When Singapore writer-director Nelicia Low needed to film scenes for her debut feature film Pierce in Taiwan, the Taichung city government turned into more than just a funder – it became her location scout.
“When we went location scouting, they provided drivers to take us to every single location for three days. They really took care of us. It’s not just giving money, they showed us everything,” the 33-year-old says.
Thanks to them, Pierce’s crucial fencing sequences found a home in an underground school facility.
This hands-on support is one reason for the growing pattern of Singapore-Taiwan collaborations, and four such co-productions have made festival appearances.
Opening in Singapore cinemas on Nov 7, Pierce won Best Director at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic in June.
Mongrel earned a Special Mention Camera d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and Stranger Eyes became the first Singapore film to compete for Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion in August.
Stranger Eyes will make its Asian premiere as the opening film at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, which runs from Nov 7 to 24. It also has six nominations, including for Best Director and Best Narrative Feature, at the Golden Horse Awards on Nov 23.
In addition, it will open the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which runs from Nov 28 to Dec 8. The film is slated for a wider theatrical release in Singapore in December.
Mongrel, which will be screened at SGIFF, has seven nominations at the Golden Horse Awards and is set to play on the big screens here in January 2025.
Tomorrow Is A Long Time, which opened in Singapore cinemas in May, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2023.
BUILDING THE BRIDGE
The timing follows specific policy changes, such as the establishment of the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) in 2019, for example.
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Touring exhibition of graffiti artist Banksy to open in Singapore in December
The guerilla-style political art of anonymous graffiti artist Banksy, which has popped up on streets in cities worldwide, will finally grace vandalism-tough Singapore this December—albeit indoors.
Bag brand Aupen's founder is former national swimmer Nicholas Tan
The Singapore-founded bag brand Aupen has been seen on the arms of pop superstars Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce, but the team behind the trendy label has largely kept a low profile—until now.
Music from Bridgerton in upcoming concert
Fans of the Netflix historical romance series Bridgerton (2020 to present) are in for a treat as songs from the hit show will be performed in Singapore.
Travel news Travel discounts at Trafalgar Tours' showcase
From Nov 6 to 10, Trafalgar Tours, a brand under travel company The Travel Corporation (TTC), is holding its first travel fair at the level one atrium of shopping centre Plaza Singapura.
Musical Six retells stories of Henry VIII's wives in pop-concert style
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived - this is how most people remember the six wives of 16th-century King of England Henry VIII.
Nafa's hopes of building a print archive
The acquisition of a collection from Typesettingsg, Singapore's only letterpress heritage studio, has increased its holdings by about 10 times
Brotherly bonds cut deeper than blades
Psychological thriller Pierce offers a bracing portrait of how young men seek out and cling to male role models
Thousands of girls sold and forced into sex trade in India
West Bengal a key trafficking hub, with more than 50,000 girls missing
Dua Lipa gets Singapore crowd 'levitating'
The words \"training season's over\" flashed on the screen as British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa took the Singapore Indoor Stadium stage on Nov 5 to kick off her Radical Optimism Tour.
4 movies, 2 islands
Singapore film-makers look to Taiwan for funding, hands-on support, cultural kinship
