Young Singapore filmmaker Ray Pang may not be as famous as a Royston Tan or Eric Khoo but all that might soon change.
The latest short film by Pang, 'Closer To Me', has been shortlisted for two awards — the Jury's awards and the People's Choice award — in Louis Vuitton's Journeys Awards contest.
Into its second edition this year, LV's Journeys Awards is a competition designed to offer filmmakers a chance to showcase their creativity and technical skills that resonate with an audience. Winners will be awarded a cash prize of USD $25,000 as well as a chance to gain international media exposure at the Venice Film Festival.
The 3-and-a —half minute film is about a father who relives his life journey through his memories after being diagnosed with cancer.
Pang's film, the only entry from Singapore, is up against nine other entries from budding filmmakers from France, USA, Australia and Africa.
Shortlisted entries are displayed from July 3 to September 3 on both the Journeys Awards website and on Louis Vuitton's official YouTube website for the jury and the public to vote.
Pang, writer and director of the short film, is delighted to be in the final ten.
"We are proud to be the ambassador for Singapore… Our entry allows us the opportunity to bring aspiring filmmakers closer to the dream of Singapore becoming a creative media hub. I am delighted to be recognized by Louis Vuitton's Journey Awards."
About his film, Pang said, "We have all seen or heard from the media, relatives, or friend's parents having passed away from cancer. The wakeup call only came the day a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. It can happen to anyone, and what can we do about it?"
"After they die, what matters is the memories that were shared, and those will live on forever," he added.
Singaporean filmmaker Ray Pang (center) at Yahoo! Singapore 9 Awards Night with host Vernetta Lopez (left) and …
Pang also said he hopes all Singaporeans can rally behind his film and vote.
Voters may vote only once a day for the Audience Choice Award, while the Jury Awards is decided by the panel of judges headed by Italian film director Luca Guadagnino. Winners will be announced on September 18.
"I hope that we can be given support to produce more of such works by winning. This independent, external recognition is testament to the potential of local filmmakers and the possibilities that we can achieve for our country," said the 27-year-old graduate from Temasek Polytechnic.
"Closer to Me" is Pang's eighth short film since he started filmmaking after graduating from TP with a diploma in Interactive Media Design.
Out of the eight, five have been selected for international film festivals and two of them went on to clinch Best Film accolades.
Just last week, Pang was recognized in Yahoo!'s annual Singapore 9 awards 2012 for his achievements in the film industry.
To vote for Ray Pang and film 'Closer To Me', click here.
