Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,I am very happy to be here this evening to be part of the ciNE65 Short Film Competition Awards Ceremony, which is really to recognise our local film talents and celebrate all of your creative works.

I am not a judge but I took some time to watch the various entries that were submitted. So I should start by saying that I really thoroughly enjoyed watching the entries that all of you took the effort to make and submit for this inaugural ciNE65 competition. I was very impressed by the creativity and professionalism of the films, as well as the maturity and sensitivity in engaging with some of the complex societal issues. So first of all, congratulations to all the teams who participated in the competition - all of you have done a great job, and I think you can all be proud of your work. I am also very encouraged that we had attracted a couple of entries from Singaporeans living overseas. They may not be here but they obviously saw the publicity and they participated in the competition. I think that it shows that Singaporeans, wherever they are, continue to feel for Singapore and care for our nation.

All of the films that were submitted were wonderfully and often humorously made and captured the many charming and unique characteristics of Singapore. There were a few common themes - there were many highlights on food, for some reason, prata, teh tarik and chilli crabs were the perennial favourite topics when it comes to food. There were snippets on soccer and the Malaysia cup, there were many slices of Singapore living in the HDB heartlands. There were films that exhorted us to remember our past - the memories we hold dear, and the people who made us what we are today. There were films that asked hard questions about our future in a globalised world and I remember one where the character in one particular snippet said, "There are so many more opportunities out there... here as in Singapore there's nothing to look forward to." But there were also many films that reminded us about why we love Singapore - because of our friends and families, and our affection for all things Singaporean that matter deeply to all of us.

Collectively, these short films help to tell the Singapore Story and it is a story of how we got here, the people we are, the challenges we faced, the problems we solved, the nation we built and continue to build together. Singapore is a young nation, and we will need time to develop and grow a sense of our history and an appreciation of why we are here - where we came from, what we have been through together, and what this country stands for. But year by year, our sense of identity and nationhood is growing. This process cannot and should not be driven by the Government alone. Rather it must be animated by many voices that help shape our national identity and keep alive our collective memories. Some of the stories may be romanticised, some of the stories may be critical but every story is important and every contribution is valued because each one is a thread that forms the fabric of our nation.

And ciNE65 seeks to do just that, to give Singaporeans a chance to tell your story through the wonderful medium of film. Film can be a very powerful medium to connect with diverse audiences intellectually, emotionally, and aesthetically. It is a valuable means by which we can communicate meaningful messages in an entertaining, captivating and thought-provoking way. As the American film director, screenwriter and producer, Steven Spielberg, once said, "Every time I go to a movie, it's magic, no matter what the movie's about".Film and video are also important because the way people read and consume media is changing. A whole new generation of young people is growing up with Youtube, with devices that can allow them to take videos anytime anywhere with ubiquitous internet access. With quality videos, you can reach a broad audience, and become part of an independent production movement. So through ciNE65, we hope to identify and promote our budding talents and do our part to help grow the local film industry. In doing so, we can build a repository of films reflecting what Singaporeans truly think and feel, allowing us to take pride in our past, to laugh at our all-too-human failings, to learn from our shortcomings even as we mature as a nation.

Of course, ciNE65 would not have been possible without the strong support of many stakeholders. On behalf of MINDEF and of my colleagues in Nexus, I would like to thank our partners and judges for your many contributions and for making this event possible. Most of all, I would like to thank all of you, our participants, for taking the time and effort to produce such high quality, creative and memorable films.

The competition may have come to an end, but this is not the end of your creative journey. Your films will be widely shared with other Singaporeans at home and abroad, through social media and television. I understand that some of the entries will be submitted for international short film competitions as well. I am confident that your films will encourage other film-makers to come forward to share and celebrate our rich and diverse Singapore identity.

Finally to all of you who have aspirations to be film-makers, I wish you all the best in pursuing your passion and honing your craft. I am not an expert in film-making but I do know that it is not easy to make a film. It's not just about the creative spark, which I am sure all of you have, but it is also the discipline to start and complete a project, to galvanise a whole team of people together and enable them to work together, the ability to critique your own work honestly because the feedback is instantaneous once you see something on the screen, and to learn from your mistakes continuously. But if you are prepared to put in the effort, I am sure you will reap the rewards and so I hope you will continue to work hard, persevere and believe in yourselves. Keep on filming, keep living your Singapore dream and keep telling your Singapore story in your own way. Thank you very much.