ABOUT FRIDAE
Since 2005, Fridae has organised six movie-fundraisers which raised over S$60,000 in benefit of a variety of NGOs and community groups including Action for AIDS, AWARE, Cat Welfare Society; two independent short films by Boo Junfeng and Loo Zihan; and Indignation - which Fridae has financially and in other ways supported since it was first held in 2005.
Pink Dot, the first-ever official LGBT public gathering held in May 2008 in Singapore, was also a beneficiary of Fridae's Milk Fund-raising Gala Premiere held earlier this year.
In the past few years, our community has grown in visibility, maturity, as well as diversity of activities more than in any other span of time.
Events such as the Repeal 377A campaign, PinkDot, and the Aware Saga have been watershed moments for our community.
Indignation continues to ask the right questions and push the envelope for equality and recognition. Fiercely independent filmmakers such as Boo Junfeng and Loo Zihan are creating bodies of work that tell our stories and record them for posterity. And they have been made possible in part because of your support.
Together, we can make so much happen.
Dr Stuart Koe
CEO, Fridae
Thanks to money raised at Fridae's film galas, People Like Us (PLU) is able to grow the annual IndigNation Gay Pride Season from last year's 18 events to this year's 35.
The donation also makes possible the biennial Rascals Prize that recognises the growing range and depth of research on Singapore LGBT issues. Greater funding too has allowed IndigNation to screen two imported queer films at the 2009 festival.
PLU is grateful to Fridae and sponsors of the fundraising gala premiere for making exciting new possibilities for the LGBT community in Singapore a reality.
Russell Heng
Co-founder, People Like Us
Organisers of Indignation, Singapore's Gay Pride Season
Fridae's fundraising gala premieres provide an excellent opportunity for the members of our community to mingle over great films and support their community at the same time.
It was at last year's Milk fundraiser where Pink Dot was first announced publicly. It was just an idea back then, and we didn't know how and where to find the resources necessary to take the next step.
The interest and support that we received at the gala gave us what we needed to bring Pink Dot to life - with thousands of pink balloons, umbrellas, hats and months of administrative labour.
That piece of local LGBT history would not have been possible, if not for the community's generous support and donations.
Jack Yong
Pink Dot
My short film Tanjong Rhu wouldn't have been possible without the funds raised through Fridae's fundraising gala premieres.
The film, based on the police entrapment cases of gay men in Singapore in 1993, has since been shown at film festivals around the world, including the prestigious Berlin Film Festival early this year.
The generous support from Fridae and the community was crucial to the success of the film.
Boo Junfeng
Filmmaker
Read more about Boo Junfeng on Fridae
Read more about Tanjong Rhu
