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STB’s Fast Forward Fund makes the passion of Singapore-based content creators possible

Winning projects will tell stories of Destination Singapore through a variety of formats including documentary film and music videos.

Singapore, 2 July 2019 – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) today announced the five winning projects for Fast Forward, its fund for Singapore-based content creators.  Fast Forward was launched in October 2018 to support Singapore-based content creators and produce inspiring Singapore narratives through film, video and animation. The five projects were chosen from more than 100 submissions from Singaporean and Singapore-based content creators and came in diverse media and formats including web series, feature films, animations, and mixed media projects with augmented reality and virtual reality components.

Mr Terrence Voon, Director, Digital and Content, STB, said: “The Passion Made Possible campaign has always been about telling authentic Singapore stories in creative ways. The response to Fast Forward from Singapore’s creative community has been very encouraging and it is exciting to see home-grown talents raise the bar and push boundaries with new content formats and bold narratives. We look forward to seeing these winning concepts come to life and reach a global audience.”

The five winning projects that will receive Fast Forward funding are:

1.    Grandparents Talk (The Creative Room): a web documentary series that will centre on grandparents visiting different places in Singapore and sharing their authentic experiences in dialect.

2.    #livinginSIN (The Hummingbird Co.): a documentary series that will give viewers a glimpse into the unexpected sides of Singapore, from the origins of an organised crime gang to the rise of a leading men’s magazine.

3.    The Generations Trilogy (The Creative Room): a fictional short film anthology that will tell stories of Culture Shapers, Foodies and Explorers against the backdrop of contemporary social issues such as migration and ageing.

4.    So Bright 2 (mm2 Entertainment): a music web-series that will feature original Chinese pop songs interwoven with cinematic storytelling and elements of the Singapore music scene.

5.    Sights and Sounds (Rifyal Giffari): a series of music videos and interviews which will feature Singapore musicians in locations around Singapore that are close to their hearts.

Following the launch of the Fast Forward Fund, a month-long call for proposals was conducted in January this year. In particular, STB sought proposals that could tell stories in line with the Passion Made Possible[1] brand and Passion Tribes[2]. The proposals were then evaluated in a two-stage process that also included a judging round consisting of a panel[3] of judges from the film, content and digital media sectors.

“Through the quality of the applications we received, we saw that Singaporeans were excited and ready to tell authentic stories of who we really are. We look forward to having the Fast Forward applicants compellingly tell these stories that reflect the diverse Singapore we know through their unique lens and perspectives,” said Ms Yuni Hadi, Executive Director at the Singapore International Film Festival, who was on the judging panel.

Mr Pok Yue Weng, Director of Creative Room, one of the five awardees of Fast Forward, said: “It is heartening for the local content creator community that STB recognises the value and significance of supporting made-in-Singapore content. We look forward to telling authentic and unique stories, and celebrating the history and cultures of Singapore that inspire us and are close to our hearts. More importantly, we are excited about sharing them with Singaporeans and people across the world.”

The five successful applicants were selected based on their proposals’ alignment with the Passion Made Possible theme, strength of storytelling, robustness of marketing and distribution plans, and overall proposal feasibility. In particular, they stood out for the way they took real stories, sights, and sounds of Singapore, and turned them into compelling narratives. The successful applicants will each receive up to 50% of qualifying costs (up to S$300,000 per entry), which includes third party costs for creative development, production, distribution and marketing.

More information on Fast Forward is available here.

[1] STB uses the “Passion Made Possible” brand to market Singapore internationally for tourism purposes. It presents Singapore’s attitude and mind-set: a passion-driven, never-settling spirit of determination and enterprise that constantly pursues possibilities and reinvention.

[2] STB has grouped potential visitors together based on lifestyles, interests, and what they travel for. There are seven major “Passion Tribes”:

1.     Foodie: People who delight in culinary experiences

2.     Collector: People who enjoy shopping and curating items

3.     Explorer: People who enjoy exploring the outdoors and places of interest

4.     Action Seeker: People who seek out thrills and sporting events

5.     Culture Shaper: People who enjoy immersing in the arts and culture

6.     Socialiser: People who enjoy making meaningful connections through music and entertainment

7.     Progressor: Business travellers seeking to connect, collaborate and innovate

[3] Judging panel comprises:

1.     Ms Yuni Hadi, Executive Director at the Singapore International Film Festival

2.     Mr Benjamin Lee, Head of Digital & Social Content Strategy at Tribal Worldwide; also one of Singapore’s pioneer online personalities, popularly known as Mr Miyagi

3.     Ms Wee Li Lin, Director at Bobbing Buoy Films

4.     Mr Terrence Voon, Director of Digital and Content, STB