20 May 2002 - The Asian Film Archive has announced a Singapore focus in its first regional call for submissions to its film collection.

All short films, feature films, and any footage shot in Singapore or by Singaporean filmmakers from the 1930s onwards are welcome. Selected entries will be featured in a public forum in the International Conference on Asian Cinema this September, while ten titles will be picked for an inaugural DVD compilation of short films under the Asian Film Archive label. Information on all submitted material will be stored in a public database online as part of the AFA's efforts to maximise the reach of Asian films.

The AFA has dubbed this film drive the 'Reel Emergency Project'. The high rate of disintegration of film print in Southeast Asia's highly humid climate means that critically acclaimed regional films that lack the commercial potential to pay for continued preservation -- especially documentaries, avant-garde productions, amateur works and anthropological footage -- are often destroyed.

The purpose of the Reel Emergency Project is thus threefold. AFA Executive Director Tan Bee Thiam says, "Through this project, we hope to discover once-forgotten film treasures and new talents; provide an avenue where filmmakers can preserve their works for posterity; and to encourage budding filmmakers to make films and contribute to the film heritage of Singapore."

To nominate any film for the AFA film collection, post a copy to:

Lim Yannling
Coordinator, Reel Emergency Project
Asian Film Archive
Kent Ridge Post Office
PO Box 1084
Singapore 911103

The first round of entries will close on July 7, while the next ends on August 1. Films from other Asian countries are welcome, but priority will be given to Singaporean submissions for the present.

For more information, please visit the Asian Film Archive.