Stronger Together – providing inspiration and hope through rich and meaningful stories

1. Good morning all.

2. I am very happy to be here with you today to launch the ciNE65 2021 Film Festival.

'Stronger Together'

3. The theme for this year's Festival is “Stronger, Together”.  NEXUS has invited local filmmakers to share stories that reflect how Singaporeans come together in times of adversity. Societal resilience is an issue that will always be significant and relevant but even more so given our experiences confronting COVID over the past year and a half.

ciNE65 and the visual arts strengthen our sense of belonging and commitment to the nation

4. 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 that we call home. These stories offer us glimpses into experiences and worlds that might be novel and unfamiliar to us, and 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 a Singaporean.

5. ciNE65 celebrates Singapore's ongoing journey to forge a society that is bound together by our shared values and ideals, a society that can overcome odds to thrive. It celebrates our resilience and can-do spirit, our diversity, our shared endeavours and memories.

6. The films in ciNE65 provide an accessible medium for us to appreciate, convey and negotiate our identities as Singaporeans. They offer a platform not only to portray Singapore as is, but also to envision Singapore as it could be.
   
   

On this year's edition of Cine65

7. The Festival will be open to the public from tomorrow, 23 July, till Sunday, 25 July. It will take place here in this theatre, and at the Grand Cathay on Saturday and Sunday.

8. This will be an exclusive opportunity for film enthusiasts to experience a curated selection of local films on the big screen, and allow members of the public to appreciate the skills and creativity that have gone into producing these uniquely Singapore films.

9. This year, there are three showcases by the talented Huang Jun Xiang [黄俊翔], Chong Yu Lun [钟育伦] and Ervin Han.

   a. Jun Xiang [俊翔] co-produced “Ramen Teh”, a Singaporean, Japanese, and French film that speaks about the power of food, memory, and familial ties. The film also features Singapore's hybridity and multiculturalism. He will share more about his thoughts and experiences later.

10. ciNE65 provides opportunities for budding and amateur filmmakers to learn more about filmmaking, gain exposure and showcase their talents. The Festival will also screen films from our ciNE65 alumni and partners, Yu Lun [育伦] and Ervin.

    a. Yu Lun [育伦] was a participant in ciNE65 10 years ago and has gone on to establish his own production company. His showcase will explore the theme of resilience and strength amidst adversity. For instance, one of his short films, 'Dim Sum', is about a lady who lost her job during the pandemic  and has to care for her grandmother with dementia. Her grandmother's condition deteriorates during the circuit breaker period, so she decides to motivate her by making their favourite meal together.

    b. Ervin, on the other hand, has always been a strong supporter of our efforts to tell the Singapore story through film and animation. Some of his animated films, which include the Singapore Bicentennial Trilogy, will be featured in the Festival. The trilogy explores Singapore's milestones in 1299, 1819, and 2019 – and they capture a sense of who we are as one people.

11. We hope that local filmmakers can continue to provide hope, motivation and encouragement to Singaporeans through your story-telling.

12. May we all be inspired by the rich and meaningful stories about the place we call home. Stay safe and take care.

13. Thank you.