Support for Local Artistes Taking Part in International Film Festivals

Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Communications and Information in light of Anthony Chen's film Ilo Ilo which won the Camera d'Or award for best feature at the recent Cannes Film Festival (a) whether the Ministry will consider providing more support, including sponsorship of the trip for more members of the cast and crew, to promote a Singapore film when it is shortlisted for a prestigious prize; (b) whether the Ministry can enhance existing support to help local artistes participating in prestigious international festivals; and (c) how can the Ministry recognise or reward the achievements of local artistes when they win prestigious international prizes.

Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: We are proud that film director Anthony Chen has brought home the coveted Camera d'Or prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, for best debut feature film. Anthony's Ilo Ilo, a heartwarming Singapore story, has touched the hearts of international audiences and is an inspiration to budding directors.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) had recognised Anthony's and Ilo Ilo's potential and supported the project under the New Feature Film Fund in 2011 3 . At that time, the Film Fund had operated on a co-investment model that aimed to help new film directors work on feature-length films for theatrical, festival or broadcast platforms. It has recently been changed to a grant model with the same objective, and is now called the New Talent Feature Grant. It provides a grant of S$250,000 or 100% of the production budget, whichever is lower. The films can be of a variety of genres, including documentaries and those with artistic and cultural value.

The MDA has also put in place grant schemes that are tailored to the needs of the media industry. For each stage of a project, from idea development to production, to gaining access to international markets and talent development, there is a scheme that will help the media sector achieve its objectives. In particular, the Marketing Assistance Scheme helps defray the cost of travel, as well as marketing and promotions of the product at key festivals or trade events around the world. In addition, the Singapore Film Commission or SFC, which is part of the MDA, works with the local film community to identify and provide a platform to showcase award-winning local films, such as cinema and television screenings under the Watch Local initiative, as well as on the SGFilm Youtube Channel.

For Ilo Ilo, MDA supported its participation at Cannes Film Festival under the Marketing Assistance Scheme. Given the prestige of the event and the award, additional support was provided by sponsoring a post-screening networking reception to celebrate the world premiere of the film in Cannes. MDA also took up advertisements in key international trade publications to promote the film during the festival.

In recognition of this first win for Singapore, the SFC is providing further financial support to promote and market Ilo Ilo for its screening in Singapore and festival participation overseas. MDA is also working with the producers of Ilo Ilo to profile Anthony in the media, given his achievement and contribution to the film community. MDA will continue to gather learning points and review existing support schemes to further facilitate local artistes’ participation in prestigious international festivals.

Mr Baey also asked about awards that recognise individuals' artistic contributions. The National Arts Council (NAC) distinguishes outstanding individuals for their artistic achievements and contribution to the arts and cultural sector, including film, through the Cultural Medallion and the Young Artist Award. These awards come with a grant to help support their continuous artistic pursuit. For instance, Anthony Chen was conferred the Young Artist Award (YAA) in 2009 in recognition of his works and potential as a film-maker, and the YAA grant had enabled Anthony to develop his script Ilo Ilo.

Further to these, the National Youth Council (NYC) also awards the Singapore Youth Award (SYA), the highest youth accolade in Singapore, to young Singaporeans whose excellence in their respective fields and contribution to the nation serve as an inspiration and/or role model to other youths. Past SYA recipients include the film-makers, Mr Boo Junfeng and Mr Royston Tan. Finally, to recognise Singaporeans who have made exceptional achievements in the field of arts, sports, science, business, profession and labour movement, PMO administers the Public Service Medal during the National Day Awards. Past recipients from the film industry include Mr Jack Neo. We hope to see more artistes and media industry practitioners receive these awards in future.

Ilo Ilo's win augurs well for the Singapore film community. The MDA and the NAC will also be working together to see how we can further develop the Singapore film industry and enhance existing mechanisms that nurture Singapore's creative talents and help them make their mark on the local and international stage.

Note(s) to Question No(s) 91:

3 Anthony Chen's short film, Ah Ma (Grandma) was also supported by MDA under the SFC Short Film Grant. It was selected for competition in the LES COURTS METRAGES EN COMPETITION where short films compete for the Palme d'Or Short Film award and a Jury Prize.