Singapore, AUG 19 2018 – Two outstanding Singaporean short films, ‘The Drum’ and ‘Such Is LIfe’, were honoured at the inaugural Viddsee Juree Awards Singapore, an initiative that celebrates and supports filmmaker communities in Asia.
The Gold winner is Ler Jiyuan for ‘The Drum’, a 25-minute short film that follows the journey of Kang (Wang Yuqing, whose previous work includes ‘The Flying Fish’, and ‘Joys of Life’), a recently retired man in his 60s dealing with the sudden onset of a late-life crisis and a strained relationship with his son.
Said Jiyuan: “I’m proud to have competed amongst such a talented bunch of finalists who have made such good films. I believe our identity lies in the stories we tell; it’s important for us and the younger generation to make films that tell about Singapore in the way that it is, rather than the sanitised version of it.”
Taking Silver was was Kaizer Thng , whose 19-minute dark comedy ‘Such Is Life’ is centered around Jonathan, a junior undertaker, who gets schooled in his new profession by Dennis, a veteran in the field.
Said Kaizer: “I hope this award encourages people to do more genre films beyond comedy, like musicals, action films, and period pieces. They’re not easy to make; and for dark comedies, writing jokes in a country with so many laws and restrictions regarding religion and race isn’t easy. It’s difficult, but it’s better to try and fail than to not try at all.”
The winners were picked by a jury that comprises Elvert Bañares, the Filipino festival director of CineKasimanwa: Western Visayas Film Festival; Singaporean screenwriter and director Don Aravind; and Bastian Meiresonne, the artistic director for the Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in France.
Gold and Silver winners were awarded film production grants from Viddsee worth SG$8,000 and SG$4,000 respectively, along with audio equipment provided by RØDE Microphones. The Gold winner also won a five-day Global Film & TV Program in Los Angeles sponsored by the Motion Picture Association (MPA). All ten shortlisted finalists received a 12-month Creative Cloud All Apps subscription worth US$560 each from Adobe.
Aside from the main awards, Xinming Ng ’s ‘Longevity Peach’ took home the Audience Choice Award, which included an Apple TV, following a two-week online voting period on Viddsee.com. Said Xinming: “Making this film made me realise how I never really spent enough time with my grandparents, and I hope it encourages the younger generation spend more time with their grandparents, and understand their ways.”
In the run up to the awards ceremony on August 19 at The Projector, Blue Room, Viddsee held a two-day programme at *SCAPE Gallery that included film screenings and panel discussions about film funding and incentives, content marketing and the changing role of women in film.
For more information on Viddsee Juree Awards Singapore 2018 and to view the films, visit https://www.viddsee.com/channel/juree/singapore2018 .
For more information, stills and images of the Gold and Silver winners, visit
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1M0WrAkBa9y7jv8orKPJLKQIuNddEPJue?usp=sharin g
For more information on all the shortlisted judges, films and stills, visit
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1XCgO9Hn5Q5OMl0IYL6pECtpJHftqyNYJ
Jury Citations
Gold Winner | Viddsee Juree Awards Singapore 2018 https://www.viddsee.com/video/the-drum/h4q5n
Winning Film : The Drum
Director : Ler Jiyuan
Citation by Jury member Bastian Meiresonne : "For its highly sensible and human portrayal of the revealing of a mid-life depressed man to the true meaning of life; for striking an equal balance between storytelling and technical quality, helping in the wonderful dramatic dramatic dynamics of its pace and internal rhythm, aptly echoing the beats of the drums and the characters in the film.”
Read our interview with Ler about his film here: https://buzz.viddsee.com/meet-viddsee-juree-finalist-ler-jiyuan-drum
Silver Winner | Viddsee Juree Awards Singapore 2018 https://www.viddsee.com/video/such-is-life/gapbg
Winning Film : Such Is Life
Director : Kaizer Thng
Citation by Jury member Elvert Bañares : “For its playful yet sensitive use of death and life as a metaphor to portray domestic relationships in a manner that is unique and different from the usual; and for choosing to tell the story in a manner that involves good use of dark humor equally mixing it with warmth, effectively representing the characters’ inner feelings, nuances and cultural connections.”
Read our interview with Kaizer about his film here: https://buzz.viddsee.com/meet-viddsee-juree-finalist-kaizer-thng-of-such-is-life
About Ler Jiyuan
Ler Jiyuan is a Singaporean filmmaker who is experienced in telling stories across multiple formats. His diverse portfolio that includes telemovies ‘Gone Case’, based on the award-winning novel by Dave Chua, and ‘The Love Machine’, which was nominated for five awards at the 2016 Asian Television Awards (ATA). His other Singaporean TV projects include the Channel 5 drama serials ‘Fiends and Foes’, ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘Zero Calling’, which won him a nomination for Best Direction in the 2015 ATA. He is the writer and director for short films ‘The Drum’, which was in competition at the 2017 Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, and ‘Paper House’, which premiered at the Singapore Chinese Film Festival. He is currently working on an HBO Asia Original, ‘Grisse’, which is slated for release at the end of 2018.
About Kaizer Thng
Kaizer Thng graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (Digital Filmmaking) from the School of Art, Design and Media in Nanyang Technological University. In his current role as Video Content Strategist at SGAG, Kaizer writes, directs, edits, and composes music for a number of commercial projects, including ‘Lah Lah Land’ (2018), a musical comedy commissioned by the Singapore Health Promotion Board. His portfolio as director includes short films like ‘Trapper’ (2016) and ‘Tools of the Trade’ (2015), which won the Audience Choice Award at the 48 Hours Film Competition Singapore. He strives to explore genres and narratives that are considered unconventional in Singapore.
About Viddsee Juree Awards
Viddsee Juree Awards is an initiative celebrating the entertainment industry's picks of Asian short films from all genres: fiction, documentary and animation. For the Viddsee Juree Awards Singapore 2018, stories were picked from the brightest talents and upcoming filmmakers, and judged by a panel of international judges and showcased online. Juree is part of Viddsee’s commitment to celebrate and support filmmakers and film communities in Asia.
About Viddsee
Viddsee is a leading video entertainment platform for short premium content. With over 1 billion views powered by data insights and a trusted community, we empower storytellers by enabling the creation of films and amplifying stories to targeted audiences.
Media contacts
John Lim john@viddsee.com
