Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2018 Toolkit Toolkit 2018 Final | Page 32

Challenges in Film-Making: Financing Films and Genre of Films
Lack of sufficient funding for production of
films
○ Most filmmakers invest their own
money in the films that they produce
but are unable to break even following
that - lack of sustainable means of film-
making
There are a few grants that exist but with
stringent conditions and a general lack of
awareness on how such funding can be
utilised effectively
○ Eg. Application for IMDA grants are
only open for limited periods of time
in March, August and December.
Grant money only provided 3 months
later can possibly delay the filmmaking
process. This limits filmmakers from
making films within their desired
windows as they may want to start
making their films immediately but are
forced to wait for an extended period
of time to acquire funding (Infocomm
Media Development Authority, 2018)
○ Although a new director can get up to
$300,000 in funding from the
government, the funding is only
limited to the feature film category, and
is not applicable to short films
■ This can potentially and indirectly
encourage young filmmakers to
immediately take the plunge into
feature
filmmaking
without
starting small by trying their hand
at short films first, leading to a
possible cultivation of a culture of
over-ambition
29
■
Unakkenna Venum Sollu is
Singapore’s first Tamil film which
received an IMDA grant to be
screened internationally. The
executive producer of the film was
Mr. N Shanmuga Sundaram, a
former
Media
Education
scholarship recipient (offered by
the
Infocomm
Media
Development Authority).
■ The
horror
film
enjoyed
commercial success in over 150
cinemas in India, as well as pay-
per-view TV. IMDA gave a
$39,000 grant for making the film
as well.
Lack of monetary broadcasting rights
for independent films
○ Monetary broadcasting rights for
films guarantee that a certain
amount of money will be paid to
the rights holder whenever their
creative work is broadcasted on
television or radio or bought
over by production houses
○ However, a lack of such rights in
Singapore implies that theatrical
releases
and
mainstream
telecasting
of
films
are
unprofitable