

A heritage of Asian Cinema
Collection Guidelines
The Archive considers all film submissions by following the guidelines listed below. These guidelines are reviewed periodically.

Medium and Genre
  1. What are the film’s shooting and screening formats (e.g. film gauge, digital video, analogue video, media files)?
  2. Is this a feature film or a short film?
  3. What genre does the film belong to (e.g. action/adventure, avant-garde, comedy, experimental, docu-drama, drama, educational, environmental, erotic, film noir, horror, human rights, independent, mockumentary, romance, romantic comedy, satire, sci-fi, silent film, spoof, thriller, war/peace)?
  4. What is the form of this film (animation, documentary, feature, music video, short TV commercial, video art)?
  5. Does this film come with related materials (e.g. script, posters, stills, storyboards, reviews)?
  1. Is the primary filmmaker Asian?
  2. Does the primary filmmaker work in Asia?
  3. Is the film shot in Asia?
  4. Is the film about Asian subjects or characters?
  5. Does the film demonstrate a distinct style thought to be associated with Asian film?
  6. Can the film be considered to be part of a 'national cinema' in Asia?
  1. Is this film critically acclaimed and well-reviewed?
  2. Has this film been entered in competitions? Is this an award-winning film?
  3. Is this the work of an established filmmaker?
  4. Does this film contribute important innovations in filmmaking?
  5. Is this film critically, aesthetically, and/or intellectually significant?
  1. What is the physical condition of the film?
  2. How many copies are there of this film?
  3. How old is the primary filmmaker?
Historical Significance
  1. Does this film have historical significance?
  2. Is this film one-of-a-kind?
While the selection committee aims to give due consideration to every submission that it receives, it will operate on a very broad guiding principle of prioritizing Singapore films, then films from Southeast Asia, and then films from East Asia and South Asia. Films from Central Asia, Southwest Asia, and North Asia will only really be considered if they are exceptional or if they articulate strongly with works from the priority regions.