Two days to make a film.

They almost didn't make it, but writer-director Lan Yu, 24, and video editor Danial Razak, 28, submitted theirs in time for the ciNE65 Movie Makers Awards (MMA).

An impressive feat for the first-time filmmakers who rushed to shoot and edit their three-minute short, $ingapura.

The theme for ciNE65 MMA 2019, a film competition organised by Nexus, Mindef’s central agency for National Education and Total Defence, in partnership with film and entertainment company mm2 Entertainment, called on budding filmmakers to reflect on what "Singapura" means to them and the stories of our past generations that make us Singaporean.

Lan and Danial's film follows a Singaporean taxi driver as he goes around picking up passengers, who happen to represent a cross-section of Singapore's society.

The contest came at a serendipitous time, according to Danial, as the concept had been simmering at the back of their minds for a couple of weeks. But the fate of the film hung in the balance as the lead role of the driver was not cast until three days before the deadline for the competition.

So what's the inspiration behind the film?

"I feel like inside a taxi is where you can truly be yourself, so that's what we wanted to do with this film, where we wanted to show Singaporeans being who they really are," said Danial.

"To outsiders, we may be known as one of the world's most expensive cities, but the idea of Xin-gapura just came to me ('xin' means heart in Chinese)," said Lan, "where there is a personal connection between us that is not reflected".

Added Danial: "For me, human interaction in this film was very important. Whether there's interaction or not, even the lack of interaction, says something about us."

The human connection is evident in many of the 113 films submitted to the competition, which is now in its fifth season since its inception in 2011.

"What makes Singapore home is the people around us. The main theme of our film is that people make the place," said 21-year-old full-time national serviceman Jastine Tan, director and writer for My Homeland: A Photography Project by Grandpa Chen. The Wes Anderson-inspired project depicts a grandson living overseas trying to fulfil his grandpa's dying wish.

The competition this year also saw 15-year-old Canberra Secondary School students Sivesh Sivaganesh, Andrea Fababeir and their team submit their entry about Singapore's separation from Malaysia.

Titled Echoes of 1965, Singaporeans from the Merdeka Generation are interviewed as they reminisce about a Singapore that the students - some of the youngest entrants in the competition - have never experienced for themselves.

"Weird" and "foreign" were how they described a time in Singapore's history when well-off residents in a kampung could leave their doors and windows open so that neighbours could also join in watching their favourite programmes on TV, and when children could run freely in and out of their neighbours' homes.

So what does "Singapura" mean to them?

"I feel almost a sense of pride and hope that Singapore is my country and we've survived and grown so much through thick and thin," said Sivesh.

Fababeir, who is Filipino, said: "For me it is a bit different because of my nationality, but [Singapore] is where I was born and where I live, [although] I juggle between my identities. I've learnt so much and it really impacts and touches me to see how far we've gone as a small nation."

These three films are just some of the highlights of the competition this year that are not only in the running for ciNE65 MMA, but also the Audience Choice Awards, which call for votes from members of the public.

The winner of ciNE65 MMA this year will get a deal to produce their own feature film, in partnership with mm2 Entertainment. A cash prize of $3,000 will also be up for grabs for overall best film in the Student and Open categories.

And for the first time in its history, a ciNE65 Festival 2019 from June 5 to 9 will celebrate short films produced over the past five seasons of the competition, including the films shortlisted for the Audience Choice Awards. Local director Ervin Han's first animated short film 1299 from his Singapore Bicentennial Trilogy will also premiere at the screening on June 5 at The Cathay.

"Shiok" was how Tan described seeing the fruition of three months of hard work at a preview screening for media recently.

The upcoming festival will also be the first time some of the budding directors' families get to see their finished films. Said Lan, laughing: "My mother told me that she'll watch [my film], but she hasn't. Maybe I'll bring her to one of the screenings to watch it."

Senior Lieutenant-Colonel (SLTC) Psalm Lew, Director of Community Engagement, Nexus, said: "ciNE65 is a national showcase for young filmmakers to share films that deepen our connection to Singapore. Today, we have more than 500 short films on the ciNE65 YouTube channel which tell inspiring Singaporean stories... We hope that Singaporeans will be inspired by the ciNE65 films that tell the story of our Singapore."

Members of the jury panel this year include esteemed filmmakers and film professionals from Singapore and the region such as actor Edmund Chen, director Wee Li Lin and Hong Kong writer-director Heiward Mak.

Said Gary Goh, jury member and General Manager of mm2 Entertainment, on the film entries received this year: "Overall we saw a good range of entries. There were those that moved us, there were those that made us take a second look in terms of how the ideas were executed. Looking at just the seven films (in the Audience Choice category), I think it shows a dynamic range of ideas that can be executed, and it is impressive."

Vote for the Audience Choice Awards for favourite film, actor and actress at the ciNE65 website here and you stand a chance to win air tickets for two to Seoul as the grand prize. Voting will end on June 11. 

Free screenings for ciNE65 Festival 2019 will be held at various venues from June 5 to 9; the full schedule can be found here. For more information, go to cine65.sg.

This article was brought to you in partnership with ciNE65.

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