Money talks in Southeast Asia cinema1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteGovernments in South East Asia are slowly but surely cottoning on to the power of film, both from an economical point of view, as well as a societal and tourism benefit.
But is there enough money to go round? And should governments be doing more?
Singaporean filmmaker Tan Pin Pin believes that while it is not “hard” to find finding, it does “require a lot of effort”. “It’s not as hard as people make it out to be,” she said. “It depends on the project. Documentaries are harder to get funding for then feature films.”
Fellow Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng said it is hard to get funding anywhere in the world, but Singapore at least has the government bodies the Media Development Authority (MDA) and the Singapore Film Commission (SIFF) which provide funding. The Singaporean government may be more advanced than most when it comes to state-assisted funds, but as a small country the Lion City has its own challenges.
