Singapore – The Singapore Film Commission (SFC), part of the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), has launched the New Talent Feature Grant (NTFG), an initiative that aims to help up-and-coming film directors start their careers in feature film-making.

The NTFG supports film directors to produce their first feature films in a variety of genres, including those of artistic and cultural value, such as documentaries, festival-oriented works, and films in non-English languages (i.e. Malay and Tamil). The NTFG also supports films meant for theatrical release, festivals and broadcast (i.e. feature-length telemovies).

The NTFG, which allows directors to own the intellectual property of their films, will fund up to S$250,000 or 100 percent of the production budget (whichever is lower) for each feature film. NTFG requires recipients to use at least 40 percent of the grant on Singapore spend – cost items incurred in Singapore or on Singaporeans and Permanent Residents.

“MDA does not expect this to make money. We decided that we should not be the one that determines if a film is profitable,” Yeo Chun Cheng, Director, SFC, told TV ASIA Plus. “The emphasis is not on the numbers but finding talent.”