Commentary: Singapore films win international awards – they need to win over the local audience too

While film is undoubtedly an art form, it is first and foremost a business. Ignoring this reality makes sustainability impossible.

Public funding and institutional support play an important role. But they cannot be the sole foundation of an industry. Nor can we rely indefinitely on appeals to “support local”: It may persuade someone to buy a ticket once. It does not create long-term demand.

Ultimately, in Singapore, we all pay for the films – either directly at the box office or indirectly as taxpayers. Even if this is taken as a strategic investment to nurture local talent and ecosystem rather than making films that recoup costs, that still makes the ability to engage audiences not a secondary concern, but a central one.

Treating filmmaking as a business does not mean abandoning artistic ambition. It means accepting responsibility to audiences, exhibitors, funders and the wider ecosystem. Commercial awareness does not dilute creativity; it disciplines it, forcing clarity of intention and sharper storytelling.