Dr Jade Kua

Dr. Jade Kua is a senior consultant in general and pediatric emergency medicine, with a master’s in trauma. She is a Past President of the Association of Women Doctors, Singapore, and the immediate Past President of the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association.

She is also a professional life coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation and founded Jade Life And Wellness. Her children’s bedtime book on mindfulness, Good Night Marion, was published by Write Editions and used by therapists, psychologists, and parenting experts.

She is married with 3 small children and 3 older stepchildren and enjoys long walks and strong coffee.

“I’m looking for how masterful the creators are in forming a connection with the audience through film in order to tell a story about mental health.”

Michael Kam completed a post-graduate course in filmmaking at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and currently teaches in its film program. An avid short filmmaker, Michael’s works have traveled to numerous international film festivals, such as Berlin, Uppsala, Cork, Palm Springs, Encounters, and Curta Cinema, among others.

His films have received festival accolades such as the Best Fiction award at Tampere, the ARTE short film award at Hamburg, and the Best Director award in Singapore. He is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents and the Golden Horse Film Academy and has served as mentor and judge in ciNE65, as well as a jury member for the National Youth Film Awards.

“This is a short film competition, so naturally I’ll be looking out for well-made works. But more importantly, I really hope to find fresh perspectives or sincere stories that strike an authentic chord on issues related to mental health.” 

Ms. Colyn Chua is a trained social worker with field experience as a Medical Social Worker and most recently graduated with an MBA from the Singapore Management University. Colin joined MINDSET, the Jardine Matheson Group’s corporate social responsibility program, and a registered charity established to make a difference in the area of mental health, in 2012, and as the Head of MINDSET, she oversees the organization and its employee volunteer program supported by all business units in the Jardine Matheson Group.

Colin believes that more can be done in the areas of mental health and corporate purpose, especially in awareness-raising, community inclusivity, and sustainability. By actively engaging mental health organizations and sharing views and knowledge, she hopes to see a growing number of like-minded advocates in Singapore’s mental health ecosystem.

“I am looking out for how the filmmakers portray a great deal of accuracy towards the selected mental illness and/or theme as well as how the films engage their target audiences to further advocate for mental health.”

Freddie is the Chief Operating Officer of Infinite Studios and has more than 25 years of media industry experience. His producing credits include “My Magic” which was in competition for the Palme D’Or in 2008, “Be With Me” and “Tatsumi” all of which were directed by Singapore film auteur Eric Khoo and premiered in Cannes. Other producing credits include HBO Asia’s “Serangoon Road” and “Halfworlds” series, Warner Brothers’ Golden Globe-nominated and box office sensation “Crazy Rich Asians” and HBO US’  Emmy Award-winning series Westworld 3. 

He has been an Advisory Committee member of the Singapore Film Commission (SFC) since 2005 and has served on the Board of Governors at Nanyang Polytechnic and was Chairman of Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Interactive Digital Media Advisory Committee and Institute of Technical Education’s School of Design and Media Advisory Committee. He currently sits on Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Film and Media Advisory Committee.

“I am looking for a simple story idea that can convey a heartfelt message of compassion and hope that will inspire others to be proactive and help create a positive awareness for mental health.”

Dr. Joseph Leong Jern-Yi graduated from NUS in 1999 and earned his Master in Psychiatry in 2003 and studied Psychiatric Rehabilitation at UCLA with Distinguish Professor of Psychiatry Robert Paul Liberman in 2009. His poster on “Personal Effectiveness for Successful Living” won the Best Scientific Poster Award at the World Association for Psycho-Social Rehabilitation Conference in Milan, Italy in 2014 and he had been being invited as a speaker both regional and internationally. He was one of the keynote speakers at the Refocus on Recovery Conference in 2019 in Nottingham, England.

He’s currently Deputy Program Director of the Community Mental Health Team at the Institute of Mental Health working with Community Partners to build connections, capacity, and capability. He is the current President of the Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Singapore.

He has been an expert advisor for several mental health social service agencies such as Caregiver Alliance, Club HEAL, Singapore Anglican Community Services, St Andrew’s Nursing Home@Buangkok, and Mental Connect. He is currently serving as Board Member for Singapore Association for Mental Health, Caring for Life, and recently Kampong Kapor Community Services (KKCS)

He’s very passionate about teaching, coaching, and mentoring and has been a core faculty of the National Psychiatry Residency Program. He was awarded the NHG Excellence in Teaching 2004, Excellence Service Star Award 2007, Healthcare Humanity Award 20011 by the President of Singapore, Distinguished Public Service Star Award 2013 by the Singapore government, and Special Recognition Award from the Dean of Medicine, NUS in 2019. 

“A short film that illustrates the accurate portrayal of loss and grief – how community engagement helps!”