Independent cinema in Southeast Asia has been on the rise recently. A new generation of filmmakers in this region are making an impact on the world stage. While independent filmmakers face countless obstacles, the community has sought ways to fuel growth and ambition.
Vietnamese horror comedy film, 'Don’t Cry, Butterfly', which Singapore was involved in, has won two awards at this year's Venice International Film Festival.The debut film by Vietnamese film-maker Duong Dieu Linh, held its world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week. It was presented with the section’s top prize for Best Film and the Verona Film Club Award for Most Innovative Film. The Vietnam-Singapore-Philippines-Indonesia production was supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority's (IMDA)Singapore Film Commission, through the Southeast Asia Co-production Grant. We speak with Tan Si En of Singapore-based Momo Film Co about the business of filmmaking in Southeast Asia. Si En is the producer for the award-winning 'Don't Cry, Butterfly'.