Eric Khoo

A profile of Toh Hai Leong, the director of the Singaporean mockumentary Zombie Dogs, and his battle with Type 2 diabetes.

From Crazy Rich Asians (2018) to 12 Storeys (1997) to Sumpah Pontianak (The Curse of Pontianak) (1957), Singapore’s film industry is a diverse one and its evolution is nothing short of colourful. Recollecting Singapore’s famed studios in the 1950s to uncovering new waves of filmmakers in 90s and into today’s digital revolution, Singapore Cinema: Between Takes provides an insight into the rich history, and culture of Singapore films and its industry through candid reflections of filmmakers and content creators.

Southeast Asia Cinema - When the rooster crows is a voice of diversity reaching for change. Brillante Mendoza, Eric Khoo, Garin Nugroho, Pen Ek Ratanaruang give voice to a region rich with traditions, ethnic groups, languages, politics, and religions. It is cinema, at its purest form, fighting for freedom of expression, documenting real lives of ordinary people, giving voice to the underdogs and the outcasts. The amalgamation of these aspects gives birth to an ultra-neo-realistic cinema language currently unique to films from this region.

Uncovers the remarkable story of how this small nation has made an indelible mark on Asian cinema in the past five years. Through exclusive interviews and captivating scenes across seven countries, we learn the rich diversity of Singaporean stories, and cast a forward-looking gaze towards an exciting cinematic future. A documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Singapore Film Commission.

Liang Po Po: The Movie is a Singaporean film directed by Jack Neo in 1999. It stars the comedian director Jack Neo himself, who cross-dresses as the titular old lady, which in English is translated as "Granny Neo". Liang Po Po, a lovable 85 year old granny, decides to leave the Old Folks Home in search of a new life. Believing that she can still contribute to the good of the society, the determined old lady sets on a path where she soon realizes how her trusting and naïve nature can be used against her.

Set in Singapore in 1979, A Year Of No Significance chronicles the gradual disintegration of a middle-aged architect as changes rock the 45th year of his life. Sidelined in the office because of his inability to speak English, Lim Cheng Soon is cut further adrift when his wife leaves him inexplicably one day. His elderly father moves in, forcing him to confront the fact that the former has always preferred his younger brother. Robbed of his identities as architect, husband and son, Cheng Soon struggles in the dusk of his life, raging against the dying light.

Animated film based on the life and stories of Manga writer Yoshihiro Tatsumi who revolutionised the art form with darker, more adult stories. The film animates several of his stories.

A single dad looks to give up drinking and his bartender job in order to impress his son and find work as a magician.

Five troubled teens, abandoned by society and family, form a bond in a world of violence, drugs, and self-destruction, facing harsh realities of modern Singapore.

Three tales of love wrap around the true story of a blind and deaf woman named Theresa Chan. In the first an elderly shopkeeper is devoted to his sick wife. In the second, two teenage girls become soul mates and lovers. In the third a chubby security guard tries to find the courage to woo a beautiful woman who works in his building.

The film deals with a young man, following his “endeavors” in the city he lives in, which mostly comprise of him roaming the streets aimlessly. In the beginning, he seems peculiar but still normal, but as the story progresses, the portrait of a sadomasochistic man is revealed quite eloquently.

The film deals with a young man, following his “endeavors” in the city he lives in, which mostly comprise of him roaming the streets aimlessly. In the beginning, he seems peculiar but still normal, but as the story progresses, the portrait of a sadomasochistic man is revealed quite eloquently.

The film deals with a young man, following his “endeavors” in the city he lives in, which mostly comprise of him roaming the streets aimlessly. In the beginning, he seems peculiar but still normal, but as the story progresses, the portrait of a sadomasochistic man is revealed quite eloquently.

The film deals with a young man, following his “endeavors” in the city he lives in, which mostly comprise of him roaming the streets aimlessly. In the beginning, he seems peculiar but still normal, but as the story progresses, the portrait of a sadomasochistic man is revealed quite eloquently.

The film deals with a young man, following his “endeavors” in the city he lives in, which mostly comprise of him roaming the streets aimlessly. In the beginning, he seems peculiar but still normal, but as the story progresses, the portrait of a sadomasochistic man is revealed quite eloquently.

The film deals with a young man, following his “endeavors” in the city he lives in, which mostly comprise of him roaming the streets aimlessly. In the beginning, he seems peculiar but still normal, but as the story progresses, the portrait of a sadomasochistic man is revealed quite eloquently.

En is an 18-year-old who has lost his father to cancer. As his family is drawn together in a sudden tragedy, he has to decide what he believes in. But in a country where ideologies are forged on constantly shifting sands, he struggles to stay true to what he knows to be right. And in a family that prefers to forget, the sandcastles of all he holds dear seem doomed to be washed away by the tides of time.

Animated film based on the life and stories of Manga writer Yoshihiro Tatsumi who revolutionised the art form with darker, more adult stories. The film animates several of his stories.

The film depicts 24 hours in a HDB block of residential flats in Singapore. There are three main storylines. San San, fat, silent, and alone, hears the ghost of her mother constantly upbraid her. Ah Gu, a tofu soup vendor, is at odds with Lily, his materialistic immigrant wife, who longs for something he cannot provide. Meng spouts every moralistic bromide of the striving middle class, but is unhinged by his teenage sister May ("Trixie" to her boyfriend) who won't study, parties all night, and seems doomed by youth culture.

The film depicts 24 hours in a HDB block of residential flats in Singapore. There are three main storylines. San San, fat, silent, and alone, hears the ghost of her mother constantly upbraid her. Ah Gu, a tofu soup vendor, is at odds with Lily, his materialistic immigrant wife, who longs for something he cannot provide. Meng spouts every moralistic bromide of the striving middle class, but is unhinged by his teenage sister May ("Trixie" to her boyfriend) who won't study, parties all night, and seems doomed by youth culture.

A painfully shy noodle-shop owner and a prostitute have a chance encounter when destiny arrives in the form of a car accident.

Struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother, Kim suddenly has to deal with a new mother in her life. Choon, Kim's father, brings home a woman one day and announces his decision to marry her. A series of mysterious and terrifying incidents start to occur at the family home after their return. Could it be the jealous spirit of Choon's dead wife that has come back to show her displeasure at being replaced? Or is there something more sinister? What unravels is a tale of unspeakable evil that threatens to destroy the family. What deep, dark secret is Na, Choon's new wife, hiding from them? Can Kim help save her family from complete destruction?

This program features three digital short films by Asian filmmakers. Singapore veteran filmmaker Eric Khoo's NO DAY OFF (39 min) records the life of a maid who leaves her husband and baby for Singapore. Darezhan Omirbayev's ABOUT LOVE (38 min) is a bitter love story based on Anton Chekhov's novel, in which a lonely math teacher falls in love with her married university classmate. Pen-ek Ratanaruang's TWELVE TWENTY (30 min) depicts the encounters of a man and a woman on a long haul flight, where they spend the next twelve hours and twenty minutes reading, drinking, eating and watching movies and sleeping by each other's side, as if they are a married couple.

In conjunction with the 2nd anniversary of the Day Offcampaign, UNIFEM Film Series is proud to present No Day Off (2006) by Eric Khoo, a 45-minute short film chronicling four years in the life of Siti, a domestic worker in Singapore. Each year, thousands of women like Siti uproot themselves from their homes and families in impoverished villages in Java and Sumatra. They head for Singapore where they live the life of a foreign domestic worker, scrubbing, cooking and looking after children, the sick and the elderly. Their wages go towards making life more comfortable and less bleak for their own families back home.

Eric Khoo's tv-movie about the relationship between a young girl and her mother with dementia.

A strange film that comprises as much fiction as documentary and actually transcends the genre of the mockumentary, the fake documentary. Its maker Toh Hai Leong (in reality primarily a critic) more or less plays himself as a cult film maker looking for actors for a snuff film. He rattles off monologues about film and all kinds of things. He lives like a hermit in a grubby apartment with his elder brother. They criticise the material and sterile life of Singapore, but do not really make their scruffy alternative very attractive. You could suspect a skilled actor was behind the figure of Toh Hai Leong, but local connoisseurs point out that in reality, he is no different. A confusing supporting role - confusing because of its authenticity - played by Lim Poh Huat, the extra who also performs in the short film in this programme. (GjZ)

Liang Po Po: The Movie is a Singaporean film directed by Jack Neo in 1999. It stars the comedian director Jack Neo himself, who cross-dresses as the titular old lady, which in English is translated as "Granny Neo". Liang Po Po, a lovable 85 year old granny, decides to leave the Old Folks Home in search of a new life. Believing that she can still contribute to the good of the society, the determined old lady sets on a path where she soon realizes how her trusting and naïve nature can be used against her.

A profile of Toh Hai Leong, the director of the Singaporean mockumentary Zombie Dogs, and his battle with Type 2 diabetes.

This sensitive and sensual film draws together several narratives spanning several decades, all of them transpiring in the same room of the same Singaporean hotel — and all of them involving sex.

Legendary singer Claire Emery flies to Japan for a final sold-out concert. But when the show ends, so does Claire’s life on earth. However, an unexpected new life in the spirit world - where she will be guided by Yuzo, one of her biggest fans - awaits.

This short was filmed entirely on the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

Stranded in the Philippines during World War II, a young girl finds that her duty to protect her dying mother is complicated by her misplaced trust in a beguiling, flesh-eating fairy.

When ambitious young correctional officer Aiman is transferred to the country's highest-security prison, he catches the attention of the seasoned chief executioner Rahim. Aiman's desire to become the hangman's apprentice is not only professional but born of an unspeakable urge to reconnect with a past that haunts him.

This program features three digital short films by Asian filmmakers. Singapore veteran filmmaker Eric Khoo's NO DAY OFF (39 min) records the life of a maid who leaves her husband and baby for Singapore. Darezhan Omirbayev's ABOUT LOVE (38 min) is a bitter love story based on Anton Chekhov's novel, in which a lonely math teacher falls in love with her married university classmate. Pen-ek Ratanaruang's TWELVE TWENTY (30 min) depicts the encounters of a man and a woman on a long haul flight, where they spend the next twelve hours and twenty minutes reading, drinking, eating and watching movies and sleeping by each other's side, as if they are a married couple.

As an omnibus of short films, Art Through Our Eyes is inspired by the art collection found at the National Gallery Singapore. Each of the five directors – Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Brillante Mendoza, Eric Khoo, Ho Yuhang and Joko Anwar – handpicked a masterpiece from the 19th and 20th century as inspiration for their short films.

An emotive anthology by seven of Singapore's most illustrious filmmakers, celebrating SG50 through the lives and stories of Singaporeans. Directed by Eric Khoo, Jack Neo, K. Rajagopal, Royston Tan, Tan Pin Pin, Boo Junfeng, Kelvin Tong.

In the Pacific, 1944, a Japanese soldier and a British prisoner of war are stranded on a deserted island, hunted by a deadly creature. Two mortal enemies must come together to survive the unknown.

Masato is a young ramen chef in Japan. When he finds his late mother's journal after the sudden death of his emotionally distant father, he takes it with him to her native country, Singapore, hoping to piece together the story of his family and his life.

Enslaved in a surreal world of living objects, a lamb cutlet does whatever it takes to make ends meet.

A brash, irreverent and poetically playful collage of stories about people in Singapore who run away and disappear forever. Two children run away from home and discover an ancient underground network of monsoon drains, tunnels and caves. An army officer obsessed with order and discipline realises that life isnít so black and white. A painfully shy man reluctantly saves his neighbour and experiences a spiritual awakening. Concocted from a heady mix of realism and poetic fantasy, Invisible Children is sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but always thought-provoking.

Betrayed by the Dutch colonial forces, Arana manages to escape along with his nephews Jamar and Suwo, the newborn sons of Hamza, one of the last Indonesian sultans fighting against foreign tyranny. In 1860, after wandering for years on the plains of the American Wild West, Arana and the two brothers return to Indonesia to avenge their dead loved ones and punish the evil man who caused their misfortune.

An army recruit was found dead during a 24km road march. After the death of the recruit, strange things started to happen, haunting all the soldiers in the barracks.

A group of underdogs form an amateur football team to play in a local league. The prize for the winners: a trip to the 2002 World Cup Finals. The team include a common man's hero who raises his two children single-handedly after his wife passes away, an ex-con with major anger management problems, a lounge singer struggling against his deadly nemesis - the karaoke machine, and a tender but tough tomboy. The story is built around the team struggle against the odds from no-hopers to title contenders. Through the game of football, the team learns not just sportsmanship, but life lessons that help them to mature as individuals, and ultimately, help each other to become better human beings.

An anthology of one-minute films created by 51 international filmmakers on the theme of the death of cinema. Intended as an ode to 35mm, the film was screened one time only on a purpose-built 20x12 meter public cinema screen in the Port of Tallinn, Estonia, on 22 December 2011. A special projector was constructed for the event which allowed the actual filmstrip to be burnt at the same time as the film was shown.

Six friends are captured and tortured by a murderous family after giving a ride home to a desperate stranger.

A single dad looks to give up drinking and his bartender job in order to impress his son and find work as a magician.

Chun Feng Koh, a middle-aged food critic whose career is starting to wear him out, decides to explore his life and the development of Singapore through the local food.

Three tales of love wrap around the true story of a blind and deaf woman named Theresa Chan. In the first an elderly shopkeeper is devoted to his sick wife. In the second, two teenage girls become soul mates and lovers. In the third a chubby security guard tries to find the courage to woo a beautiful woman who works in his building.

A group of underdogs form an amateur football team to play in a local league. The prize for the winners: a trip to the 2002 World Cup Finals. The team include a common man's hero who raises his two children single-handedly after his wife passes away, an ex-con with major anger management problems, a lounge singer struggling against his deadly nemesis - the karaoke machine, and a tender but tough tomboy. The story is built around the team struggle against the odds from no-hopers to title contenders. Through the game of football, the team learns not just sportsmanship, but life lessons that help them to mature as individuals, and ultimately, help each other to become better human beings.

An American family touring Singapore shoots a series of home videos, before their camera is stolen by a Singaporean young man who shoots his own videos of his life.

An emotive anthology by seven of Singapore's most illustrious filmmakers, celebrating SG50 through the lives and stories of Singaporeans. Directed by Eric Khoo, Jack Neo, K. Rajagopal, Royston Tan, Tan Pin Pin, Boo Junfeng, Kelvin Tong.

Commemorating Singapore's 60th year of independence, Kopitiam Days is a stirring anthology film that weaves together six interconnected stories of human connection, reconciliation, and the enduring spirit of Singapore. More than just a setting, the humble kopitiam becomes a living symbol of community and memory, reflecting our past, anchoring our present, and looking towards our future.

Sao, a talented cook, accidentally meets the man who took advantage of her in the past. She sets her revenge plan in motion using her cooking skill to achieve a rather unexpected result.