A Web channel dedicated to showcasing Singaporean short films was launched on home-grown streaming platform Viddsee last night.
Known as the Singapore Film Channel, the page will start with a selection of about 10 films; the number will go up to 30 in the months to come. All titles are free to view on Viddsee's website (www.viddsee.com).
Some of the works that are available now include Lee Sin Yee's documentary Longest Distance Relationship (2014), Lauren Teo's comedy- drama The Lying Theory (2013) and Ervin Han's acclaimed animated short The Violin (2015).
The new channel is a collaboration between the streaming com- pany and the Singapore Film Commission.
Mr Joachim Ng, director of the Singapore Film Commission, said in a press statement: "We have many talented film-makers with compelling stories from Singapore, and we want to give these voices a platform to take our stories further in this digital age."
The partnership will also lead to a new and original commissioned short film by a Singaporean film-maker to produce a Singapore-inspired story, although details of the project cannot be confirmed at the moment.
The Singapore Film Channel was launched at the opening of the Singapore Media Festival at Marina Bay Sands yesterday, an annual umbrella event that comprises the Singapore International Film Festival, Asia TV Forum & Market, ScreenSingapore and Asian Television Awards.
While Viddsee has featured Singaporean films on its website before, this is the first time it has put these works together for a Singapore-dedicated channel.
Started in 2013, Viddsee has been accessed by more than 500 million users from across Asia, and has a slate of more than 2,000 films.
Its two co-founders told The Straits Times that they are ex- cited over how the new channel will give both local and regional audiences more exposure to home-grown films.
One of them, Mr Derek Tan, 32, pointed out that the streaming site is more than just a Web catalogue of content - it also fosters conversation and active sharing via its Community page, where users leave comments and even get to communicate with the film-makers.
He said: "We arrange online Q&A sessions with film-makers here, sort of like a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). People like to have discussions about the films after they watch them, so we didn't want to make this just a platform where the content is there for you to watch.
"We want to get people talking about these films, and support not just the content creators, but also the audience in their viewing experience."
- Visit the Singapore Film Channel at www.viddsee.com
