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SINGAPORE - Ten years ago, "money no enough". Now, for Jack Neo, Singapore also "no enough".
That's because the 2005 Cultural Medallion winner and Singapore's most commercially successful director has his sights set on conquering the region and perhaps the world.
"My films can travel well. In fact, come this June, I Not Stupid is opening in theatres all across China. Not just television, but cinemas! And Ah Long Pte Ltd is officially the highest-grossing Singapore film in Malaysia, making over RM4.3 million ($1.8 million)," said the 48-year-old multi-hyphenate, who has been lauded as Singapore's hardest-working actor-director-scriptwriter.
Speaking to Today on Tuesday at the 10th anniversary celebration of Money No Enough, which has just been re-released in cinemas, the man who Raintree Pictures' managing director Daniel Yun said "helped define a Singapore film and, indirectly, the Singapore film industry" shared that it was all about heart.
"Making films with heart sets us apart from the foreign films and I believe that I know how to make films that will do well abroad," Neo said.
Quite remarkably, Money No Enough is still Singapore's biggest box-office hit, in terms of local films, with an unsurpassed $5.8 million. Neo's box-office successes over the last decade have not only proven that made-in-Singapore films can be commercially viable, but also that he is a film-maker with his ear close to the ground and a heart that relates to the typical Singaporean.
Which is why he feels that it's time to embark on the next phase: To find Singapore's next generation of directors and scriptwriters and strengthen the talent pool in our growing film industry.
Called Jack Neo's Movie Director and Scriptwriter Search, this Media Development Authority (MDA) supported programme is looking to select 12 aspiring film-makers who will undergo a six-month apprenticeship course, work-shopping with some of the industry's best movie directors and scriptwriters.
The big prize at the end of it all? A chance to direct a movie with Jack Neo.
Seems like a lot on a plate for an immensely busy man who has made 11 films in the last 10 years. He will be releasing yet another, Money No Enough 2, this August.
Said Philip Wu, managing director of Neo Studios: "Jack is passionate about sharing his experience with a new generation of movie directors and scriptwriters. Our industry needs to harness as much talent as possible to grow to the next level.
"This is especially important since Neo Studios has established a $10-million Raffles China Media fund with support from various partners and the MDA. We hope to find more local creative talent to work with us to address new market opportunities in China and the region."
Looks like now, money is definitely enough. - TODAY/fa
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