Distinguished Guests, 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good evening. I am very glad to be here once again at the ciNE65 Movie Makers Awards Ceremony. Each time I come, I am delighted to see so many old friends and familiar faces, and some new ones as well. A very warm welcome to all of you!

Films are an emotive medium to tell a story, make a statement, or simply entertain, whether in three hours or just three minutes. For five seasons now, ciNE65 has brought together like-minded film-makers and enthusiasts to showcase their creative works that help strengthen our Singaporean identity and deepen our sense of belonging to Singapore. So I am thrilled that for the first time this year, ciNE65 curated a wide selection of films from all five seasons for a special ciNE65 Festival over five days at various locations such as The Cathay and the Oldham Theatre. There were also short films by well-known local directors including "Parting" by Boo Junfeng, "Bunga Sayang" by Royston Tan, "Homesick" by Anthony Chen and "The Flame" by K Rajagopal. I am told that there was a very good turnout for this Festival. With this inaugural Festival, the overall participation level in ciNE65 has gone up and I am really happy that many got the opportunity to watch the ciNE65 films on the big screen, and hear our film-makers talk about their works.

Today, we are here to celebrate the winners of this season's ciNE65 competition. As we all know, this year is the Singapore Bicentennial. So it is appropriate that ciNE65 contributes to the national effort to look back into our history and reflect on how our nation came to be, how far we have come, and how we can go forward together. Through the theme "Singapura", we wanted film-makers to share with future generations the wonderful stories that our forefathers have told on what makes us Singaporean. And for those who are not familiar, the theme for the Bicentennial is "From Singapore to Singaporean." The Singapore Bicentennial distilled three key traits of Singaporeans – self-determination, multi-culturalism and openness.

So I am delighted to see these themes also reflected in this year's film entries. Take for example the film, Echoes of 1965, produced by students from Canberra Secondary School. This film captures the struggles of the Merdeka generation, and the many challenges they faced, as well as the spirit of self-determination to carry on. It shows us how far we have come and inspires us to find our way in the future with the same sense of purpose and grit.

The film Rojak is another gem that beautifully highlights growing up in multicultural Singapore. It is a heart-warming story of two children from different cultural backgrounds who share a love for rojak and brought their families together over the years through sheer conviction that strong ties transcend race and religion.

Building bonds across our multicultural society is important, especially now when we face challenges that threaten to weaken our cohesiveness as a people. We must be alert to the spread of falsehoods and fake news, and hostile information campaigns that seek to disrupt our racial and religious harmony. This is why Rojak is an important film – it shows you that understanding one another is key to living in harmony and keeping our social fabric intact.

Then there is another film, If Only. It tells a story of a family who decides to settle in Singapore, the journey they went through, fraught with hitches and heartaches but eventually filled with dreams realised as they move into their new home. This film reminds us that we ourselves were once in those shoes, as our forefathers came from lands afar to build their futures here. And we must continue to be a nation that is open and welcoming to those who wish to make Singapore their home.

Before I give away the prizes to the winners, I want to say something about the quality of the films this year. As the participation level in ciNE65 went up, the quality of the entries have also increased significantly, making ciNE65 the attractive platform that it is today. There is nothing more impressive than simple yet meaningful stories told from the heart, delving intimately into what Singapura means and what it takes to be Singaporean. $ingapura, the first film ever directed by Lan Yu, is one example. I also would like to commend the team of ITE College students who directed Battle-Field. Your film is testimony to the significant increase in the quality of entries we have received over the years.

To all of you here today, thank you for your participation in ciNE65 and congratulations because each one of you are winners in yourselves. You have invested much thought and effort in your films, raising the standards of ciNE65 and making it the platform that it is today. I hope that you have also gained something useful and valuable through the ciNE65 journey. Whether you walk away with an award or not, remember that you play an important role in bringing Singapore's story to life and shaping our Singaporean identity. And to the parents who are here today also, I am very sure you will be proud of your children's achievements. So continue to believe in yourselves and put your heart and soul in the work that you do. It will help build a more united and resilient Singapore.

Thank you and congratulations to every one of you. Have a pleasant evening.