ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Born and raised in Singapore, Raey has wanted to make films since she was 15. She left home alone in 2014 to pursue her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons.) at York University in Canada. She has churned out award-winning shorts from the get-go in film school as a student filmmaker, with experimental film AXIS (2015), winning the Merit Award at the Canada Shorts Film Festival 2016 and being showcased at Square Pegs 8 (2017 edition) hosted by Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre in Kingston, Ontario. Her short political documentary on the journey of a young National Democratic Party candidate - How To Youth in Politics (2016) has also gained an Honorary Mention at Canada Shorts Film Festival 2016, as well as Official Selection of Los Angeles CineFest 2016.
After graduating in 2017, Raey continued to make films characterized by vibrant colors, stylistic plays with symmetry lines and powerful scores, reflecting her belief that "sound is 51% of film." As a writer-director, Raey brings onscreen a world she hopes to come true someday - a world where queer characters are just well, characters. Her works often feature diverse, inclusive casts and crews, such as her short film Recollection (2017), which had an all-women and non-binary team and was selected for T.O. Short Film Festival and LGBTQ Shorts Festival in 2019.
Raey’s most notable work, Reprise (2019), garnered widespread acclaim, winning "Best Experimental Film" at several festivals, including Toronto Shorts International Film Festival and Florence Film Awards. She also received numerous accolades as a director, including Best Director (Female) at the Independent Shorts Awards and Best Indie Filmmaker at the Global Film Festival Awards.
Despite the pandemic, she wrote and directed Anna (2021), which won Outstanding Achievement in Best Director and Best Experimental Film at World Film Carnival Singapore 2021 and was an Official Selection at Berlin Indie Film Festival and Cannes Short Film Festival in 2022. Her latest film, Clouded (2023) is now on the festival circuit.
After 10 years in the Toronto film industry, Raey is now back home in Singapore to make her first feature film. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, snapping Polaroids and Formula 1.
ACCOLADES
Winner of Best Director (Female)
Independent Shorts Awards 2019Winner of Best Indie Filmmaker
Global Film Festival Awards
2019Outstanding Achievement - Best Director
World Film Carnival Singapore 2021Class of 2020, Pendance Film Festival - Directors’ Lab
One of twelve that were selected across Canada
Quarter Finalist - Feature Script Category
New York International Screenplay Awards 2021