\n<\/p>\n
At a certain point, this raises a necessary question: Who is paying for the production?<\/p>\n
Filmmaking is expensive. It requires years of development, months of production, and significant investment across cast, crew, equipment, marketing and distribution.<\/p>\n
While film is undoubtedly an art form, it is first and foremost a business. Ignoring this reality makes sustainability impossible.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0\u201csupport local\u201d: It may persuade someone to buy a ticket once. It does not create long-term demand.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, in Singapore, we all pay for the\u00a0films\u00a0\u2013 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n