Above: Surprise...even undercover police doing "political films" :P
Got an email from Board of Film Censors a few days ago with this standard message:
Dear Sir/Madam,
This is to inform that the Board of Films Censors (BFC) has completed vetting your video(s) under IR No. A/0804/I006241L .Please proceed to the MDA counter (45 Maxwell Road URA Centre East Wing #07-11/12) with your original NRIC to collect and make payment for your video(s) within 7 working days from the date of this email.
The total fee payable is S $10.80.
Please log on to MDA Online (www.mda.gov.sg) to find out the rating and decision for your video(s).
Thank you.
So this afternoon went down to Board of Film Censors to collect my films. Saw the same counter staff whom I met five months back when I sent my films for submission. She immediately recognized me and was very friendly :). In fact a bit of pleasant surprise when she asked me whether I would be submitting any more films in the future. I mentioned that this will not be the last time we met and she told me that very soon BFC will be located at Fusionpolis... sometime in November.
Did some payment and signed some documents and before I left, I asked what's the ratings for Martyn See's film 'Nation Builders'. "Confidential" she said and off I go. I guess I should also asked her what's the status with Seelan's film 'One Nation Under Lee' that kanna confiscated by MDA not too long ago :P
Anyway here are the ratings for six of my films:
Human Rights Torch Relay (M18 ratings)
Burmese Says No (NC16 ratings)
NUS international students vigil walk (PG ratings)
Singaporean started 5 days fasting against ISA on Hindraf 5 (PG ratings)
Burmese staged peaceful demonstration in Singapore (PG ratings)
Morning May Day Montage (PG ratings)
Quite curious about why two of my films above got a M18 and NC16 while the rest PG..... I guess that even before the Film Act will be amended next year... BFC is already working hard to fine tune their process to vet such films. In due time the process will be more transparent..... I hope.
Anyway this is an encouraging sign... recently Martyn put up a list of 100 political films... so let's see how many films will get passed by BFC :).
For more breaking news:
Censors ok political films
By Sue-Ann Chia
SIX short films that document political activities in Singapore - from street demonstrations to protest fasting - have been given the nod by the film censor.
The films were produced by Mr Ho Choon Hiong who collected them from the Board of Film Censors (BFC) on Friday.
The 33-year-old had submitted them to the board five months ago to be vetted.
They were the first of such films to be passed since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong indicated last month that the ban on political films could be relaxed.
Given the outright ban on political films now, Mr Ho applauded the Censor's decision, saying: 'It is an encouraging sign'.
The Films Act prohibits the making or distribution of 'party political' films, which include advertisements by political parties or other political organisations here, or films 'directed towards any political end in Singapore'.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
