Sinema Showoff! Masala Mix 27 min read
Reading Time: 6 minutesSinema Showoff! returns this month with “Masala Mix 2″ for Deepavali. It is a selection of short local films curated by Singapore Polytechnic to celebrate the upcoming Deepavali festivities. All the films come with an Indian twist one way or the other.
The screening is scheduled for Tuesday, 26 October, 7.30pm at Sinema Old School (11B Mount Sophia, B1-12, Singapore 228466). Admission is FREE!
All directors will be in attendance for an interactive Q&A session moderated by one of Singapore most-promising filmmaker, Michael Tay.
Tickets are available online at tix.sinema.sg or at the door (depending on availability).
Sinema Showoff! is a monthly-themed programme that showcases short films and music videos produced in Singapore by both local and foreign filmmakers. For 2010, Sinema Showoff! is scheduled on the last Tuesday of the month.
1. IT’S MAGIC
Shilpa Krishnan | English | 6mins | PG
A man, a tad remorseful for his affairs, returns to his former love. But, the lady wants vengence.
~~~ Previous Screening ~~~
Official Selection, Singapore Short Film Awards 2010
Director’s Bio:
Shilpa Krishnan Shukla picked up film making as merely a hobby, starting with a couple of one-minute films for an online one-minute film festival. She has a background in theatre, having written, directed, produced and acted in several plays.
After completing ITS MAGIC, Shilpa is now working on her independent feature film MAUSAMS, which is now in its post production stages.
Shilpa now a Singapore Permanent Resident hails from Kerala, India and has spent close to 12 years in Singapore. A recipient of the SIA-NOL scholarhsip, she went to Raffles Junior College and later took her Computer Engineering Bachelors from National University of Singapore (NUS).
Shilpa is married and works as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble, Singapore.
2. ANANTHI
Don Aravind | Tamil | 7 mins | PG
A heart-warming tale of a terminally ill old man sent to a hospice to spend his last days and his grand daughter who misses him dearly.
~~~ Previous Screening ~~~
Official Selection, Singapore International Film Festival 2010
Director’s Bio:
Don Aravind holds a Diploma in Film, Sound & Video from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. He is currently a third year student at the School of Art, Design & Media at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
3. MOVING
Jeremy Sing | English | 14mins | PG
Sharmini, an Indian law student, engages Ah Hock, a Chinese driver, to ferry her furniture to her new flat. He breaks her possessions with his reckless driving. Guilt-ridden, he helps her as much as he can with moving her furniture. Over boxes and chairs, he takes a peek into her world.
Supported by Singapore Film Commission (SFC).
~~~ Previous Screenings ~~~
Official Selection, Singapore Short Film Awards 2010
Film Screening – Outdoor, The Substation, Night Festival 2010
Director’s Bio:
Jeremy Sing found his real passion in films through his exposure to the vibrant arts scene in London, while pursuing his Bachelor of Science, (Economics) (Honours) from London School of Economics and Political Science.
He started out making short films in 2005 and MOVING is his 5th short film.
Jeremy is the editor of the extremely popular SINdie blog that covers local independent films.
He is also an Associate Artiste with The Substation and works full-time in PR with Golin Harris.
4. SCOT FREE
Chia Pei Zhen | English & French | 16 mins | PG
Two French women, Ariane and Sabine, are on holiday in Singapore and are bored, for want of things to do. One night, an encounter with a drunk German leads to an accidental killing. Their holiday takes a turn for the worse as the women are forced to find a way to dispose the body.
Shot admidst the colourful sight and sounds of Little India in Singapore.
~~~ Previous Screenings ~~~
Official Selection, Vancouver Singapore Film Festival 2010
Official Selection – Singapore Panorama Shorts, Singapore International Film Festival 2010
Official Selection, First Take (June) 2010, Singapore
Director’s Bio:
Chia Pei Zhen recently graduated with a Diploma in Film, Sound & Video from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore. SCOTT FREE was her graduating thesis film.
She is currently in Canada pursuing a Bachelors in Fine Arts (Film Production) at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
5. DEADLY SECRETS (SINGAPORE PREMIERE)
Pugalenthii Ramakrishnan | English | 23mins | Waiting for Rating
Akilan a retiree looses all his retirement savings after listening to the advice of his Batam-based mistress Rokiah who practices black magic. When he sets out to recover his money he puts himself in danger and also his loving wife who has trusted him all his life.
~~~ Previous Screening ~~~
Honourable Mention, 3rd Indie Short Film Competition
Director’s Bio:
Pugalenthii is a successful publisher, author, editor & life coach. He is one of Singapore’s most prolific horror writers, having created the successful best-selling horror series, Nightmares, which has over 30 titles. As the founder and publisher of VJ Times International, he has published over 170 Singaporean writers and poets over a period of 20 years.
6. MASALA MAMA (CURATOR’S PICK)
Michael Kam | Tamil, Hokkien & English | 9 mins | PG
A Chinese boy steals a comic magazine from a “˜mama’ store (traditional convenience store run by an Indian uncle). The gentle “˜mama’ confronts him, but finds out that he is the son of a poor a “˜garung kuni’ (rag & bone) man who loves to draw. Pitying him the effeminate “˜mama’ encourages the boy and gives him more magazines becoming a super-hero in the eyes of the boy.
~~~ Previous Screenings (Selected) ~~~
Official Selection – Generation KPlus Programme (Children’s Film Section), Berlin Film Festival 2010
Official Selection, Hamburg International Short Film Festival 2010
Official Selection, Cleveland International Film Festival 2010
Official Selection – Singapore Panorama Shorts, Singapore International Film Festival 2010
Director’s Bio :
Michael Kam holds a Bachelor in Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) from Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Upon graduation he took up a post-graduate diploma in Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Film & Media Studies where he is currently a full-time lecturer. Prior to his academic appointment he was in marketing and promotions at Shaw Organisation.
Michael himself was a regular patron of a “˜mama’ shop in Oxley Road where he grew up as a child in the 1970s. The film was based largely on his own childhood experiences. MASALA MAMA is Michael’s fourth short film.
Michael is married with two children a boy and a girl aged seven and five.
Total running time: 75mins
Moderator’s Bio ““ Michael Tay
Michael Tay is clearly recognized as one of Singapore’s new wave of rising filmmakers.
In 2009 Michael was the first Singaporean to have his film WET SEASON screen at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. He followed the feat the same year with his next short film Respirator (Tie Xin) screening at the equally prestigious Pusan International Film Festival.
Both the films are still touring the festival circuit winning awards.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Filmmaking from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and a Diploma in Film Sound & Video from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
He is recently married and works full-time as a writer and director with Oak3 Films.
About Sinema Old School & Sinema Showoff!
The purpose of Sinema is not merely to screen local films and showcase local work, but also to inspire a local filmmaking movement ““ to encourage Singaporeans to tell their stories cinematically, to bring back the Golden Age of Singapore cinema and preserve its heritage, to nurture new Singaporean filmmakers, and most of all to develop a professional film industry.
Beyond a mere outlet for Singapore films, Sinema is also a community and collaborative creative haven for filmmakers. One can often find directors, actors, cinematographers and the like hanging out at Sinema Old School, fostering an exchange of ideas and creative energy. Our staff, ushers and longtime collaborators are not just ticket takers, they are also filmmakers, producers, photographers, critics, writers, designers, DJs, film students ““ people who have knowledge and interests in diverse aspects of media and entertainment ““ who enthusiastically engage visitors in their Sinematic passion.
Sinema Showoff! is a monthly-themed programme that showcases short films and music videos produced in Singapore by both local and foreign filmmakers. For 2010, Sinema Showoff! is scheduled on the last Tuesday of the month.
The programme is hosted by Sinema Old School and curated by academic staff and students from Singapore Polytechnic, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (Diploma in Integrated Events & Project Management)
