NEWS: Singapore Filmmakers Ride Local Film Production Boom1 min read
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The Singaporean film industry is experiencing an unprecedented production boom. At least 14 homegrown films are due to release this year, a 50% increase from 2018, with another 15 in development, per the Singapore Film Commission.
Last year saw unprecedented success for Singapore cinema, with Yeo Siew Hua’s “A Land Imagined” winning the Golden Leopard at Locarno, and several more awards globally. The film was released theatrically in Singapore in February 2019 and enjoyed a successful box office run. Jon M. Chu’s Singapore-set blockbuster “Crazy Rich Asians” led to a global uptick in interest in the island country; auteur Eric Khoo’s culinary themed “Ramen Shop” won plaudits at Berlin and Tokyo; and locally, horror films from Gilbert Chan (“23:59: The Haunting Hour”) and Jacen Tan (“Zombiepura”) found favor with audiences.
Local superstar Jack Neo had a 2018 Lunar New Year release with comedy “Wonderful! Liang Xi Mei” from regional powerhouses MM2 Entertainment and J Team Prods., that was a box office smash in Singapore and Malaysia. The same team reunites for 2019 release “Killer Not Stupid.” Other upcoming comedies include Joyce Lee’s “Fat Hope” and Han Yew Kwang’s “When Ghost Meets Zombie.” Ong Kuo Sin has a comedy, “Number 1,” and a drama, “One Headlight,” coming up.
This year will see the release of Chua Jing Du’s “Circle Line,” Singapore’s first monster movie, and Sam Loh’s revenge horror tale “Hell Hole.”
Photo Credit: 13 Little Pictures
