More screenings for SG50 film project 7 Letters

SINGAPORE — Good news for those who did not manage to get tickets for the three-day gala screening of the historic SG50 film anthology 7 Letters in July: The film-makers have announced additional screenings at the Gallery Theatre in the National Museum of Singapore (NMS), to be shown during the jubilee National Day weekend (Aug 8 to 10).

There will be only one screening at 11am on all three days and, as before, tickets are not priced (it’s a donate-as-you-wish scheme, with all proceeds going to seven beneficiaries selected by the film-makers). These tickets will be available from the NMS front desk on Aug 1 and 2 (from 10am to 6pm) and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

This comes as a welcome delight to film-goers, as initial screening tickets were all snapped up within two hours of their release on July 1. The film anthology is a compendium of seven short films made to mark Singapore’s 50th birthday by acclaimed local film-makers Royston Tan, Eric Khoo, K Rajagopal, Jack Neo, Tan Pin Pin, Boo Junfeng and Kelvin Tong. It will also be the first film to be screened at the iconic Capitol Theatre.

Specifically selected by the directors themselves, the charities the film will help are the Alzheimer’s Disease Association, the Children- At-Risk Empowerment Association, the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore, the Pertapis Senior Citizens Fellowship Home, the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Welfare Foundation, the Student Care Service and Transient Workers Count Too.

“We were extremely touched when we first heard that the tickets were sold out so quickly,” Royston Tan, the ommibus’ executive producer, told TODAY. “So we all sat down and discussed how to open up the film to more people. The National Museum’s name came up and when they came on board, we were so happy.”

The film-makers are also working towards a possible general theatrical release. “We are still pushing for and hoping for a general release to happen” shared Tan. “Of course it will hinge on the demand from the public, so the more support, the merrier!”

There will also be a limited-edition DVD set for sale during the gala screenings at Capitol Theatre  on July 24 to 26. Designed by the 2014 President’s Design Award recipient, Larry Peh and his team at &Larry, this limited edition includes a DVD, insights to each of the seven short films, as well as personal mementos from the directors, such as old photographs and handwritten notes. Priced at S$200 each, only 1,000 copies of these DVDs will be sold. All DVD proceeds will go to the seven beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, those attending the gala premiere this week will have an added bonus: Seven-year-old pianist Toby Tan, hand-picked by Tan and Golden Horse award-winning composer Ricky Ho, will perform a five-minute long piano piece, Serenade Of The 7 Letters, written by Ho. Toby will be the first pianist to do so at the Capitol Theatre in 17 years.

This opening prelude to the film strings together music from the seven shorts.