Fatima

"Fatima" is a story about an older Malay resident who meets a middle-aged Chinese man during her final days of her life in a nursing home.

I love acting in Malay films. It brings back memories of old Singapore when the language was more commonly spoken. However, as this story is contemporary, more English is used in my dialogue.

See the video:

 It was a hot day and the location was very noisy. So the perspiration on our faces were blotted/powdered away and the sound laboriously cleaned up and designed. Thanks to the industrious crew.

For more Ngee Ann Polytechnic films, click here.

Stranger Times

Stranger Times? Strange? Or is it time travel?
Have you ever wondered how some things can appear to be such coincidence?



A fun one day shoot with Amy Yan and Christopher Yong, by Kranji Reservoir, Singapore sometime during September 2015.

Story written and directed by Arvind Jay. A Ngee Ann Polytechnic Production.

It was also like having a nice day in the park. :)

For other productions I have acted with the Ngee Ann Poly bunch, click here.

For other productions I have acted with Amy Yan, click here.

2nd Michael Chua Evening of Short Films (2016)

Only 80 seats available at the time of writing. ADMISSION IS FREE!
Priority will be given to Lasalle College of the Arts students and the cast and crew of the productions.

NO MINORS BELOW 16 YEARS OLD.

Number of seats available will be updated on Facebook (about this blogpost).
Admission by registration only.

Register by emailing "Name + Mobile Num" to: Mysticmichael@gmail.com
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Once in a while with the permission of the copyright owners, I would organise a screening of short films I have acted in. The last one was held two years ago. 

Some of the films are available online, but it is better to watch it on big screen in the presence of many, and to understand more about the films and how they were made during the Q&A session that follows.

SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG IF YOU WANT TO BE INFORMED OF FREE EVENTS LIKE THIS ONE.

Event Details

ADMISSION IS FREE!

DATE: 27th February 2016 (Saturday)
TIME: 6.30pm
VENUE: Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore. Room F201

Directions/Map: click here.


Map and Directions

LASALLE’s campus at 1 McNally Street is located between Short Street and Prinsep Street.

By MRTRochor, Exit A (2-minute walk)
Little India, Exit A (8-minute walk)
Bugis, Exit A (9-minute walk)
Dhoby Ghaut, Exit A (15-minute walk)

By BusSBS: 23, 48, 56, 57, 64, 65, 131, 139, 147, 166
SMRT: 66, 67, 170, 851, 857, 960, 980

CarparkThe entrance to LASALLE’s basement carpark is located along McNally Street. The carpark parking rates as follow:

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Some comments from the previous 'Michael Chua Evening':

"Generally well organized, get to see film clips completely different from the cookie cutter style comercial films. Displays how budget films attempts to wow audiences with subtle messages that address bigger issues in life"
--- Larry Lim


"I really enjoyed the short films - interesting, touching, entertaining.....Looking forward to the next screening. Thk u Michael for organising it."
--- Sally Teo

"It was a wonderful evening with a mix of talent and art from the film fraternity accompanied by the actor himself. Great work and an even humble and down to earth person. Michael truly was the star of the evening:). FABULOUS WORK! ! Looking forward to the next meet up."
--- Sankeshwari Deo

To find out about the previous 'Michael Chua Evening' (2014), click here.

Thirteen selected films in English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay. 124 minutes.

Restricted to audience above 16 years of age only.

List of Films

1. Mr Postman

A Ngee Ann Polytechnic Production

Directed/Written by Mohit Rajgopal

Actors: Michael Chua & Ronald Goh

A mockumentary of a father and son team in a reality show.

(In English, 12 minutes)

2. Dispher

A Singapore Polytechnic Production.
Directed/Written by Yap Wen Hui
Actors: Michael Chua, Patrick Ong & Daeng Amer

A night taxi driver tales surrounding a mysterious box and his dilemma.

(In English, 6 mins 21 secs)

3. The Collector

Produced/Written by Mark Alexander
Directed by Darren Tan
Actors: Michael Chua, Ali Khan, Cherie Tay & Kelly Lim

A psychologically unstable man who is compelled to confront his inner demons when he discovers a small music box that sparks memories of his daughter. 
(In English, 6 mins 58 secs)

4. Penghulu

Commissioned for the Singapore Writers' Festival, Utter 2013.
Story adapted from Pak Suleh (from Penghulu) by Suratman Markasan.
Directed by Lillian Wang

Actors: Michael Chua, M Ramlee, Nurijah Sahat, Syafiq Akmal, Shaquille Daniel, Husnen Nanaz, Robiah Binte Murat & Mohd Bin Razali

Pak Suleh used to be the Penghulu (headman) of his village, but five years ago, the government relocated his family to an HDB flat on the mainland. Life is very different for him, cooped up in this “birdhouse”. Without a village to tend, Pak Suleh feels lost.

(In Malay, 16 mins 29 secs)

5. Checkmate

A Nafa Production

Directed/Written by Willy Tan

Actors: Michael Chua & Amy Yan-Luong

David Lee, a man disillusioned with life, goes through counselling in prison for the murder of his wife.

(In English, 14 mins)


6. AFLOAT  斗鱼

A Ngee Ann Polytechnic Production

Directed/Written by Reuben Foong

Actors: Kong Ling Jing Sherry Tao & Michael Chua

Xiao Wen and her mother are a close-knit pair, but the former’s wish to return to their homeland remains only hers. When her mother’s new partner enters their lives, Xiao Wen decides to take action.

(In Mandarin, 14 mins)


7. The Next Plot

A Michael Chua Production and Red Dot Filmmakers 

Directed/Written by Michael Chua

Actors: Michael Chua, Amy Yan & Joann Wu

Kit Lee is in deep grief over the lost of his wife and the complications that follows.

(In English and Mandarin, 5 minutes 28 seconds)








8. 有情常在 BFF

A Production by Revelation Productions

Directed/Written by Kelvin Sng

Actors: Michael Chua, Hui Xin, Shawna Wu, Sun Yifang & Daniel Moore.

Xiao Hui lives her life like many young people, living a busy and hasty life, until an life changing event hit her, as a reminder to cherish the people close and dear to her, and that life is after all, beautiful.

(In English and Mandarin, 11 minutes)

9. The Piano Teacher

A United World College, SEA, Singapore Production.

Written by
Directed by David Boot 

Actors: Michael Chua & Edmund Heng.

The story of a once well established piano teacher, now in dementia. 

(In English,  8 minutes)


10. I Could Have Been Happy

A Nanyang Technological University, School of Arts, Design and Media productions.

Directed/Written by Anson Goh

Actors: Michael Chua, Linda Goh & Rosemary Lau.

A middle-aged man futile attempt to seek love and happiness. 

(In English,  7 minutes)

11. Last Week My Brother Raped Me

A Lasalle School of the Arts, Puttnam School of Films Production

Directed/Written by Say Peng

Actors: Michael Chua, De Zhong & Leeiann

The trauma that follows the rape of the daughter in the family.

(In English, 12 minutes)




12. My Father's Smile

A Lasalle School of the Arts, Puttnam School of Films Production

Directed/Written by Marisa Goh

Actors: Michael Chua, Yolby Low & Kelly Lim

A divorced man takes his son to a journey of fantasy and make-belief to mask the harsh realities of life.

(In English, 12 minutes)

13. Hua

A Ngee Ann Poly

Directed/Written by Derek Ong

Actors: Michael Chua, Derek Ong, Kelly Cheung & Catherine Ho

A picture paints a thousand words and more, much to his astonishment in the barn.

(In Cantonese, 9 minutes)


SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG IF YOU WANT TO BE INFORMED OF FREE EVENTS LIKE THIS ONE.

Afloat

Directed and scripted by Reuben Foong.

Starring: Kong Ling Jing Sherry Tao Michael Chua

It will be screened at the Singapore International Film Festival on: 

29 NOV, SUN / 11:00AM / NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SINGAPORE*

Come and support local indie film makers.

For tickets, click here.

For more information about the film, click here

Here is some of the floating feeling during the shoot...

This film is shot a la  Reuben Foong's style - wide and medium shots with long takes, and lots of retakes till the director's heart's content. In a good sense, as concern for details is a definite quality of a successful director in the making. 

Long take films are piece-wise smooth and continuous, allowing the audience to immerse more easily. For the actor, it is closer to real life, not having his scenes fragmented by short takes and editing inserts.

You will enjoy the film. Go watch it.

Jasmine

This is a short story of a taxi driver uncle and his tipsy girlfriend from China, heading for the local "mama shop"; thereafter giving the mama a difficult time and making a mess of his place.

"Mama shops" are the little Indian neighbourhood convenient stalls commonly found in Singapore. "Mama" means 'uncle' in Tamil.

This is a fun 4-minute video, directed by Dylan Tan and Caleb Lee as the DP.

The shop has character, complete with real Indian flower garlands. Nothing there were film props! :)

As luck had it, while we were filming, there was another show going on nearby - a getai - a street concert staged during the Chinese Seventh Month Hungry Ghost Festival. Isn't the cultural diversity wonderful in Singapore? :)

Capturing clean sound was hell though! 

And here is everyone in the team...



I will post the finished works here when it is available. Watch this space. Or you can follow this blog by email and you will be informed of any updates.

Reunion Dinner

Director: Shawn Wang. Director of Photography: Jasmine Poh.
Actors: Michael Chua, Shannen Tan, Simorrah Nadya Seow.

This is a story of a depressed and drunk father who took his frustrations of his wife walking out of him on his two young girls.

Production time was extremely tight. We didn't have prior rehearsals.The dialogue and camera positions were tried out  with adjustments and adaptation with the movements and emotions on set. We also had to rush to finish the scene before sunset.

I was particularly cautious using the (real) knife so close to the two girls and suggested that I held her hand firm on the table to restrict movements and avoid accidents.

The beer is real and its overflowing onto the floor and being knocked over the tables were spontaneous! :)  Realistic visuals like these do happen when we allow them to.

Greed is Good

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This is a three-minute short film produced by Ngee Ann Polytechnic School of Film and Media Studies and directed by Nicholas Wang. Cinematographer: Ms Sabiruna Madhzar. July 2012.

It is a reflection of the ills that had befallen numerous people in aftermath of the Lehman Brothers collapse; and how some rogue traders had behaved in the name of obeying instructions from the top.

This is the smallest set for a short film I have ever been in, with two actors and two crew members. The director doubled as the sound man and sometimes also holds the reflector board at the same time. Clean sound was hard to capture as we were on a roof top of International Plaza, right in the Central Business District of Singapore.

So it was not just my messy hair blown against the wind that was the problem!
Though it does looks like it was my fault. :)