With escalating news of the COVID-19 outbreak, Singaporeans can use a little bit of uplifting and inspiring conversations to get one’s mind off the crisis – if only for a moment. Hence, the annual National Youth Film Award (NYFA) Conference, organised by *SCAPE, is back!

Aligned with the theme for this year – “Emerging Trends and the Future of Content” – and also as a precautionary measure in view of COVID-19, the NYFA Conference will be going online for the first time. The conference will be streamed live on 17 April 2020, from 10:30 AM to 7 PM.

Among the list of prominent speakers are:

• Dorcas Tan – Director (Human Capital Development) of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)
• Doreen Neo – Chief Content Officer, Mediacorp
• Kenneth Goh – Executive Director, Association of Independent Producers Singapore (AIPRO).

Media scholarships: Possibilities and Probabilities

One of the highly anticipated tracks of this year’s conference is “Media Scholarships: Possibilities and Probabilities” which will spotlight the opportunities available to Singaporeans keen to pursue further education in film overseas.

Attendees can glean insights from past scholars – Low Ser En, Ivan Tan, and Jonathan Choo – as they share their meaningful journey from student to independent producer or director.

The Future of Content

As content creation and distribution continues to evolve, a key topic of interest for content creators is “Stories for The People by The People”.

The panel discussion will see representatives from Wattpad, Singapore Book Council, Screenwriters Association of Singapore, and Mediacorp, explore the role of crowdsourcing and what it means for screenwriters and filmmakers who want to tell their own stories. It will also address how audiences are now active in creating and deciding what they want to watch in terms of screen entertainment.

Another interesting conversation to look out for is “Crystal-Balling the next wave: Trendspotting”. The panellists from DDB, Viddsee, Mediacorp, and Association of Independent Producers Singapore will share their current observation of the local and international film industry in terms of production practices. They will also give their take on emerging trends and highlight potential opportunities and challenges that come with these changes.

Nurturing and inspiring the next generation of filmmakers

The conference will conclude with a focus on NYFA’s past award winners, and the nation’s young filmmakers who have gone onto international stages with their short films and craft.

Participants will be able to hear first-hand from Shoki Lin, Jerrold Chong, Tan Wei Ting, and Jonathan Choo, on how a quality short film can open doors internationally, and their international award exposure. Participants can also catch their winning films:

• ‘Adam’ by Shoki Lin
• ‘Piece of Meat’ by Jerrold Chong
• ‘Cash’ by Tan Wei Ting
• ‘Han’ by Jonathan Choo

Access to these films will be shared during the conference.

Agenda

• 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Stories by the People for the People
• 12:00 PM – 1 PM – Crystal-Balling the next wave: Trendspotting Content
• 2 PM – 3 PM – Media Scholarships: Possibilities & Probabilities
• 4 PM – 5 PM – Getting the right screens for your short film
• 6 PM – 7 PM – Young Filmmakers Going International

At the end of each session, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions via the conference chat function. Participants can also email their questions to nyfa@scape.sg ahead of the conference.