
NFF+HBF scheme awards projects from Singapore and Chile
Chilean stop-motion duo Joaquín Cociña and Cristóbal León are supported for their second feature Los Angeles. Combining puppets, animation, and live action in dark, absurdist style, the film transports the urban pest controller Dalia into her own science fiction series. The project is a Dutch co-production through Viking Film. Their first feature, La casa lobo (2018), won prizes at Berlin and Annecy.
In Singaporean filmmaker Siyou Tan’s debut feature Amoeba, a 16-year old and her three rebellious friends are inspired by the erased stories of mythical gangsters from colonial Singapore. They decide to form their own gang, in a place where even chewing gum is illegal. The strictness of laws in Singapore, and the urge of rebellious girls to resist is also the premise of her short Strawberry Cheesecake (2021), which screened at Locarno. Amoeba is a co-production with Rotterdam-based Volya Films.
The Netherlands Film Fund also contributed to the support of five of the projects awarded in the November 2023 development support round. Read the projects here.
Top still: Los Angeles