Press Release
SINGAPORE – The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) organised a signature event, the Award Ceremony for the first Asia-Europe Short Films Contest in Singapore to commemorate its 15th Anniversary on Thursday, 17 May at the National Library Singapore. Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong was the Guest-of-Honour and the Keynote Speaker for this event as he had played a pivotal role in the creation of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and ASEF. ESM Goh also presented awards to the winning young filmmakers from Asia and Europe of this Contest.
Singapore is one of the first 25 member states of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit in 1996 in Thailand which paved the establishment of the Foundation in the following year. Currently, 46 countries in the two regions, the European Commission and the ASEAN Secretariat, are represented in ASEF.
In 2010, ASEM welcomed Australia, New Zealand and Russia on board. Its continued enlargement serves a testament to ASEF’s increasing relevance in fueling the dialogue between Asia and Europe. Representatives from all member states attended today’s event at the National Library.
Over last 15 years, the organisation engaged more than 17,000 direct participants with over 550 different projects in the fields of arts and culture, public health, environment, economy, education and human rights. This year, commemorating 15 years of bridging people from governments and civil societies of both regions, ASEF will host a range of initiatives in countries such as Estonia, Myanmar, The Netherlands, Laos and Korea, to name a few.
The Asia-Europe Short Films Contest is one such initiative of the year. It was launched in February this year. Since then, more than 300 young filmmakers from about 30 countries registered in this Contest.
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