PRESS RELEASE
Asia-Europe connections through the eyes of young filmmakers**
*Singapore – Over 100 young filmmakers from about 30 countries took part in an international short films contest organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation and NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia. Five winners will be flown to Singapore to receive prizes from Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on 17 May 2012.*
To mark the occasion of its 15th anniversary, the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) organised the Asia-Europe Short Films Contest, inviting young filmmakers, film enthusiasts and students from 46 ASEM (here)
countries to express their ideas of Asia-Europe relations through a short, up-to-3 minute long film. The films cover topics such as culture, arts, environment, education and individual relationships.
“Film is a wonderful medium to showcase the beauty and diversity of cultures, while highlighting the similarities to bring two regions closer together” shared Mr Michel Burke, Chair of the Department of Graduate Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia. He is one of the members of the jury, for this Contest, which also included Mr Daniel Yun, founder and CEO of “Homerun Asia”, a Singapore-based movie company, and Ms Natacha Devillers, producer of film company Les Petites Lumières. “It was a challenge for the jury members to choose the winning films from so many good submissions,” Mr Burke added.
The jury selected four short films that best communicate and represent the Asia-Europe connections theme. The fifth winner was chosen through public voting on Facebook.
“Thanks to the ability to communicate and express our cultures through online and multimedia technologies, the stereotypes created through centuries of misinformation are disappearing, along with the gap between these two regions” said Mr Pedro Miguel Resende from Portugal, one of the five winners. Mr Resende, Ms Ibtisem Ben Nassib (Malaysia), Mr Lorenzo Ciani (Italy), Mr Riyanto Lasmana (Indonesia) and Mr David Saputro Sugianto (Indonesia) are the five awardees who will be part of a two-day filmmaking workshop at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia while in Singapore. The winner of the ASEM prize, Mr Resende, will also receive SGD 5,000. All short films can be viewed here.
This article is published by The Online Citizen, 20 Maxwell Road, #09-17 Maxwell House, Singapore 069113.
