I suppose with Singaporean films like Royston Tan’s 15 and Kelvin Tong’s Eating Air, you’d probably know by now we’re not all that squeaky clean. Of course at this point in time I’m speculating that it’s Young and Dangerous-ish, but from the key poster art, stills and the likes, this is one upcoming Singapore movie on my radar that I can’t wait to watch when it makes its screening here in the later half of this year.

Here’s the synopsis:

Based on a true story – “THE DAYS” tells a cautionary tale between two brothers, set between 1989 and 1990. In a misguided effort to teach BABY (IVAN LIM) independence, and to make him feel protected, ZI LONG (JUSTIN CHAN) brings him into his own gang of delinquents. Unknowingly, his decision has thrown them both into a tumultuous and violent world that will, in different ways, imprison them both.

The Days will be at this year’s Marché du Film, Festival de Cannes, so to lucky folks heading there, let us know what you think. The rest of us mortals can hit those links below to learn more about the film!

Besides stuff from Hollywood, Bollywood too have its own share of highly anticipated blockbusters, and from some of the trailers shown, I’m hyped to watch them too. Tashan was billed as one of THE most highly anticipated for 2008, but I was quite surprised at the lower than low turnout at the cinemas. When I watched Jodha Akbar, it was a full house, but it wasn’t so for Tashan, and I was a little worried.

Continue Reading "Review of TASHAN"...

Has James Lee sold out to commercialism?!

I suppose the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) is Malaysian director James Lee’s festival of choice. Just last year alone, the first two of his Love Trilogy movies, Before We Fall In Love Again and Things We Do When We Fall In Love, were screened to a full house. And this year, we got the last of the Love Trilogy movie Waiting for Love, his new movie Breathing in Mud in competition for the Silver Screen Awards, we see James in front of the camera in Liew Seng Tat’s Flower in the Pocket, and SIFF becomes the first venue for the International Premiere of his first movie shot in 35mm, the horror flick Histeria.

Continue Reading "Review of James Lee’s HISTERIA"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

I had the privilege of catching the World Premiere of Harman Hussin’s Road to Mecca recently at the Singapore International Film Festival, and had the opportunity to discuss some of the issues that were touched upon during his road trip. Slight spoilers ahead in the interview as we discuss some key moments, so tread with caution if you please!

Stefan: As you noted in the movie, Singapore to Mecca takes about 9 hours by plane. What made you decide to embark on the road less travelled, especially since with limited funds, and on a tight budget. Were you at any time persuaded or discouraged not to go the unconventional way?

Harman Hussin: Like I said during the first screening, “it is my dream - when you see it you’ll believe it”. It’s a dream to pass through this land with an open heart.

I would say there were plenty of indirect discouragements and also of course there were encouragements as well – some of these discouraging and encouraging words are there in the documentary. However, I was never discouraged by those words, but I got to admit it really took a lot of my energies – though in fact it kept me going.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with Harman HUSSIN, Director of Road to Mecca"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

So far we’ve gone through a series of interviews with directors. Now we have someone taking on the producer’s role in a feature film shot in Cambodia. Lionel Chok’s name will be familiar to some who’s been following the prolific director’s works both on film and on the stage, and I’ve got the privilege of interrupting his busy schedule for this short interview session.

Stefan: Hi Lionel, you have quite a list of accomplishments and have been involved in various film related projects, ranging from short films to conducting workshops for aspiring filmmakers, and even organizing festivals. What made you decide to take on a producer’s role for To Speak?

Lionel Chok: Thank you Stefan… Actually I like to challenge myself and take on many hats. To actually only write/direct/produce in anyone medium - to me - would only mean that I’m limiting myself. There are so many stories requiring different mediums, and there’s so much one can do in various capacities: why not teach someone, who has a good story to tell, how to make films, or why not organize a different sort of a festival for others to open their minds and possibilities?

As such, I was open to taking on various things in different capacities, and as a result, find myself growing diversely and immensely. The producer’s role for To Speak happened by chance.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with Lionel CHOK, Producer of To Speak"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

I came to experience James and Lynn’s documentaries back in 2006 at a festival screening of Passabe, which explored the themes of justice, reconciliation and forgiveness through the eyes of ordinary villages in remote East Timor. My very first impression was that it was very courageous of them to venture into the road less travelled, and was obviously out of their comfort zone in Singapore. Then their next feature documentary, Aki Ra’s Boys, brought them out to the mine fields of Cambodia, and to see them document Aki Ra up close as he goes about defusing live mines was nothing short of mind-boggling!

The directing duo has definitely earned my respect and admiration. And I got pretty much excited about their Homeless FC project, which makes its local premiere in this year’s SIFF. Despite being overseas at this point in time, they managed to spare me a few moments for this online interview:

Stefan: Hi James and Lynn, I’m pretty excited to be able to finally catch Homeless FC when it makes its Singapore debut, after missing out on its World Premiere at the Hong Kong International Film Festival last year. I believe the film has travelled the world for close to a year now. Would you like to share with us how the reception toward it had been so far?

James and Lynn: The reception’s been good so far. We recently won an award in Hong Kong, which was very unexpected.

It’s nice to be able to connect with your audience, to have people from all over the world write to you after that, asking after the main characters in your film.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with James LEONG and Lynn LEE, Directors of Homeless FC"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Sherman Ong will present his latest movie Hashi in an International Premiere in this year’s SIFF. Shot during his residency with the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan, his debut feature in the Japanese language, going by the stills and behind the scenes snapshots, look incredibly gorgeous, in a story that ”weaves around issues of love, relationships, insecurity, death and the blurring between dreams and reality”. I got acquainted with Sherman last month during a retrospective of Yasmin Ahmad’s films here in Singapore, and recently caught up with him again to talk about Hashi.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with Sherman ONG, Screenwriter-Director of Hashi"...

I guess a new Hong Kong trend is emerging. I recall that as a kid, there was the Mr Vampire movie, which spawned a slew of Chinese vampire movies in its wake. Then there was John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow, which gave birth to a whole lot of brotherhood-amongst-thieves themed films. And then there was Once Upon A Time in China, which brought about a renaissance in martial arts movies based on historical or beloved fictional folk heroes. These days, we’re living in the Warring period era, where we have a fixation with armour, and more armour, thanks to movies like The Myth, Battle of Wits, The Warlords, Curse of the Golden Flower, and more to come with Battle of Red Cliff, and Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.

Continue Reading "Review of AN EMPRESS AND THE WARRIORS"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

ENG Yee Peng had made a documentary about her village hometown, Lim Chu Kang, that had to make way for progress and development in the area. Her first documentary, Diminishing Memories, charts a lifestyle in Singapore no more, and collates fond memories of a life bygone. The follow up to that documentary will now make its World Premiere at the SIFF, and I take the opportunity to talk to Yee Peng about her new film.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with ENG Yee Peng, Director of Diminishing Memories II"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

Back in 2006, HAN Yew Kwang released a wacky comedy called Unarmed Combat which combined armed wrestling and the fantasies of a middle aged married man. And who could forget that wonderful theme song too? His latest movie, 18 Grams of Love, shot in High Definition, has been making it’s award winning rounds in the festival circuit overseas, and now is due back on home soil for the local premiere. I’ve caught up with writer-director Yew Kwang for a short interview.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with HAN Yew Kwang, Writer-Director of 18 Grams of Love"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

One of Singapore’s more prolific independent directors, Kan Lume, will debut his latest movie, Dreams From The Third World, in a World Premiere, and I’ve managed to catch up with him for an interview prior to the start of the Festival.

Stefan: Your feature films to date, The Art of Flirting, Solos and Dreams From The Third World, have made it consistently into the official selection of the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), and I feel that’s quite an achievement in itself. While the first two were not world premieres (yes, we all regret that Solos had a Jury-only screening), how does it feel now to have your latest movie, make its World Premiere on home ground?

Kan Lume: It’s very timely for “Dreams” to have its world premiere at SIFF. Solos was pulled from its World Premiere screening and this feels like a restoration. Furthermore, when Solos was announced at last year’s SIFF press conference, someone mentioned how lucky I was to have another film so soon after The Art of Flirting. Now, having three consecutive feature films at SIFF, it validates beyond luck my principles and process of making films in this region. The “World Premiere” status is significant because it shows the importance I place on SIFF as the festival that is instrumental in my development as a filmmaker. I would also like to stress that Dreams From the Third World is a highly flawed film. I do not expect many people to like it. However, even though it shows how far short I am as a professional filmmaker, it also shows certain areas of growth for me.

Continue Reading "SIFF 2008 - An Interview with Kan Lume, Writer-Director of Dreams From The Third World"...

This year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), into its 21st edition, runs from 4th to 14th April, and features an unprecedented 13 local feature films and documentaries in a Singapore Panorama section.

One of Singapore’s more prolific independent directors, Kan Lume, will debut his latest movie, Dreams From The Third World, in a World Premiere, and as you can see on the left, that’s the first look at the movie’s poster. The trailer (NSFW, be warned!) is up on YouTube.

I will be bringing you the usual reviews from the slate of movies featured under the Singapore Panorama section, as well as some interviews with selected filmmakers soon. First up will be an interview piece with Kan Lume himself. Watch for it!

I guess in movies with sports themes, it is never really much about the goal and the destination, but rather the journey the characters take in finding strengths amongst themselves, shore up weaknesses and collectively present and mount a challenge, that makes it compelling viewing. And it’s little surprise that Slam fits into this mould and what resulted is a thoroughly enjoyable film on schoolyard pride, camaraderie and 3 on 3 street basketball.

Continue Reading "Review of SLAM"...

I’m sure some of you out there would conveniently associate Kelvin Tong’s reputation with the dismal Men in White, forgetting that the writer-director had his success stories in his earlier works Eating Air and The Maid. You can tell clearly that I did not really enjoy Men in White, nor his experimental Love Story, but with Rule #1, Kelvin Tong gets my vote of confidence henceforth, if he steers clear of bad comedy, and pretentious art house flicks.

Continue Reading "Review of RULE #1"...

Jay Chou’s Kung Fu Dunk‘s not the only one in Asia this 2008 to deal with basketball. A Singaporean production house, Crimson Forest Films, had apparently gone to China to shoot a basketball movie centered around adolescent youths, and is slated for its world premiere later this month back home.

Detailed synopsis of the movie after the break…

Continue Reading "SLAM The Movie Official Website"...