The Star Online
8 Mar 2008
Seah Chiang Nee
SOME 10 years after the launch of a film industry, Singapore movies have achieved some popularity among local fans, but fell short of creating a regional hub.
The industry faces tough obstacles that make it difficult to catch up with fast-improving producers like Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea – and now China – despite government encouragement and funding.
Raintree Pictures, a local company, has made some two-dozen films, which have mostly a local theme that appeals to Singaporeans but not to a global audience.
(Its launch in 1998 marked a watershed for Singapore films. Raintree is the filmmaking subsidiary of MediaCorp, the government-owned TV operator, and Temasek is a major shareholder.)
That Singaporeans rank among the world’s most avid cinemagoers, coupled with the low investments – generally below S$1mil (RM2.28mil) each film – have prevented any significant flow of red ink on the bottom line.
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