2 December 2005

The Asian Film Archive (AFA), Singapore's only online film archive, recently received a donation of $50, 000 worth of software from Microsoft Singapore, including Windows Server 2003 and an SQL Server.

AFA, a non-governmental charity, founded to preserve and promote the rich film heritage of Singapore and Asian Cinema, is the latest beneficiary of Microsoft Singapore's philanthropic initiatives.

Microsoft's gift will allow filmmakers to put a record of their film in the central database. This can be done simply through the online submission form at www.asianfilmarchive.org. A 2.0 beta version which will be launched in the first half of 2006 will utilise the Microsoft software to expand more functionalities of the customisable database. One of the plans is to allow filmmakers to update the information of their films accordingly over time, such as their screening history and awards won.

"We want to foster innovation and creativity in Singapore, and films are a great way to capture the culture, values and history of a society", said Barney Lau, Managing Director, Microsoft Singapore. "We are thrilled to be able to work alongside creative organizations like the Asian Film Archive to use technology to preserve and promote our rich heritage in films for our society and future generations"

Microsoft Singapore is committed to being a responsible industry partner, working with businesses, communities, and governments to help advance social and economic well-being and to enable people around the world to realize their full potential. Since 1999, Microsoft Singapore has donated over S$5.5 million in cash and software that has benefited more than 200 Singaporean charities.

The donation will be used to build the Asian Film Archive Online Database that will make information about the AFA collection accessible to the film community and public. The Archive also welcomes the contribution of festival catalogues, film literature and articles on Asian Cinema.

Said Prof Kenneth Paul Tan, Chair of Asian Film Archive, "We have been very fortunate to find people and organizations who have so willingly come forward with their talents and resources in order to pursue a shared goal of building a vibrant film-loving community. Microsoft Singapore's generous donation of software for setting up a public online database of our collection will go a long way towards building this community. We are grateful for this contribution."

The Asian Film Archive is a non-profit independent charity organization founded to preserve the rich film heritage of Singapore and Asian Cinema, to encourage scholarly research on film, and to promote a wider critical appreciation of this art form. As an important nexus, it brings together the various segments of the Asian film community in order to open and enrich new intellectual, educational, and creative spaces.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.