Fresh reels from the next generation of filmmakers in Singapore
Held in conjunction with the Objectifs Short Film Incubator
Chapel Gallery, Objectifs
27 to 29 Jul 2023
Ticket prices (per screening programme)
Concession ticket (student) – $5 (please note that ID may be verified at the door)
General ticket – $8
Held in conjunction with the Objectifs Short Film Incubator, FreshTake! is a short film programme featuring works by current students from Singapore, or were graduates (between Jan 2021 to Dec 2022) who had completed their films while enrolled as a full time student. Presenting a range of films from the absurd, the nuances of everyday life, to the pain of memories, FreshTake! uncovers varied perspectives from the next generation of filmmakers in Singapore.
Each screening will be accompanied by a half-hour Q&A with the filmmakers.
Screening Schedule
I. The Imaginative Realm (Thu 27 Jul, 7.30pm – 9pm)
II. Documentaries (Fri 28 Jul, 7.30pm – 9pm)
III. Rites of Passage (Sat 29 Jul, 11am – 12.30pm)
IV. The Ties That Bind (Sat 29 Jul, 5pm – 6.30pm)
Find out more information on each screening and their films below.
I. THE IMAGINATIVE REALM | 27 JUL 2023, 7.30 to 9.30PM
Blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction, as well as the possible and impossible, this lineup will take you on a wild ride through the surreal and the whimsical. Tinged either with humour or a sense of contemplation, these 5 short films will be sure to provide you with both entertainment and food for thought.
Baked Beans by Mohammad Iqbal Rohan Tutuko / ITE / NC16 / 11 mins / 2022
A homage to 90s coming-of-age slacker comedies such as Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused and Kevin Smith’s Clerks, Baked Beans features the weird and wonderful adventures of two spirited and wayward teenagers, Roro and Rayray, as they venture into the tricky world of the baked beans business, and explore its subversive potentials.
啦啦 Lala by Rachelle Lee Xin Yi / Ngee Ann Poly / PG13 / 16 mins / 2022
After cooking clams for the first time, Hai’s grandmother suffers a stomachache and believes that it is because she has killed the clams. The shadow of this incident lingers as Hai continues to explore what it means to hold dear beliefs that are too big for a constrained space.
As Much As I Know You by Tan G Yik / SOTA / PG / 8 mins / 2022
When Michael and Sophia meet at a park bench by chance, they realise they have more in common than they previously thought. As Michael falls in love, we realise that his definition of romance takes on a much more manipulative and obsessive edge.
Duka Lara by Nuryn Adryana / LASALLE College of the Arts / PG / 14 mins / 2022
Due to an unknown circumstance, Erik, who has been working and living on a floating fish farm for a few years, is unable to return home as intended. When the other workers leave the farm for a night out, Erik chooses to stay on the farm. His loneliness manifests his consciousness in the form of a Sea Spirit named Cinta, who tries to make him confront his own self-pity.
Go Inside by Annie Hung and Joanne Poh / LASALLE College of the Arts / PG / 2 mins / 2022
Two lovers are making out, but one of them accidentally swallows the other.
II. DOCUMENTARIES | 28 JUL 2023, 7.30 TO 9PM
Embark on a discovery of issues that are less highlighted both locally and internationally in this documentary short film lineup. With topics ranging from an adoptive mother-son relationship, to the struggles faced by Vietnamese returning to their home country after having grown up in Slavic communities, these 4 films are an invitation to learn more about the people and world around us.
Pulau by Stephanie Thong / NTU WKWSCI / PG / 18 mins / 2023
64 islands. Countless stories.
‘PULAU’ is a documentary that revisits stories of the past from three descendants of the Orang Pulau—or Island People—from Pulau Sudong, Pulau Tekong and Pulau Ubin.
Decades have passed since the Orang Pulau have moved from their original islands to the mainland, to make way for Singapore’s national urban development. With the last batch of original Orang Pulau greying, what does the future hold for this group of indigenous people of Singapore?
Red Thread by Lynn Sim / Ngee Ann Poly / PG / 15 mins / 2021
Red Thread is an insightful documentary highlighting the lack of emotional vulnerability between an adoptive mother and son. The struggles of Yu Mei Mei, the adoptive, immigrant mother, are slowly unveiled as we learn how she fights for herself in the unfair situation that was presented to her. The mother’s journey is one of resilience and determination as she navigates the complexities of raising a child on her own. She loves her son as much as the next mother but does the lack of blood relation affect their relationship? The documentary is a powerful tribute to the strength and love of a mother towards her son.
Seeing Thunder by Sherelle / NTU ADM / PG / 13 mins / 2022
Seeing Thunder is a documentary that treads on the hidden conundrums in the deaf world. Within the deaf and the hearing world is a fine line – so what’s it like to live within as an in-betweener?
This immersive film follows two individuals as they unpack stigma and perspective, forging their own identities, diversity and equality – essentially redefining the perception of sound through vibrations, movements, and facial expressions; sounds which can be interpreted as anything but heard, just like when one ‘sees thunder’.
Familiar Stranger by Adhishni Mathialagan / NTU WKWSCI / PG / 15 mins / 2023
As Vietnamese growing up in Slavic communities, Lien and Trung struggled to navigate their identity and culture. Through their childhood and teenage years, they grappled with the complex interplay of their multiple identities and the pressures to conform to the various societal norms. Returning to Vietnam only added to their confusion as they tried to reconcile their sense of identity with their heritage.
With the support of friends and partners who faced similar struggles, Lien and Trung embark on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
III. RITES OF PASSAGE | 29 JUL 2023, 11AM to 12.30PM
Journey through the formative stages of adolescence and young adulthood in this lineup of 5 short films, where youth filmmakers explore the various rebellious or transitory phases that come to shape and inform their lives and identities.
Dirty Laundry by Kyaw Shoon Le Yee / NTU ADM / PG / 20 mins / 2022
Sandar hangs her underwear outside the house – a blunder that ensues a string of ugly fights and strife. Governed by traditions and rules that she disagrees with, Sandar flounders about for an escape. As tensions rise within the family, Sandar makes a bid for freedom from traditions that pin her down.
Mementos by Season Wu / Hwa Chong Institution (Junior College) / PG / 5 mins / 2022
Weaving through snippets of the past and the present, this experimental film explores the nostalgia, pains, and joys behind transient memories. As we grow older we are left with distant recollections of our childhood and mementos from the past, and we must learn to grapple with this loss.
Ant Nest by Eliza Goh / NTU ADM / PG / 22 mins / 2022
Charlotte is a girl departing from her childhood and entering her teenage years. She seems to have everything a child could ever need or want, but lacks a crucial piece of the puzzle to complete her. In search of that piece, Charlotte explores various means and avenues, hoping that one day, she can find that missing piece to complete her puzzle.
Tomorrow; Again by Estelle Phua / School of the Arts / PG / 8 mins / 2022
Now, a picnic. Tomorrow: graduation and change — the inescapable future. At an idyllic picnic getaway with her friends, Sylvie tries to dodge the vulnerability of growing up, but as tomorrow grows closer and closer, she must start to face the depths of the unknown head-on.
karōshi(過労死) by Lim Pei Yi / NTU ADM / PG / 4 mins / 2022
karōshi(過労死) is a vast examination into the issue of overworking in contemporary society, and the struggles that perpetuate the working class. All that is left is a lingering touch of urban loneliness.
The film follows through with scenes of the everyday, the mundane, and the often overlooked aspects of daily life: drawing distinctions between an imagined utopia, and the true dystopian reality.
IV: THE TIES THAT BIND | 29 JUL 2023, 5 to 6.30PM
What keeps us tethered to certain relationships formed throughout our lives? A meditation on both familial and romantic relations, this lineup surveys the quiet tensions that reside within them.
Mothers by Lim Yuzheng / LASALLE College of the Arts / PG / 17 mins / 2022
A doting grandmother and a harried mother conflict over their own share of pain in striving to survive, while a 7-year-old daughter just wants a cup of milo.
收养 Tersayang by Ishraful Khairy / Temasek Poly / PG / 16 mins / 2022
18 year old Janna was raised by her adoptive parents, Rosmah and Osman. When Janna receives a mysterious letter addressed to her house for Mei Ling, and with a woman appearing in her life looking for Mei Ling, Janna goes on a journey to seek out the woman, who turns out to be her biological mother, Li Ying.
Sell Out by Rochelle Lee / School of the Arts / PG / 8 mins / 2022
After breaking up with his ex-girlfriend Emi two years ago, Val decides to sell old mementos from their relationship online in hopes of seeking closure, but is surprised to bump into a familiar face. This chance encounter might be a second chance — or a final farewell.
Loose Threads by Chayanid Siripaiboolpong and Jessieca Junesha / LASALLE College of the Arts / PG / 2 mins / 2022
A grandma tries to recall the familiar stranger sitting next to her. With much difficulty and frustration, she weaves her hazy memories of the stranger together, only for her to forget them once again.
