Ever wondered how food waste reduction can be fun and easily achievable? Imagine if the trash you throw away had feelings, or the possibilities it could have if you gave it a new lease of life. These were the concepts behind the three winning films for the #RoadtoZero Youth Sustainability Film Programme that premiered today at the Temasek Shophouse. The programme supports young filmmakers in the creation of meaningful films centered around zero waste and the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle.
2 Through these stories captured through the lens of the youths, the programme aims to spark conversations and encourage advocacy on the topic of environmental sustainability in Singapore. The premiere was graced by Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment, and form part of a nationwide effort to drive youth advocacy for our environment through film.
2 The winning concepts – “How To Have Fun While Reducing Food Waste!'' by Chantelle Ng, “Left Wandering” by OKJ, and “The Second Life of Secondhand Objects” by Chuah Weiqi, were selected from a total of 85 submissions following a pitch callout in April. The top three film concepts were awarded a production budget of $8,000 and a cash prize of $4,000 to turn their film ideas into reality.
3 “How To Have Fun While Reducing Food Waste!'', a film about food waste reduction, follows a passionate individual on her quest to save ‘ugly' food. “Left Wandering”, a film about the discarded items and trash, provides a humorous, satirical take on these items as ”wildlife” to encourage viewers to reflect on their actions towards the environment. “The Second Life of Secondhand Objects”, a film about upcycling, presents the transformation of an old bookshelf into a cat tower to show how sustainability could be supported through originality and creativity.
4 The films and relevant content will be available progressively on roadtozero.viddsee.com as well as Viddsee and Clean and Green Singapore's social media platforms from 23 November 2022 onwards. For more details on the films, please refer to Annex A.
5 The National Environment Agency (NEA) and Viddsee were supported by several partners to bring the programme to fruition and enrich the learning experience of our young filmmakers. FairPrice Group is a key collaborating partner, who supported the mission of driving youth advocacy through providing sponsorship and guiding filmmakers on sustainability issues through an educational tour held at FairPrice Xtra @Kallang Wave Mall. The filmmakers then gained behind-the-scenes insights into waste management in Singapore through visits conducted by Chye Thiam Maintenance Pte Ltd and Sentosa Development Corporation. To further enhance and excite their learning journey, NEA also hosted the young filmmakers at the Tuas South incineration plant.
The young filmmakers were mentored by Viddsee Studios and three experienced local documentary filmmakers, Eileen Chong, Kenneth Cheong and Kenneth Chan, who provided guidance through the development and production of their films. A behind-the-scenes video capturing the learning and filmmaking journeys of all three filmmakers with their mentors was screened at the premiere. In the video, the filmmakers shared their key takeaways about sustainability and how the community can do their part in a zero waste journey.
7 “Viddsee is eager to support young storytelling talents and we're excited to launch the stories by three filmmakers who are passionate about zero waste and sustainability. This campaign is spearheaded by our Viddsee For Good initiative, which will provide a good stepping stone for young filmmakers to discover and learn more about impactful storytelling”, Derek Tan, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Viddsee.
8 This programme is launched under NEA's Youth for Environmental Sustainability (YES) movement, and supports the Singapore Green Plan and Clean & Green Singapore. For more information on the #RoadtoZero youth sustainability film programme, visit roadtozero.viddsee.com
