On 25 July 2020, the National Youth Film Awards (NYFA) was held over Facebook live and 26 winners were announced. Organized by *SCAPE, the NYFA celebrates excellence in youths who are highly talented in film-making in Singapore. Among the winners was Rios Morales Carlos Antonio who clinched the prestigious Best Editor award for the award-winning film, Lady E’s Wedding Revenge Plan.
The film tells the story of an eccentric young girl’s journey to stop her older sister’s wedding due to fears of growing up. The film was written, produced, and directed by Ngee Ann Polytechnic students, and was awarded Best Editing, Best Director and Best Live Action in the Media Student Category.
Rios Morales Carlos Antonio is currently serving his full-time National Service with the Multi-media Production Unit, Corporate Communications Department of the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
Above: LCP Antonio holding the winning trophy.
Rescue 995: Congratulations on clinching the prestigious Best Editor award. Tell us more about this film and what inspired you in making this film?
LCP Antonio: Being a film editor has been my childhood dream and that inspired me in editing this film.
The protagonist in the film is Kathleen. As a child, Kathleen was always with her elder sister no matter where she went or what she did. Their parents did not allow them to have access to many technological devices and so, they relied heavily on imagination and on each other’s company just to have fun. As they entered adolescence, those fun times eventually faded away and this led to a multitude of issues, such as realizing the need to adapt to the changes in life. Nonetheless, what helped Kathleen most was having someone, her sister, to assure her that everything would be okay.
This film is a tribute to the bonding and love among siblings, siblings who are typically our first companions in life. It is also made for everyone, regardless of age, to relate to the memorable and at times painful process of our growing up years. More importantly, this film tells us that it is okay to be emotional, confused and sometimes lost because that is what makes us human.
Rescue 995: Wow, the film is based on a rather complex theme and storyline! I was also told of its unique filming style. Tell us more about this and how did you manage to piece everything together?
LCP Antonio: As the editor, I was very focused on ensuring a top-notch quality for the film right from the start as I knew this will be a breakthrough. After deciding on the script, Kathleen and I had further discussions on the filming concept as we did not want the film to be just another coming-of-age angst teen film. We took on a totally different approach and in the end, the film has a hybrid style of Wes Anderson (Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning American filmmaker known for his eccentricity and distinctive visual and narrative styles) and Edgar Wright (an acclaimed English director known for his fast-paced and kinetic satirical genre films).
In terms of piecing things together, well the entire film is divided into three parts with three distinct colour pallets that represent the varied emotions of the main character.
Rescue 995: What do you do in SCDF’s Multi-media Production Unit (MPU)?
LCP Antonio: I am one of the key editors and animators in SCDF’s MPU. Being in MPU has given me the opportunity to work with numerous SCDF’s in-house talents to explore many creative ideas for SCDF’s video/film productions. This enriching experience not only sharpens my team work and man-management ability but also enables me to constantly push my film editing skills to greater heights.
Rescue 995: Where do you see yourself in the film-making industry in the coming years ahead?
LCP Antonio: Frankly speaking, I do not know but I will continue to chase my dream in life. For a start, after my full-time National Service, I will pursue a degree in film making. Thereafter I will join a production company so as to fulfill my childhood aspiration to be a successful film editor.
Above: LCP Antonio at work in SCDF's Multimedia Production Unit, Corporate Communications Department