General questions

What is ciNE65?
ciNE65 is a short film competition that seeks to establish itself as a platform for Singaporeans and those living in Singapore to express and embrace the Singapore identity.

Launched by Nexus in July 2011, it encourages aspiring film-makers to tell what the Singapore story means to them. Through ciNE65, Nexus hopes to harness the potential of short films to touch the hearts and minds of Singaporeans and those who make Singapore their home.

What does ciNE65 hope to achieve?
ciNE65 hopes to achieve three core goals:

• Develop awareness and appreciation for Singapore through film
• Create a unique platform to recognise and develop film-making talents

Eligibility questions

How can I participate?
Interested participants can log on to www.ciNE65.com.sg to register to be part of the competition.

Do I have to pay a cost to participate? No, you do not need to pay to participate in the competition. However, if you would like to attend the workshops, you would have to pay a nominal fee.

What criteria must I fulfill to be able to participate?
There are two categories in this competition:

1. Student Category
   • Full-time students, both Singaporean and non-Singaporean, who are studying in a local educational institution at the point of registration, are eligible to participate.
   • Overseas Singaporeans who are studying full-time in an educational institution abroad, at the point of registration, are eligible to participate.
   • Non-Singaporean students studying in other countries are not eligible to participate.
   • Clear indication of where one is based must be provided during the registration phase of the competition.
   • Students can participate as an individual or as a team, with each team not exceeding six (6) members.
   • Students can only be a member of one team.
2. Open Category
   • Only Singaporeans (including overseas Singaporeans) and non-Singaporeans residing in Singapore are eligible to participate in this category.

Do I need to be a Singapore citizen to participate?
No, you do not need to be a Singaporean citizen to participate. This competition is open to both Singaporeans and those living in Singapore. Hence, as long as you are currently living in Singapore, you are eligible to participate.

I am a Singaporean residing overseas, can I participate in the competition?
Yes, you may.

Is there a minimum age requirement for participation?
No, there is no minimum age requirement.

How many people can form one team?
Each student team can comprise up to six (6) members. For the Open Category, there are no restrictions on the number of people in a team.

Can I participate on my own without forming a team?
Yes, you may.

How many entries can I submit?
Students who wish to participate in the Open category or both categories are welcome to do so. Those who wish to participate in both categories have to submit a different film for each category, i.e., each entry can only be submitted for ONE category.

For participants in the Open Category who wish to submit more than one film, you are allowed to do so.

Are the workshops open to all participants?
Yes, all participants are given the option to register and attend the respective workshops at a nominal fee and on a first-come-first-served basis. However, priority registration will be given to the participants of the Student Category.

Questions on film entries

What type of works can I submit?
Any genre of film that reflects the ciNE65 theme can be submitted. All films must comply with the terms and conditions of the competition and must not contain any obscene, blasphemous, libellous, offensive, pornographic or otherwise unlawful or inappropriate material or activity.

How do I submit my film?
Participants must submit your entries to YouTube and tag the video with 'ciNE65'. Please indicate your submission title as "ciNE65_title of your film". Following this, participants have to submit the link via the ciNE65 website.

What format should I submit my film in?
Your film should be produced in high-definition quality and suitable for uploading onto YouTube. If your film is shortlisted as a finalist entry, you are required to send in (1) an editable and (2) a high-resolution version of the film on DVD in the following format:

• Video Format: PAL
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / 1.78:1 (Non-Anamorphic)
• Minimum Resolution: 720p
• Codec: H.264
• Bitrate: 5 mbps minimum
• Container Format: .MOV (Mac) or .AVI (Win)

Can I enter a short film in a language other than English?
Yes, but all non-English submissions must be sub-titled in English.

Does the maximum length of the film include credits?
Yes, each entry must be no longer than 3 minutes in duration (including opening and ending credits).

Can I submit a film that I have previously submitted to another film competition?
The organising team will only accept works that are deemed original and developed for the first time. Films that have been submitted to previous film competitions cannot be submitted for ciNE65.

Can I submit my film for another film competition?
Yes, you may. However you may only do so after you have submitted your film for ciNE65.

What are the judging criteria?
Entries will be judged based on their relevance to the theme, originality, ability to convey ideas, execution and treatment, and emotive impact. Please refer to judging criteria section for more details. All decisions made by the judges will be final and no correspondence will be entertained thereafter.

What opportunities for exposure are there for my winning film?
There are a variety of exposure and networking platforms for participants of ciNE65, amongst them a series of workshops conducted by industry professionals. The films will be judged by a panel representing members from all facets of the filmmaking industry. If your film wins the competition, the Organiser will submit your film to other relevant film competitions and identify additional opportunities for further exposure.

Questions on competition mechanism

How does judging work?
There are two award categories: Jury's Choice Awards and Audience's Choice Awards. An entry may be nominated for more than one award. A winning entry for any award will still be eligible for other prizes that it is nominated for.

For the Jury's Choice Awards: The winners for these awards will be 100% determined by a panel set up by the Organiser. To be eligible for the Jury's Choice Awards, the submission must meet the criteria set out by the Organiser; this being originality, ability to convey your idea/message and emotive impact of the video, and execution and treatment of the video.

Audience's Choice Awards: The winners of these awards will be 100% determined by the total number of votes the submission received from the members of the voting public over the voting period (to be advised at later date). Supporters can vote by clicking on a "Vote" button located next to every shortlisted entry. Members of the voting public are limited to one vote (based on their registered email address) per video.

Who will be on the judging panel?
In addition to representatives from Nexus and the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA), the judging panel comprises:

• Irene Ang, CEO of Fly Entertainment
• Daniel Yun, CEO and Founder of Homerun Asia
• Sanif Olek, Creative Director of reeljuice Films
• Juan Foo, Director of Content Business Development for Shooting Gallery Asia
• Wilson Yip, Creative/Film Director of Vividthree Productions
• Kurt Reider, CEO of Golden Village
• Louisa D'Arcy, Creative Director of ArtisonAsia
• Rennie Gomes, Managing Director of Yellow Box Studios
• MC Yim, Film Editor of Iceberg Design

To find out more about the judges, refer to here for more details.

Is there a maximum number of awards that a film can qualify for?
No.

How will the winners be announced?
All winners will be notified via the email address or contact number/s provided in the registration form. Winners will be solely responsible for collecting their prizes at the Awards Ceremony, details of which will be advised later. All prizes not collected by 30 December 2011 may be forfeited by the Organiser, without further recourse by the winner of that prize. At the discretion of the Organiser, all unclaimed prizes will be redistributed to charity organisations or returned to the respective sponsors.