April 28, 2022, 05:11 PM
Are you an aspiring filmmaker who dreams of making insightful documentaries like Free Solo or Icarus? Or perhaps you love to geek out over how an animator brings a 2D drawing to life on the big screen.
Well, here’s your chance to fulfil these aspirations and get recognised because the National Youth Film Awards (NYFA) is calling for entries.
What is the NYFA?
Currently in its eighth edition, the NYFA is a platform to showcase talent, cultivate a community of like-minded film enthusiasts, and create further opportunities for aspiring filmmakers.
You can submit either a documentary, an animation, or a live-action short through one of two categories:
- Student
- Open Youth
This competition is open to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 35 years and below. Click here to read the terms and conditions.
There are 11 awards in each category to be won. Each award comes with a S$1,000 cash prize and trophy:
- Best Sound Design
- Best Art Direction
- Best Editing
- Best Screenplay
- Best Cinematography
- Best Director
- Best Original Music
- Best Performance
- Best Documentary
- Best Animation
- Best Live Action
The NYFA also promises attractive prizes from Mocha Chai Laboratories, Sony, Cathay Photo and more. Details will be released here.
What else is in it for aspiring filmmakers?
Aside from the prizes, aspiring filmmakers can look forward to further opportunities courtesy of NYFA’s Film Facilitation Programme.
NYFA nominees and winners will get a chance to further develop their craft through a one-on-one mentorship with renowned filmmakers.
Selected short films will receive seed funding of S$10,000 through *SCAPE and its partners.
Under the 2020 Film Facilitation Programme, three NYFA films made it to major film festivals.
“Strawberry Cheesecake”, a horror short directed by Siyou Tan, was screened at the 74th Locarno Film Festival.
“Henchmen”, directed by Alistair Quak under the mentorship of Mike Wiluan, won the Special Mention Award at the 25th Fantasia Film Festival and was shortlisted for the Toronto After Dark 2021 Film Festival.
“Bridget”, directed by Li Kayue and Zon Chan, entered the 44th Asian American International Film Festival.
These films are currently available for rent on The Projector Plus.
NYFA also curates a Best of NYFA shorts collection to be featured on the Objectifs Film Library for a limited run.
The selection will also be sent to film programmers and curators of various arts & media institutions and international film festivals such as the Minikino Film Week.
What do past winners have to say about the NYFA?
Benefits of the NYFA also extend to the intangible.
Vikneshwaran Silva, who won Best Director for “Dark Light” last year, praised the NYFA for consistently providing networking opportunities.
“One of the most important aspects of filmmaking is networking and NYFA consistently organises such events for us. Not only did I gain recognition for my work, but it opened doors for me to carry on in my filmmaking journey. They are always with you even after the event and support you with whatever you need to pursue your career. They were more than happy to help me with testimonies for my short film grants. I am looking forward to being part of NYFA events in the future. With NYFA, it is assured that any young filmmakers’ dreams can be a reality.”
“Dark Light” tells the story of Mari, a construction worker from India who seeks companionship on his day off. To add to his misery of his rejection from one of the sex workers, he also gets conned at a gambling table and loses all his money and needs to find a way to send money back home.
Calleen Koh Yee Lin, who won Best Art Direction and Best Screenplay for “To Kill The Birds & The Bees”, said:
“As a young starry-eyed filmmaker, joining NYFA back when I was a student opened up many doors for me, whether it is connecting to industry professionals or allowing my films to gain a wider audience through festivals and screening sessions. It also continuously included me for various pitching and mentorship opportunities, including the NYFA Film Facilitation Programme where I am now creating my first film since graduation!”
In “To Kill The Birds & The Bees”, a pair of young twins, a secondary school prefect and a conservative housewife each has a sex-related encounter during the course of a day.
Syamsul Bahari, winner of Best Screenplay for "Bulan”, credited NYFA for being more than a platform for young filmmakers.
"I feel like NYFA is beyond just a platform for young artists, NYFA is a bridge for other artists to connect and network with one another."
In “Bulan”, Izwan, a quiet 12-year-old boy, contemplates releasing Bulan, a Hercules beetle that he inherited from his late grandfather much to the dismay of his mother.
Tan Si En, winner of the NYFA 2021 Youth Inspiration Award and the Best Live Action Award in NYFA 2020 for “Sunday” said that the National Youth Film Awards has been a “pivotal platform for young filmmakers in Singapore”:
“The team inspires the film community, encourages filmmakers and future generations to pursue their passion in cinema. I am appreciative of the immense support that I received from NYFA as a participant, the opportunities to share as a panellist speaker, and now as the Youth Inspiration Award recipient. I look forward to working continually with NYFA and to contribute by giving back to the local and regional film community."
If your interest has been piqued, submit your short film by May 13, 2022. Visit bit.ly/scapenyfa for more details. Click here for a full list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Here are some highlights from NYFA 2021:
This sponsored article by *SCAPE National Youth Film Awards made this writer very thankful for the many people who worked on his favourite documentaries and animation features.
Top images via Filmmaker Memes.
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