25th Singapore International Film Festival – new team, logo & vision

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) has unveiled its new Board and Executive Team as it returns for its 25th edition this year. The re-launch of SGIFF sees its new Executive Team investing in building and strengthening relationships within the film community and reinforcing the quality of film programming.

The new Executive Team is helmed by award-winning film producer, curator and arts manager Yuni Hadi as Executive Director. Hadi co-produced the film ʻIlo Iloʼ directed by Anthony Chen (winner of the Camera dʼOr award and Best Feature Film at Golden Horse Awards). Hadi was formerly the Festival Director for the 21st edition of the Festival and was Festival Manager for the 20th edition.

“Over the last 25 years, the Festival has helped develop not only a whole generation of film directors, but has also nurtured a new generation of audience that has a more sophisticated palette and appetite for films beyond the mainstream fare. Today, our local distributors are offering a more adventurous menu of films that offer diversity for the average movie-goer. We cannot deny the integral role Singapore International Film Festival has played in building the film industry we have today,” says Ms. Hadi.

Leading the film programming is Festival Director, Zhang Wenjie, who has headed the National Museum of Singapore Cinémathèque and The Substation Moving Images while initiating film programmes such as First Take and Singapore Short Cuts during his time. Zhang was also Festival Co-Director for the 22nd edition of the Festival.

“Through the years, the Festival has played a vital role in cultivating appreciation for film as an art form, and has been a pioneer in championing local and Asian independent cinema, with many of the now most revered filmmakers getting their first start at the festival. More than just a film festival, it is one of Singapore’s most venerable cultural institutions. A key mission of the festival has always been the nurturing and discovery of new filmmakers, and this year we are expanding the short film category of the Silver Screen Awards to include Southeast Asian short films to recognise the brightest new talents in short filmmaking from around the region,” Mr. Zhang says.

Heading its marketing is Marketing Manager, Karen Wai, co-founder of BooksActually and Math Paper Press. An advocate for the nurturing of emerging talents, Wai used to be educated as a film major and works across diverse creative fields. This is the first time she is involved with the Festival.

“The Festival has always been about its people – the filmmaking community and the filmgoers. This is deeply reflective of its art form that honours the spirit of empathy, inclusion and the value of individual points-of-view. As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, we are striving to bridge the gap between the filmmaker and the filmgoer in a series of campaigns that offers individuals to reflect and articulate values and lessons that film offers them. We are also extending our reach across the different platforms through collaborations with local creatives in design, music and writing. We will also be partnering ground-up initiatives who have been quietly supporting the film industry through the years,” says Ms. Wai.

The new Board is led by Chairman, Mr. Mike Wiluan, Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Studios. Other board members include Janice Koh, Actor and Nominated Member of Parliament; Ms. Shaw Soo Wei, the former Executive Director for the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society; Michael Lim, Assistant Director, Animation and Digital Arts, NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia; Lee Chor Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Arts Festival Limited; Lynette Pang, Assistant Chief Executive of Marketing at Singapore Tourism Board; Sebastian Tan, Group Managing Director of Shooting Gallery Asia; and Elim Chew, Founder and President of 77th Street.

A new SGIFF logo, designed by Bates Chi & Partners, the Festivalʼs Brand Partner, has also been unveiled. Paying tribute to the original logo, the new logo highlights Singapore “SG” as its focus and includes variations that can be used in unconventional ways.

“The new Logo’s design foundation is a respectful nod to the festival’s celebrated 25 year pedigree that became a synonymous platform for the best of emerging and historical Southeast Asian cinema. The additional edgy tweaks is a refreshing outlook that signifies the rejuvenation of our approach to engage with the new generation of film auteurs and cinephiles,” Mr. Wiluan says.

The Festival will take place in December, and will be held under the umbrella of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), hosted by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), and organized by Reed Exhibitions, Contineo Media and SGIFF Ltd. The SMF is set to become one of Asiaʼs leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia for Film and TV. SGIFF will be held in conjunction with three other complimentary events: the Asia Television Forum & Market (ATF), ScreenSingapore (SS) and Asian Television Awards (ATA).

The SGIFF will also bringing back the Silver Screen Awards, the competition section of the Film Festival to discover emerging talent and recognize the best films in the region. SGIFF opens its call for entries on 25 March. Its competition section will be for Asian feature films and Southeast Asian & Singapore short films. SGIFF will also be setting up an International Advisory Board led by award-winning Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo.

“As a Festival, we value the role that film has played in telling the stories that need to be told. SGIFF has always been at the forefront of discovering film talents from this region. This has created a wider Southeast Asian film community that has allowed us to share resources and exchange ideas. We are deeply invested in continuing this tradition of SGIFF.” says Ms. Hadi.

The Singapore International Film Festival will run from 4th till 14th of December, 2014. Film submissions are now open till 15th September, 2014. Submissions may be made through the Festival website (http://sgiff.com/submissions/). More information on the Festival and its schedules will be released at a later date.