Singapore International Film Festival Announces Its 2021 SGIFF Film Academy Mentors2 min read

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Prolific filmmaker Tan Chui Mui, veteran producer Fran Borgia, and esteemed local playwright and poet Alfian Sa’at have been revealed as the trio of mentors heading the 2021 SGIFF Film Academy’s series of developmental programmes.

The SGIFF Film Academy is the region’s first holistic training initiative to support Southeast Asian film talents and nurture film appreciation among the audience. A launch pad for mentorship, exchange of ideas and strengthening film literacy, the developmental programmes aim to enhance the capabilities of the regional film scene collectively.

Tan Chui Mui will take on the role of Mentor for the 2021 Southeast Asian Film Lab. The Malaysian filmmaker has won prestigious awards in international film festivals such as Busan International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival and Oberhausen Short Film Festival. She is also the first Malaysian filmmaker invited to the Cannes Cinefondation Residency and has served as Jury and Mentor in many international and regional film festivals.

Fran Borgia will head this year’s Southeast Asian Producers Network as Programme Specialist as the Festival opens its doors for the first time to welcome interested applicants for selection to diversify and widen the network and to further encourage the potential for collaboration, idea exchange and inspiration across countries.  

Alfian Sa’at will lead this year’s Youth Jury & Critics Programme. He is the Resident Playwright of Wild Rice, and has won the Golden Point Award for Poetry as well as the National Arts Council Young Artist Award for Literature in 2001. 

In addition, SGIFF has announced an extension for its Call for Entry submissions deadlines due to appeals to 3 September 2021 for Asian and Southeast Asian Feature Films and Short Films, and to 10 September 2021 for applicants to participate in SGIFF Film Academy programmes – Southeast Asian Film Lab,  Southeast Asian Producers Network and Youth Jury & Critics Programme.