmmakers can showcase their works to the public on the big screen. The presence of ciNE65 has nourished the growth of the local film industry, and I hope to see many participating filmmakers further hone their craft.”

The ciNE65 festival 2021, run by So Drama!  Entertainment, will be followed by the ciNE65 Awards Ceremony on 28th July 2021, where the winners of the ciNE65 Movie Makers Award, Jury’s Choice Awards, Audience Choice Awards and Inter-school Challenge will be announced.

The ciNE65 festival 2021 runs from 23rd to 25th July 2021 at the iWERKS Theatre and The Grand Cathay. Tickets available from Eventbrite