The Three Sisters – Completed!

Official One Sheet

I’m very excited to announce that “The Three Sisters” is finally completed. Since pre-production began in December 2010, it has been a challenging but rewarding experience. I’m very happy with the film and I’m glad people are responding to it. I’d like to present the official one sheet for the film:

Thank You Speech

We held a small cast, crew, major crowd-funders screening on 10th October. I would like to reiterate my thank-you speech here:

First, to the crowdfunders big and small, I appreciate your contribution and support. We couldn’t do this without you. 

Thank you Betty at Coloc Tailors for your fine craftsmanship and support. Thank you Shooting Gallery and Juan Foo for the wonderful lenses.

People who couldn’t be here but provided me with so much: Chris, Jenny, Wei Yong. To the people I’ve worked with and still crazy enough to try again: Wanping, Youjin, Muru.  For people I’ve never worked with but took a leap of faith: Meng Chue, Shi Suen, Daisy, Eve, Daniel, Terence, Ashley, Bobbie, Kening, Francis, Cecilia, Raymond, Shawn, Song Yeow.

I wrote this script 4 years ago and I’m very happy that it’s shot and completed. From aligning planets, finding locations, to Glenn cleaning the wrong taxi on the day of shoot, one of the greatest joys I find in making films is to be surrounded by people who become an extended family.

I hope we can do this again sometime.

Thank you.

 

The Three Sisters – Teaser Trailer

Hello everyone, sorry for the lack of updates – but yes, the film has completed principal photography on the 27th of June and post-production is on its way! It’s been a little slow but I’m happy to announce something to whet everyone’s anticipation. Here it is, a 1-minute teaser trailer for the film! Do share, and let me know what you think!

Crowd-funding “The Three Sisters”

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BACKERS

$6725

RAISED OF S$5000 GOAL

Ended

THANK YOU EVERYONE

I didn’t manage to get the Singapore Film Commission’s short film grant for this film – but I really want to make this short film. Hence, I’m trying something new called “crowd-funding.” I guess it’s a fancy new word for “asking for donations.” However, here’s the fun part for people who pledge money to fund my new short film: you get perks! Be it a signed DVD, poster, screening tickets or creative input – it’s time you get something back! The numbers will be updated daily.

Synopsis

Over an evening of Chinese Opera at the theatre, the peacemaker of three sisters (in their seniority), Poh Sim, must survive a night with them, coming to terms that she loves her sisters but they also drive her mad.

Perks? What perks?

BASIC – $10 Pledge (4 Backers)
Immense gratitude and appreciation
Credit on the website (here!)

DVD – $25 Pledge (17 Backers)
All of the above + Signed DVD of the film

POSTER – $50 Pledge (21 Backers)
All of the above + Thank you credit on film + Signed one-sheet poster (final poster may differ from above teaser)
+ The opportunity to appear in the film!

PREMIERE  - $100 Pledge (12 Backers)
We know the pledge amounts are getting larger. You will have the opportunity to read the script before pledging $100 and above. We want you to know what you’re in for. You will also get all of the above + 2 tickets to the premiere cast and crew screening.

CREATIVE INPUT - $250 Pledge (5 Backers)
All of the above + Be part of the test audience for the first cut of the film. Tell us what worked for you and what didn’t.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER – $500 Pledge (5 Backers)
All of the above + Invite to visit filming on set + A prop souvenir from the set

By the way, you need not have a PayPal account to pledge! Simply look for the “Don’t have a PayPal account?” link on the left.

Need more information?

Want to find out who are the people involved in the film? The green initiatives the production will practise? Go to the Three Sisters page for detailed information. Want to see who has pledged to make this film? Go to the List of Backers.

“Swing” premieres at Frameline34

I’m very happy to announce that “Swing” will be world-premiering at Frameline34, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. Two years ago, “Four Dishes” premiered at the festival too. It was a wonderful experience and film festival. Two years later, I hope the festival is still as great. This time around, the film will be screened in the incredible Castro Theater. Previously, I was in the nice, but smaller Victoria Theater. Since I’m already in Los Angeles, I will be flying up to San Francisco this weekend to attend the screening. Here are the screening details:

Program: WORLDLY AFFAIRS
Friday, June 25, 4:00 PM
Castro Theatre

If you’re in the Bay area, let me know!

چهار بشقاب (or Four Dishes in Persian)

I have been really busy working on a short documentary for school, thus making this announcement a little late as the festival has just concluded. “Four Dishes” just played at the 28th Fajr International Film Festival. I was most surprised that they picked the film for it was certainly unexpected. The film was supposed to be in competition but because I did not manage to get MDA support to make a 35mm print, it is now placed in the “Festival of Festivals” programme. Oh well. Due to the documentary, travel advisories and how things turned out, I did not attend the festival either. It would have been interesting to know what the Iranian audience thinks of “Four Dishes”.

The Blue Mansion (2009)

Glen Goei’s second film, in many years since much-loved “Forever Fever”, hides dramatic, performance and tonal flaws under the gorgeous façade of the Blue Mansion. Awkwardly shifting between comedy and Serious Drama, the script does not realise the comic potential of the premise when the death of Wee Bak Chuan reunites the family at the patriarch’s funeral. Also, expected familial secrets and lies are not revealed to the appropriate characters for maximum dramatic (or comic) effect, leaving much satisfaction to be desired. The giving of the story’s biggest revelation to an already deceased character seems futile, and is made a fatal mistake when it has practically no effect on the living, leaving me wondering, truly, why should I care for these characters? The final nail in the coffin is the distractingly bad intonation of the dialogue. Why does everyone end on a higher tone for every sentence? No excuses of “oh, it’s a theatrical put-on”, please. “The Blue Mansion” is architecture built on sand.

Rating: 4/10

Flammen & Citronen (Flame & Citron) (2008)

“Flame & Citron”, the top-grossing 2008 Danish film, is a gangster and noir inspired film that is set during World War II. Titular characters are the most active resistance fighters who work together to assassinate Danish Nazis. The violence is unflinching but the characters certainly battle their morals on a daily basis, especially when they have to kill a woman. Told rather straight-forwardly, this intense genre piece delivers the plot twists, taut shoot outs and suspenseful moments. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Hollywood remake.

Rating: 7/10

What Just Happened? (2008)

I have a penchant for films about filmmaking, especially if it’s a satire about Hollywood. Based on Art Linson’s own book about his producing war wounds, “What Just Happened” contains almost arcane jokes and movie making humour but is still rather entertaining. Robert De Niro gives a decent performance in recent times and the film is crafted deftly by director Barry Levinson. The satire is not sharp enough but some good comedic scenes make this movie mildly recommended.

Rating: 6/10

Huan hun (Blood Ties) (2009)

“Blood Ties” is a film full of the unnecessary. Capitalising on its supernatural slant, the film is actually a revenge film in disguise. In an over-long first act with flashback after flashback, we witness the brutal killing of an undercover cop, Shun, and his wife, through the eyes of his young sister, Qin. On and on the flashbacks go – we keep seeing the same one with increasing detail, explaining what has transpired – I looked at my watch – when is the movie going to actually start? This playing of timeline and structure is completely arbitrary and slows down the momentum of the film. Isn’t it more exciting for the plot to be revealed in a more active way considering it’s a mystery thriller (why was Shun slained?)

Another unnecessary component is the violence. Violence is usually more effective when we see it once, or even just hear it. When it is repeated over and over (same scene with increasing detail, several times, mind you), it becomes more sickening and senseless – why do we have to keep watching this over and over? Because nothing seems to be engaging and everything is repeated, the mind begins to predict what will happen. And by the hour mark, especially when you keep seeing the girl and Shun’s ex-partner talk, talk and talk, one begins to suspect a twist or two.

With some serious rewriting and restricting, I think “Blood Ties” could have worked. But a genre film is challenging, as the goods have to be delivered and then something original/fresh provided. In “Blood Ties”, the plot is convoluted to no effect except to confuse an otherwise straightforward story; the story itself is uninspired and predictable, the climax lame and tepid. Sever all ties with this film.

Rating: 1/10

Xia dao xiao (Where Got Ghost?) (2009)

“Where Got Ghost?” is a film that offers little enjoyment. It consists of three short stories, “Roadside Got Ghost”, “Forest Got Ghost” and “House Got Ghost” – the last is a sort of continuation of “Money No Enough 2″, which ends in this nearly computer generated (except the actors) car accident in CG rain, trees and roads, which leads to a TV-movie-of-the-week quality CG-ed landslide that nearly kills the three protagonists. See it to believe it!

Anyway, combining genres is tough and require deft knowledge of how they work, how to provide the usual and subvert them. In this film, its horror elements are dated and tepid. Besides being dated, there just seems to be an utter lack of suspense. The film doesn’t feel like it bothers to even illicit any fearful reactions. On the comedy side, as the film was advertised as a “hor-medy”, the one-liners are rare and most of the time, the situational humour is predictable. What do you do then? You try not to fall asleep.

Rating: 3/10