SINGAPORE, July 10 — Five documentaries by budding local film-makers for a 50th birthday. Discovery Channel is commemorating Singapore’s jubilee year with “Singapore Stories”, a collection of documentaries set out to capture the nation’s zeitgeist.

The series, which premieres next Thursday, comprises documentaries directed by Gwendolin Mah, Mark Chua, Priscilla Goh, Victor Tang and Yong Shu Ling. The subjects range from the birds on Orchard Road and urban farming to the creation of the nation’s first-ever marine park and Dakota Crescent, one of Singapore’s oldest housing estates.

In a lead-up to the television premiere, there will be a public outdoor screening event of all five films tomorrow, July 11, at Lepark at the People’s Park Complex Carpark. The film-makers and the people featured in the documentaries will also be present at the casual block-party-style event, which will also feature interactive booths and contests.

The series is part of the cable network’s First Time Filmmakers (FTFM) Singapore initiative and supported by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).

The directors, whose ages range from 25 to 39, were chosen based on their proposals. Also chipping in to narrate the documentaries are: actor George Young, radio deejay Melody Chen, television personality and environmentalist Nadya Hutagalung, local indie-pop band The Sam Willows’ Benjamin Kheng and explorer, social entrepreneur and environmental advocate Phillippe Cousteau Jr.

“This is the first time that we are launching FTFM in Singapore and we are excited to be able to bring Singapore’s stories to an international audience,” said Arjan Hoekstra, president and managing director for Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.

The five films were selected out of 14 shortlisted proposals. All shortlisted participants attended a one-day workshop and pitched to a panel of judges comprising senior representatives from Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, the MDA and local production company Beach House Pictures.

First launched in the Asia-Pacific region in 2000, the FTFM initiative is an ongoing effort by the cable channel to provide opportunities for non-fiction film-makers around the world. — TODAY

* “Singapore Stories” airs weekly every Thursday beginning July 16, 9pm, on Discovery Channel (Astron Channel 551). With daily encores at 6pm from August 17 to 21. The Lepark event is from 6pm onwards at Level 6, People’s Park Complex Carpark.