Royston Tan is a Singaporean filmmaker.

Tan is a graduate from Temasek Polytechnic

Temasek Polytechnic

Temasek Polytechnic is the third polytechnic to be set up in Singapore. The polytechnic was established on April 6, 1990. With a 30 hectare campus overlooking the scenic Bedok Reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, TP's campus places particular emphasis on the preservation of the natural...

, where he took a course in Visual Communication

Visual communication

Visual communication as the name suggests is communication through visual aid and is described as the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon...

. He first came into prominence through his short films: Sons (2000), Hock Hiap Leong (2001), 48 on AIDS (2002), Mother (2002) and 15

15 (film)

15: The Movie, also known simply as 15, is a 2003 Singaporean film about teenage gangsters in the Singapore suburbs. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Royston Tan, the film is an expanded version of Tan's 2002 award-winning short film, also titled 15...

(2002). He has so far directed four features.

Feature films

• 15: The Movie
  15 (film)
  15: The Movie, also known simply as 15, is a 2003 Singaporean film about teenage gangsters in the Singapore suburbs. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Royston Tan, the film is an expanded version of Tan's 2002 award-winning short film, also titled 15...
  
  (feature
  Feature film
  In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
  
  ) (2003)
• 4:30
  4:30
  4:30 is a 2005 Singaporean film. It is directed by filmmaker Royston Tan. It is his second feature after 15: the Movie. The film is made on a budget of S$400,000. It was released in Singaporean Cinemas on 29 June 2006-Film Festivals:...
  
  (feature) (2006)
• 881
  881 (film)
  881 is a 2007 Singaporean musical-comedy-drama film written and directed by Royston Tan, based on the Singapore Getai scene. It is only the second Singaporean film that has been released in Japan....
  
  (feature) (2007)
• 12 Lotus (feature) (2008)

Short films

• Adam.Eve.Steve (1997)
• Jesses (1999)
• Sons (2000)
• Hock Hiap Leong (2001)
• 48 on AIDS (2002)
• 24 HRS (2002)
• Mother (2002)
• 15 (short
  Short subject
  A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
  
  ) (2002)!
• The Old Man and The River (2003)
• 177155 (2003)
• Cut (2004)
• The Blind Trilogy: Blind / Old Parliament House / Capitol Cinema (2004)
• The Absentee (2004)
• Careless Whisperer (2005)
• New York Girl (2005)
• Monkeylove (2005)
• DIY (2005)
• Cellouiod Dreams (2006), for the National Museum of Singapore
  National Museum of Singapore
  The National Museum of Singapore is a national museum in Singapore and the oldest museum in Singapore. Its history dates back to 1849 when it was started as a section of a library at Singapore Institution...
  
  's Living Galleries
  Singapore Living Galleries
  The Singapore Living Galleries are located within the vicinity of the National Museum of Singapore. Each of them are categories into four groups, Film and Wayang, Fashion, Food and Photography...
  
  
• Sin Sai Hong (2006)
• After The Rain (2007)
• My SARS Lover (2008)
• Little Note (2009)
• Anniversary (2009)
• No Admittance (2010)
• Ah Kong (2010)
• FishLove (2010)
• I want to remember (2011)

Other work

• Remains (1995) Music Video
• Erase (1996) Music Video
• Kisses (1997) Music Video
• 4A Florence Close (1998) Home Video
• Birdsong (2010) TV movie
• Old Places (2010) TV movie

Filmography as actor

• The Teenage Textbook Movie (1998)
• Pong (1999)
• Be with Me
  Be with Me
  Be with Me is a 2005 Singaporean drama film directed by Eric Khoo. The film is inspired by the life of deaf-and-blind teacher Theresa Poh Lin Chan. It premiered as the Director's Fortnight selection in the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. It was also the official entry from Singapore for the 78th Academy...
  
  (2005)

Awards

1995

• NTU's All-School Students' Photo-Videographic Competition: First prize for Music Video "Remains"

1996

• National Panasonic Video Award for Music Video for “Erase”

1997

• UTV International Book Prize for “Adam.Eve.Steve”

1998

• Bios MTV Awards 2nd prize for Music Video for “Kisses”

1999/2000

• Hong Kong IDN Excellence in Digital Imaging Award for “Senses”

2000

• 13th Singapore International Film Festival

Best Short Film for “Sons”

Special Achievement Award for “Sons”

2001

• Singapore Short Film Festival – The Voice Award for “Mother”
• 6th Malaysian Video Awards: ASEAN Director of the Year – Silver Award
• 23rd JVC Video Award – Silver Award for “Sons”

2002

• The National Arts Council – Young Artist of the Year 2002
• 21st Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden) – International Jury Honorary Mention for “Hock Hiap Leong”
• 6th Thai Short Film and Video Festival – Best International Short Film Award for “15"
• Asian Television Awards 2002 – Technical and Creative Winner

Best of Show

Best Cinematography Award

• Promax Asia 2002 – Silver for "48 on AIDS"
• 15th Singapore International Film Festival – Special Achievement Award for Short Film “15”
• “Fest Forward” – Audience Choice for “15”
• Tampere International Film Festival – Jury’s Diploma of Merit Award for “Hock Hiap Leong”

2003

• Filmlet 2003 – Best International Short Film
• Brief Encounter Short Film Festival 2003
• Best International Short Film
• Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2003 – Promotion Prize of the International Competition 03
• 22nd Uppsala International Short Film Festival (Sweden) "UppsalaFilmkaja" Award
• Mecal Film Festival – Special Mention for "15" (short film)
• 16th Singapore International Film Festival – NETPAC-FIPRESCI Jury World Critic Award for "15: The Movie"
• Newport International Film Festival – Honorable Mention for “15”
• Oberhausen Short Film Festival – Special Mention Award for “15"
• Tampere Film Festival – Best Fiction Award for “15”
• Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards – Asian New Force 2003 Critics Awards for Short Film for “15”
• New York Film and Television Award – Silver for “48 on AIDS”

2004

• Hall of Fame – Best Family TVC (Starhub)
• 10th Lyon Asian Film Festival – Press Award for 2nd Best Film for "15"
• TIME Magazine – "Top 20 Asian Heroes"
• Panasonic Digital Filmmaker Awards 2004 First Prize for “Cut”
• 2004 Busan Asian Short Film Festival Excellent Kodak Film Award for "15" (short film)
• Buenos Aires VI Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente

Signis Special Mention Award for "15: The Movie"

Best Director Award for "15: The Movie"

• Deauville Asian Film Festival – Special Jury Award for "15: The Movie"

2005

• 3rd Vladivostok Pacific Meridian Film Festival – Best Short Film for "Cut"
• Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival – Canal+ Award 2005 for "Cut"

2006

• 2006 Hawaii International Film Festival NETPAC award – (4:30)
• 2006 Sapporo Short Shorts Special award – (Monkeylove)
• 2006 HAF Award – “132”
• 2006 Fitzroy Short Film Festival – Audience Prize for "Monkeylove"
• Geneva Black Movie Festival – Special Mention Award for "4:30"

2007

• Main Prize of the 5th Festival Signes de Nuit for "Monkeylove"
• Winner of the Silver Screen Gangster Award
• 29th Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival Grand prix for "Monkeylove"

2009

• 22nd Singapore International Film Festival – Singapore Film Awards: Best Director for "12 Lotus"

2010

• 1st Singapore Short Film Awards – Honorary Award for "outstanding contribution to the film community through short films"

External links

• Royston Tan Official website
• Royston Tan's 4:30 Interview on Youtube
• Royston Tan's blogspot