\n<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Mr Tan pushed back against claims that cinemas are in decline, pointing to expansion by Singapore\u2019s remaining cinema chains, Golden Village and Shaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cCinemas still prevail,\u201d he said, noting that these operators are taking over locations vacated by former players.<\/p>\n
He said this reflects continued demand for cinema-going in Singapore.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would large profit-making conglomerates do that? In a country of going-out culture, where we all want air-conditioned places in shopping malls, people still want to watch, but there must be good content and enough variety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watching films in a cinema, he added, offers a \u201ccommunal experience\u201d that cannot be replicated at home or on personal devices.<\/p>\n
SGIFF\u2019s Mr Thong agreed, adding that sustaining Singapore\u2019s cinema culture requires a shift in how films are valued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He cautioned against seeing cinema purely through the lens of commercial performance or as a \u201csunset industry\u201d.<\/p>\n
Instead, he said, cinema should be viewed as part of the arts \u2013 capable of nourishing and enlightening society.<\/p>\n
Mr Tan added that government funding does play a role in supporting parts of the film ecosystem, but the industry\u2019s sustainability ultimately depends on building cinema-going into everyday life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the crux of it is seeding a way of life, a habit, a norm in the community at large,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more of a multicultural, multinational repertoire of movies available for people in Singapore to watch. Then government funding will be icing on the cake, not the basic batter with which to bake the cake.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n