SINGAPORE – When it was launched by Nexus in 2011, the biannual ciNE65 short film competition was meant to as a platform to encourage aspiring film-makers to tell their Singapore story and what Singapore means to them. Part of its objective was to recognise and nurture local film-making talents.

It would seem that ciNE65 is on its way to doing just that. The third season of ciNE65 concluded earlier this evening with a record number of entries and participating schools. As in previous editions, the competition was split into the Open and Student categories. This year’s theme was Believing/Home.

Guest-of-Honour Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, Minister of State for Defence, said that the response this year was heartening especially as Singapore celebrates 50 years of nationhood. “The volume and variety of interpretations on the theme … shows how deeply we feel about Singapore, our home. While each of the films explores the subject of home from a different perspective, taken together, the films tell the story of us as one people.”

Dr Maliki also commended the film-makers for their hard work which he said was “evident in the superb quality of the films”.

“Looking at the number of entries, it has increased over the years so it’s growing in terms of its awareness. The standards have also risen. It’s obviously having a positive effect on the film-makers in Singapore,” said noted film-maker Boris Boo, who is on the panel of judges this year. “I’m sure the winners this year will go on to make more and better films. This can only be good for the film industry.”

For the Open category, the Overall Best Film went to Unwavering. Directed by Lawrence Loh, it follows an old cleaner who reminisces about the times when she set out to achieve her dreams and aspirations. Loh also picked up the award for Best Documentary for his effort, A Needle, A Stitch, which looks at the shrinking livelihoods of tailors in Singapore. (The Best Documentary is a new addition to the competition this year.)

“Documentaries have evolved, they’re not only factual but tug at your heartstrings too,” said Boo. “On the surface, A Needle, A Stitch didn’t seem like what we wanted: It talks about a tailor in a sunset industry, but the director drew a parallel to building a nation. How the tailor built his business is similar to building a nation, bit by bit, stitch by stitch. And it’s a bit of a warning too – if we’re not careful all these trades will be sunset industries.

“It’s a good, subtle analogy,” he added. “A very unique interpretation.”

For the Student category, Home-made,took home the Overall Best Film. Directed by Aloysius Lee, it tells the story of a chef who draws inspiration from his grandmother’s recipes to help him win an international cooking competition. Home-Made also took home Best Screenplay and Best Sound Design.

Both Overall Film winners walked away with the grand prize of an overseas learning trip to an international film festival, in addition to cash prizes and Panasonic cameras.

Other winners include Sightless, which won the Favourite Film award, determined by public voting; as well as Ngee Ann Polytechnic, which won the Inter-School Challenge Trophy (awarded to the school which submitted the highest number of quality entries in the Student Category).