Kelvin Tong
Encyclopedia
Kelvin Tong Weng Kian is a Singapore
an film director
, screenwriter
and producer
.
. He went on to study at Victoria Junior College
. After a short nine-month stint with law firm, Drew & Napier, following his graduation from law school, Kelvin started out in the film business as a film critic, writing reviews for The Straits Times
from 1995 to 1999. He made a short film, Moveable Feast in 1996. His first feature was 1999's martial arts
comedy, Eating Air, which was received respectably.
His next film, The Maid
, a horror thriller, made a bigger impact, breaking the box office record in Singapore for the horror genre, making S$
700,000 on its opening weekend. Hailed as the first Singaporean horror film, The Maid won the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation
Asian Film Award at the 10th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
. It was produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
.
He next directed Love Story, which combined three short stories that examined different aspects of love. It was screened at the 2006 Pusan International Film Festival
. The film was produced by Hong Kong-based Focus Films.
In 2007 he directed the horror-comedy Men in White, about four ghosts struggling to survive in Singapore, and which examined the Singaporean obsession with superstitions. It was produced by Innoform Media.
He was also working on a crime thriller, Rule #1, produced by Hong Kong-based Fortune Star and released in March 2008. He also plans a film called Bed, a comedy drama set in 1960s Singapore when the city-state's education system switched from Chinese language to English.
Tong says his influences range "from Lars von Trier
to Stephen Chow
".
With his brother, producer Leon Tong, Kelvin has his own production company, Boku Films, enabling him to independently develop his film projects.
In a 2007 interview, Kelvin Tong said he is still learning his craft: "It is one thing to talk about films as a journalist, but it is fascinating that many of the decisions that make a difference between a good and a bad film are made in front of a monitor, often in a fraction of a second."
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
Career
Kelvin's passion for theatre and filmmaking began in his secondary school days in Victoria SchoolVictoria School
Victoria School in Singapore is a government secondary school for boys, founded in 1876, at Siglap Link, about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College....
. He went on to study at Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College is a Pre-University co-educational institution in Singapore. It was established to replace the Pre-University classes of Victoria School in 1984. It stands on Marine Vista, about 5-minute walk to the East Coast Park. It in the East Region of Singapore...
. After a short nine-month stint with law firm, Drew & Napier, following his graduation from law school, Kelvin started out in the film business as a film critic, writing reviews for The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
from 1995 to 1999. He made a short film, Moveable Feast in 1996. His first feature was 1999's martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
comedy, Eating Air, which was received respectably.
His next film, The Maid
The Maid
The Maid is a 2005 Singaporean horror film telling of a maid recently arriving from the Philippines. She has to acclimate herself to the customs of the Chinese Ghost Month, during which she struggles with supernatural forces...
, a horror thriller, made a bigger impact, breaking the box office record in Singapore for the horror genre, making S$
Singapore dollar
The Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
700,000 on its opening weekend. Hailed as the first Singaporean horror film, The Maid won the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation
European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation
European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation , established in 1996, is a film organisation based Brussels, Belgium, dedicated to promoting and supporting European cinema, particularly films in the fantasy, horror and science fiction genres....
Asian Film Award at the 10th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival , or PiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea...
. It was produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures is a film production company based in Singapore. The company, a division of MediaCorp Group, was established in 31 March 1996. The company occasionally ties up with other film companies to produce Asian or Western films...
.
He next directed Love Story, which combined three short stories that examined different aspects of love. It was screened at the 2006 Pusan International Film Festival
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
. The film was produced by Hong Kong-based Focus Films.
In 2007 he directed the horror-comedy Men in White, about four ghosts struggling to survive in Singapore, and which examined the Singaporean obsession with superstitions. It was produced by Innoform Media.
He was also working on a crime thriller, Rule #1, produced by Hong Kong-based Fortune Star and released in March 2008. He also plans a film called Bed, a comedy drama set in 1960s Singapore when the city-state's education system switched from Chinese language to English.
Tong says his influences range "from Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, although his own films have taken a variety of different approaches, and have frequently received strongly divided critical opinion....
to Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow
Stephen Chow Sing-Chi is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer.- Professional career :Stephen Chow began as a temporary actor for TVB. He entered TVB in early 1980s, and was trained there, although he had few opportunities to appear in films. Chow graduated from...
".
With his brother, producer Leon Tong, Kelvin has his own production company, Boku Films, enabling him to independently develop his film projects.
In a 2007 interview, Kelvin Tong said he is still learning his craft: "It is one thing to talk about films as a journalist, but it is fascinating that many of the decisions that make a difference between a good and a bad film are made in front of a monitor, often in a fraction of a second."
Filmography
- Moveable Feast (1996)
- Eating Air (1999)
- The MaidThe MaidThe Maid is a 2005 Singaporean horror film telling of a maid recently arriving from the Philippines. She has to acclimate herself to the customs of the Chinese Ghost Month, during which she struggles with supernatural forces...
(2005) - Love Story (2006)
- Men in White (2007)
- Rule #1 (2008)
- Bed (in development)
- KidnapperKidnapper (film)Kidnapper is a 2010 Singaporean thriller film about a kidnap set in Singapore. The first action-thriller film made by Kelvin Tong, it was a joint venture between Scorpio East Pictures of Singapore and RAM Pictures and PMP Entertainment from Malaysia...
（绑匪） (2010) - It's A Great Great World（大世界）(2011)
External links
- Boku Films, Kelvin Tong's independent production company
- Interview at Making it Work
- Joint interview with Royston Tan at MovieXclusive