Sinema was started on 5th October 2006 by Nicholas Chee and Randy Ang, the dynamic duo behind Originasian Pictures’s Becoming Royston. It was started to give a greater voice to all Singapore filmmakers to showcase their work.
Situated atop Mount Sophia, at the newest and ultra-hip creative arts hub known as Old School is the physical space of Sinema.SG. Sinema Old School is a creative partnership with Old School and Sinema.SG. The truly indie space allows for a cozy cinematic experience with 136 sofa-style plush leather seats and state of the art projection and sound system made possible by Panasonic.
Sinema functions as an active Social Enterprise – not only to showcase local work, but also to inspire a local filmmaking movement – to encourage Singaporeans to tell their stories cinematically, to bring back the Golden Age of Singapore cinema and preserve its heritage, to nurture new Singaporean filmmakers, and most of all to help develop a professional film industry.
Beyond a mere outlet for Singapore films, Sinema is also a community and collaborative creative haven for filmmakers. One can often find directors, actors, cinematographers and the like hanging out at Sinema Old School, fostering an exchange of ideas and creative energy. Our staff, ushers and longtime collaborators are not just ticket takers, they are also filmmakers, producers, photographers, critics, writers, designers, DJs, film students – people who have knowledge and interests in diverse aspects of media and entertainment – who enthusiastically engage visitors in their Sinematic passion.
to encourage Singaporeans to tell their stories cinematically, to bring back the Golden Age of Singapore cinema and preserve its heritage, to nurture new Singaporean filmmakers, and most of all to develop a professional film industry.
Programming: In addition to regularly-scheduled screenings of both classic and contemporary films and documentaries, Sinema also has theme nights sorted by genre like Love and Action. Short films have a prominent place with the Sinema Showoff Series, where we give young talent a chance to shine and show their chops. This series also showcases early short films by established filmmakers. Our popular Talkback! sessions include Q&As with the filmmakers and allow the audience a glimpse into the world behind the camera.
Together with our long-term technology partner; Panasonic, we have created the Panasonic-Sinema Mobile – bringing Singapore films to the heartland and beyond – with a mobile screening van, equipped with state of the art screen, high-definition projector, and an editing suite. As we bring local films to the heartland – to schools, community centers and homes for the aged, we reach wider audiences. The Sinema Mobile van is also available for private and corporate events.
Supported by Creative Community Singapore (a key MICA initiative), the Sinema Incubator Program was created to encourage the production of professional-quality High Definition (HD) film projects by identifying potential filmmakers, scripts and ideas, providing production management resources, distribution and marketing possibilities, as well as mentorship opportunities with a panel comprised of Singapore’s finest.
As part of Sinema’s commitment to the continuing education of filmmaking professionals and raising the level of the industry in general, Sinema Academy was set up to provide masterclasses, workshops, film forums and the like, taught by industry professionals in all aspects of the business.
