#MensFolioMeets SGIFF Film Programmer Thong Kay Wee - Men's Folio
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#MensFolioMeets SGIFF Film Programmer Thong Kay Wee

  • By Charmaine Tan

#MensFolioMeets SGIFF Film Programmer Thong Kay WeeWith a focus on groundbreaking Asian cinema, SGIFF has committed to dynamic programming and the development of a vibrant local film culture for a good 33 years. And they will continue to do so, SGIFF being a platform for both established and aspiring filmmakers to showcase their films to an audience of local and international film buffs, under the guidance of people like this year’s festival’s programme director, Thong Kay Wee.

Having been at Asian Film Archive for a good six years before joining the SGIFF team halfway through the pandemic, you can be more than sure that his programme curation offers a strong perspective on films from Asian filmmakers that will whet the appetites of both amateur and expert cinema lovers here.

Here, Thong shares generously about how his love for film began, the art of film curation, watching films for SGIFF, and what it means to love what you do and do what you love for a living.

Hello Kay Wee! In 10 or less words, could you describe what you do for a living?
I facilitate exchanges between industry, public and meaningful films.

How did your interest in films develop?
Many cinematic works have accompanied me through different moments in my life and enriched my understanding of how to live it. A combustion between light, sound and image can truly elicit endless possibilities, and it remains the most penetrative and encompassing artistic medium that I know of.

I took some time to make sense of the impact of such encounters in my late teens and how they have persisted with me. Once I had fully appreciated the value of my early cinematic experiences, I was ready to then find a way to dedicate myself to it.

Then what led you to take on film programming as a career? Was it a particular film or experience?
Like many enthusiasts, I started out focusing on making my own films as a student but I realised that the process can easily put one in a silo, especially if you are the person assuming a lot of the creative responsibility. It can become a very elaborate and expensive exercise, and it is too common for aspiring film directors to spend many years just to develop one project.

That started to make me think about other ways I can contribute without solely centering it around my self-expression. It was also a time when I was more eager to nourish myself and learn from others first.

I sampled film programming from a film festival practicum when I was in university and found the coursework to be surprisingly gratifying. I still remember the elderly American couple who came up to me after our public screening at The Arts House and thanked me for screening Gimme Shelter — an illuminating documentary about their favourite band and a film they would have otherwise not seen or learnt about.

That was my first reward as a film programmer.

After completing my graduation short film, I could not find other opportunities to screen my film in Singapore outside of our private student showcase (perhaps deservedly so in retrospect). The one written film review that was made public also turned out to be disappointing, not because it was or wasn’t complimentary but because it was merely a loose description of my film. This made me consider more about the larger ecosystem at play and how opportunities and support have been rendered to the film industry in Singapore.

I became more curious to draw the curtains and learn more about it myself.

#MensFolioMeets SGIFF Film Programmer Thong Kay Wee
You are a filmmaker too right? Does that affect the way you program films?
It has been almost a decade since I last made a film so I wouldn’t consider myself one at this point in my life. But the experience of knowing how a film set works and the functions of every collaborator does give me good insights when I assess the different aspects of a film.

Depending on what the judgment call entails, I could either exercise more empathy or know when I should be more critical.

You spent six years at AFA before joining the SGIFF team. If you could narrow down a few, what have been the most memorable lessons that you have taken away from your time there? I imagine it must have been quite pivotal in shaping the way you curate your work at SGIFF now.
When I was given the mandate of programming and promoting films from Asia only, it did train me to see this as a real advantage. It is a mandate that I fully support anyway, especially when there are only so few film institutions around the world that can give Asian cinema a consistent platform. The work experience at AFA has really shaped my approach towards championing underrepresented Asian films and making time for older works, especially through a film archive perspective.

It became a constant challenge on how to balance between imbuing the programmes with a strong curatorial identity, and coming up with different strategies to bridge a general audience with a diverse range of Asian cinema. Every programme had its own profile, set of conditions and slightly different objectives.

As I was in charge of film programming, public outreach and even marketing at one point, my job responsibilities really demanded that I consider each perspective carefully and in totality. It certainly made me a more well-rounded cultural worker today.

Then what is the general way you select your works now? Is there a checklist you follow or do you look for a ‘wow’ factor?
We have a Call for Entry every year where we pool together all eligible films available for our consideration. The programmers will also be scouting for more titles by paying attention to industry news, attending international film festivals and maintaining a constant dialogue with many filmmakers and film distributors.

These efforts yield a huge backlog of films that we will need to sift through throughout the course of the year.

Film programming is a very creative process so it will be counter-intuitive if we apply too many checkboxes. At the same time, we need to understand the position of SGIFF as a longstanding regional leader and the most prestigious platform for local filmmakers to showcase their works.

We also need to be attentive to the rest of our film exhibition scene in Singapore and determine what film programming gaps should be filled.

Representation and inclusivity have to be core to what we do, so we need to maintain our support for the Southeast Asian region, give space for emerging filmmakers to come through, and continue to find new works that offer something inspiring to people’s cinematic experience.

#MensFolioMeets SGIFF Film Programmer Thong Kay WeeThat must surely require quite the depth and breadth of understanding for each work, and you need time and lots of energy to do that. Out of curiosity, how many films do you watch a week and how do you choose what to watch?
It varies from period to period since my work involves very taxing administrative duties. The film-watching part usually starts to pick up around April to May after our Call For Entry is announced and the spring and summer international film festivals start to roll out their programmes.

At my optimum, I could be watching about four films per day if I attend a film festival for 10 days straight. All in all, I must have covered close to 300 titles this year.

As the director, I know it will be easier for me to make some decisions on behalf of my programming team so it is efficient if I prioritise films that look more promising for SGIFF’s selection. Having said that, everyone, including myself, is assigned different sections to focus on and we have also tasked ourselves to take on a number of unfamiliar titles every week so that we remain on the lookout for an undiscovered gem.

How about leisurely watching? Are you naturally experimental with your films or do you like to go back to the same genre or filmmaker in your downtime? Or actually, do you even watch films in your spare time?
I have no shame in admitting that watching anything else outside of work would predominantly be for decompression these days. I consume entertainment content ranging from reality shows, Marvel films to Youtube commentary videos just like any other person as it helps to reset my mind.

However, I still try and make an effort to visit art exhibitions, especially the ones which feature video works, and film screenings that showcase rare content like newly-restored classic films, for example. There is still an innate impulse to discover and I still have the desire to expand my film vocabulary on my own terms.

It is also important for me to support the programming work of my industry colleagues in Singapore and attend some of their events.

This is your second SGIFF as Programme Director, and I imagine it must feel so much better to have a year to prepare for the festival as compared to the short four months last year. What did you learn from your first festival and what did you set out to achieve, personally, for this 33rd edition?
As much as I felt ready at the time, it still turned out to be a rather steep learning curve given the amount of time I had last year. However, it was still a great opportunity for me to work with a bigger team for the first time and learn to communicate with other departments effectively, considering how many facets of their work depend on my programming team’s decisions.

I got to dip my toes into these new waters and learn more about the needs of my new colleagues, the demands from our sponsors and industry, and going on the ground to familiarise myself with the expectations of our SGIFF festival supporters.

This year will be a different challenge though. We are expected to deliver a festival that is close to a pre-pandemic scale, with many more international guests to host and physical activities to organise in comparison to last year. With one festival edition down and a full year’s worth of preparation this time, I am still confident that our new team and I will rise to the occasion yet again.

I have already introduced a new curatorial vision last year. We went beyond the usual regional approach and designed sections that are inspired by a spectrum of positions one can deeply consider with every different film encounter. We have added two more sections this year, titled Altitude and Horizon, and this really completes my vision of mapping out an inclusive film pilgrimage where everyone is encouraged to traverse across new places and discover new vistas for themselves.

I can only hope that more people will be curious enough to join us on this journey.

If you could choose, what is your personal favourite from this year’s films?
This is the most difficult question you can ever ask a festival film programmer, but I would say Coma by Bertrand Bonello is one of my special ones this year. He has managed to play out such liberal use of filming techniques and storytelling concepts within the setting of a teenage girl’s headspace, and the results of his freewheeling experiment proves to be incredibly intimate and profound.

#MensFolioMeets SGIFF Film Programmer Thong Kay Wee

A film still from Coma by Bertrand Bonello.

And to end off, a work or filmmaker you think more people should know about?
I think the Singapore audience should take the opportunity to expand our understanding of a more undocumented region, and I think there is no better person to start with than pioneering Moroccan documentary filmmaker Izza Génini from this year’s Domain section.

Titled as To Those Who Remain, this year’s Domain selection provides a rare insight into the colourful lives of rural communities within the South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. As one of our highlights, this special Izza Génini triple bill programme will showcase the cultural identity and heritage of Morocco, particularly its musical, dance and spiritual traditions, as well as diasporic identity.

Izza will also make a special live virtual Q&A appearance at the end of the screening.

Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our November 2022 issue!