NYFA 2020 Nominees
List of Nominated Films – Media Student
| LIVE ACTION |
| A House Is Not A Home Director: Shafna Institution: Nanyang Technological University A House Is Not A Home follows Yasmine and her relationship with her mother as they deal with her brother’s drug abuse problem. |
| And They Roamed Director: Joshuah Lim En Institution: LASALLE College of the Arts Two girls and a ghost journey around an abandoned school to help the ghost move on. |
| Coda Director: Daniel Siew Institution: Nanyang Technological University In the years following her sister’s suicide, Marie struggles with an impalpable sense of guilt, and the feeling of being left behind. |
| Kebelakang Pusing Director: Gerard Nagulendran Institution: Ngee Ann Polytechnic As part of a Total Defence Day exercise in Singapore, three teenage members of the National Cadet Corps are assigned to role play as Japanese Occupation soldiers – but when pushed to the edge, their leader decides to take matters into his own hands. |
| Lady E’s Wedding Revenge Plan Director: Kathleen Bu Rui Xuan Institution: Ngee Ann Polytechnic An eccentric young girl, frightened by the fears of growing up, tries to stop her older sister’s wedding. |
| Pusaka Director: Nurain Kili Tan Institution: Temasek Polytechnic A daughter must escape her dead mother’s kept demon before it takes over her life forever. |
| The Greatest Adventure To Nowhere Director: Wind Loke Zheng Hao & Kylen Ho Institution: Nanyang Technological University After cluelessly mourning the passing of his grandfather, 7-year-old Ethan is determined to die to get to this better place in the afterlife his parents speak of, in their attempt of explaining what death really is. He tries to light himself up like a christmas tree in his bathtub the way his grandfather did, but he needs a little help (because the socket is too far). |
| Tompang Director: Fendi Yasuda Institution: Nanyang Technological University On a quiet night, a religious taxi driver picks up a drunk passenger and tries to get him home. |
| What We May Be Director: Ashwind Menon Institution: LASALLE College Of the Arts An ex-convict of substance abuse tries to win his 9-year-old son over and reintegrate himself into society. |
| 金纸 (Gold Paper) Director: Vania Tan Institution: Nanyang Technological University Unable to purchase a life-size paper car for the Taoist funeral, Li Ping ends up hand-making one by herself. |
| DOCUMENTARY |
| Baby Boy Director: Jessica Heng Institute: Nanyang Technological University At a major crossroads in his life, a 17-year-old ex-gang member struggles to change as he wrestles with strands of his abused past and ongoing family tension. |
| Bhanja Director: Au Yeong Hui Wen Institute: Nanyang Technological University Following a Bhanja who was raised in Singapore, we explore his struggles of balancing between his Nepalese and Singaporean identities while uncovering the multi-layered meaning of home. |
| Elephant In The Room Director: Hariz Zulkifli Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts Two years prior to the death of his father, a son takes over the mantle of caring for the elephant that killed his father. |
| Haruwal Director: GurJeevaan Singh BalRose Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts A 62-year-old India-born Singaporean visits her late father’s home in Punjab, India, for the very first time, hoping to find closure after a lifetime in Singapore. |
| His Bottom Line Director: Chew Yun Yan Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts For the first time in his life in 57 years, IT-illiterate blue-collar worker Ah Guan works up the courage and physically hunts for a wife worthy of his commitment. However, his only condition for love hinders his journey: ‘A pretty back’. |
| Pawnshop Director: Lee Yu En Institute: Nanyang Technological University An intimate glimpse into the lives that pass through and converge at a seemingly seedy space — the neighbourhood pawnshop. |
| Sangkar Burung Director: Nasrullah Bin Abu Zaren Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts An elderly Malay man struggles to balance taking care of his wife and pursuing his passion for crafting traditional woodwork. |
| The Red Dustbin Director: Hannah Tay Institute: Nanyang Technological University The Red Dustbin provides a window into the relationship between government efforts and individual responsibilities. |
| Unite in Laughter Director: Nevin Jacob Thomas Institute: Nanyang Technological University A documentary film that explores the uncomfortable sides of the Singaporean identity, through the lens of three comedians who take a leap of faith in their own identities. |
| ਵਿਛੋੜਾ (Vichora) Director: GurJeevan Singh BalRose Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts A docudrama on Sikh, Muslim and Hindu families sharing how they survived during the breakout news when British India Empire was partitioned into India and Pakistan in 1947. |
| ANIMATION |
| Breakfast Director: Lea Wong Lay Yi & Viency Lee Institute: Nanyang Technological University A boy struggles with drifting apart from his friend. |
| Caught Off Guard Director: Ng Kwok Yang Paul Institute: 3dsense Media School A security guard’s dream of becoming a ballet dancer. |
| GUNKWORLD Director: Mark Chee Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts Cult cartoon character becomes increasingly popular but something is going on behind the scenes. |
| Hair Director: Caroline Ching & Ng Zhi Xin Institute: Nanyang Technological University With the help of her mother’s unconditional love, a little girl attempts to overcome her separation anxiety caused by her father’s betrayal. |
| O M A H Director: Rainer Christopher Institute: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts A young man is searching for his house in a submerged land, and got reminded of his past in this place. |
| Once Upon a Noon Director: Siah Jia Min Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts The subtle, quiet beauty of the neighbourhood. |
| Sasana Sandiwara Director: Juan Mathieu Bymogandhi Institute: Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts A young soldier who dreams to be a dancer must face the cruelty of war. |
| SOS Director: Neo Wen En Institute: Ngee Ann Polytechnic After being sent to space to investigate the moon, a young astronaut finds out that the moon is not what it seems to be. |
| Treadmill Director: Chan Le Tong Ada Institute: Nanyang Technological University A person leading a mundane life tries to break out of his cycle to achieve his dream. However, he does not realise that there are other forms of happiness in life. |
| セクシーな寿司 (Sexy Sushi) Director: Calleen Koh Yee Lin Institute: LASALLE College of the Arts A suicide mascot’s rude awakening to the true meaning of his life. |
List of Nominated Films – Open Youth
| LIVE ACTION |
| Good Seeing You Director: Nigel Soh Good Seeing You is a narrative short that chronicles the friendship between two best friends whose relationship changes forever when one accidentally confesses his love for the other. |
| Hello Ahma Director: Tan Siyou Unable to return home to attend Grandma’s funeral because of immigration bureaucracy, a young Singaporean girl new to America searches for Grandma’s reincarnation in a pet store turtle. |
| New Resident Director: Jun Chong Upon realising that the local authorities are culling chickens in Sin Ming Ave, a 60 year old Mdm Tan decides to bring as many chickens as she can to her tiny HDB flat before the authorities catch up to her. |
| Pietà Director: Koh Zhi Hao David is a model who gets sick at the sight of his reflection. He kisses life into a statue of perfect beauty, but at what cost? |
| Reprise Direction: Stanley Xu A man and a woman who run into each other on the filming set were actually lovers in the past. As they play the roles of a couple in the movie, they think about the relationship they had. |
| Siblings Director: Tang Kang Sheng Two siblings reconnect after their father is admitted to the hospital for a stroke. |
| Still Standing Director: Tan Wei Ting When uniform high-rise government housing began sprouting up in newly-independent Singapore, a young and idealistic architect Tan Cheng Siong aims to bring the “kampong spirit” back into the city sky with the Pearl Bank Apartments, only to be faced with struggles he never imagined. Inspired by true events. |
| Sunday Director: Kris Ong A young woman with a full body rash is driven to violence during a forbidden encounter with her sister’s boyfriend. |
| Under The Same Pink Sky Director: Gladys Ng As a breast cancer diagnosis shatters a woman’s life, an encounter with a kind stranger has a ripple effect on both their lives. |
| 周快宝贝 (Happy Anniversary, Baby) Director: Timothy Koh Nicole’s seemingly innocent relationship with her boyfriend, Wayne, explores the boundaries of what love is. |
| DOCUMENTARY |
| Galactic Paint Director: Ong Kah Jing Pierce through the skies of the world’s most light-polluted country and witness the universe from a window in the heartland. |
| The Believers Director: Dave Lim Documentary film on rituals of the secular and religious, in search of an underlying humanity. |
| The Wheelsmith Director: Saravanan Sam A self taught rapper and sound designer draws on his life experiences as a disabled person to craft his own unique voice. |
| Welcome Home Director: Christine Seow Stuck at home during COVID-19, I decided to document my niece’s first month with us. |
| Why Live? Director: Mitchell Vong A documentary focusing on the struggles jazz musicians face as they fight to keep the genre alive in Singapore. |
| ANIMATION |
| Can I Bring Sunlight Into My Room? Director: Dave Lim Anxiety induced by the dissonant state of experiencing catastrophic news of the world in relatively comfortable state of isolation. |
| Class Mates Director: Matthew Chew & Hoo Yan Han Two classmates, two worlds. They may share the same class, but their stories are vastly different. |
| Metabolist Regeneration of a Dementia Nation Director: Jerome Xin Hao Ng Golden Mile Complex, an important icon of 1970’s Metabolist urbanism, faces demolition in Singapore. The Film speculates on an alternative vision for this residential block, saving and allowing it to absorb physical artefacts from Singapore’s threatened urban infrastructure. A prototype for future development in architecture; capable of allowing new and existing residents to forge new memories, whilst giving space for the past to breathe; and urging us all to resist the power structures that would readily erased our urban memories. |
| Season of Aeon Director: Kassandra Lim Yu Yan One season. Eternally drifting. |
| The Brown Dog Director: Andre Quek & Jerrold Chong A brown dog, with a severed foreleg, struggles to survive amidst a harsh cruel human world. |
| The Other Side of Motherhood Director: Amrit Kaur Jastol & Jolene Tan We see the rosy pictures of motherhood but there is another side to it that not many people talk about. |
| When Home is Not a Safe Place Producer: Matthew Chew Many of us take household peace for granted, but not all of us are dealt life’s good cards. |
| 看瞴 (Kua Bo) Director: Ang Qing Sheng 60-year-old Tat Chuan made a mistake with the lottery results due to his cataract. |
