The SGP Prize – Celebrating the Best Films From Southeast Asia
SGP Prize – The Singapore International Film Festival has launched a new prize to celebrate the best films from Southeast Asia. The award will be presented each year at the event and is expected to become a permanent fixture of the festival.
The prize, which was launched in 2014 with a S$500,000 donation from the philanthropic foundation DBS Foundation, is intended to support emerging and seasoned filmmakers from the region who are developing films for Southeast Asian audiences. It will be offered in partnership with the NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahbubani and will include a mentorship and residency, along with script mentoring from industry professionals.
As with any film competition, the winner will be determined by a selection committee and a jury made up of industry representatives. This panel will choose the winners based on their merits and the potential for their films to inspire an audience.
This is an exciting opportunity to see the region’s top filmmakers compete against each other and share in a prize that will help them take their work to the next level. It will also offer a unique networking opportunity, giving them access to a network of Southeast Asian industry professionals and the chance to meet with representatives of local distributors, film festivals, and other cultural organizations.
Those who win the SGP prize will receive their award in person and will be able to participate in a special screening of each winner’s film, held at the National Gallery of Singapore. The screenings will be followed by an awards ceremony and a reception, which is also open to the public.
It is a unique and prestigious award, which can be won by anyone who wants to take their skills to the next level. The winner will be given a certificate, cash prize, and an invitation to participate in an exclusive filmmaking workshop with NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahabubani and other members of the NUS Asia Research Institute faculty.
The winning entry will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes filmmakers, academics, and industry experts. The panel will choose the winner based on their talent, originality, and artistic ambition.
In addition to the SGP prize, a number of other prizes have been awarded at the film festival, including a S$35,000 fellowship for filmmaker Giovanni Rustanto, and S$20,000 for Gabriela Serrano, Rein Maychaelson, and Gladys Ng. These finalists were selected from an extensive pool of applicants.
Aside from the cash prizes, a special prize will be awarded to one winning film that has demonstrated exceptional creativity in its use of genres and themes. The winning film will also be selected based on its potential for audience appeal and the likelihood that it will be a hit.
As a result of its popularity, the SGP prize has attracted a large number of entries. The number of entries has increased steadily since its launch in 2014. It is expected that the competition will continue to grow and develop in size and scope over time.