From opening to final curtain call: A timeline of The Projector
Just this January, the indie picture house marked 10 years of business, having weathered the pandemic and the looming threat of a potential en-bloc sale of Golden Mile Tower, its original site.
However, cost pressures, changing audience habits and falling cinema attendance have left it with 'no viable path forward', the indie cinema said in a media statement.
The news follows the closure of several Cathay Cineplexes outlets, as the cinema chain's parent company mm2 Asia is considering shuttering the movie business entirely amid financial challenges.
Known for its eclectic fare of movies, with screenings running the gamut from indie films to Marvel blockbusters, The Projector has gathered a cult following in Singapore's cinema scene since it first opened its doors to the public in 2015.
The Business Times takes a look at its journey through the years.
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2014: Founders Karen Tan, Blaise Trigg-Smith, and Tan's sister Sharon – who stepped down in 2019 – conceived the idea of a cinema screening indie films in Golden Mile Tower on Beach Road.
Karen, a 44-year-old former investment banker, had seen in the dusty halls of the old Golden Mile Tower cineplex a chance to recreate the voltaic energy of Shoreditch, London – a site of 'unexpected community' she had frequented while working in Britain.
The vintage cinema opened its doors to the public with two halls that formerly belonged to Golden Theatre cinema – a picture house built in the 1970s known for screening adult films.
2017: The cinema expanded to include one additional hall.
2021: Projector X: Riverside, a pop-up cinema, launches at Riverside Point in the Clarke Quay area and operated till late 2022.
Part of a series of planned pop-up cinemas, the outlet took over the space of an abandoned Chinese nightclub, transforming it into a 48-seater cinema and bar complete with stellar films in a neon-lit space, a bar with a 'siam diu' (Thai-themed disco) inspired menu and views of the Singapore River.
Aug 19, 2022: Pop-up outlet Projector X: Picturehouse opens at The Cathay, taking over the space formerly occupied by Cathay Cineplexes, which closed at the Handy Road complex in June, 2022.
June 2023: The indie cinema announces that it will open its second permanent branch at Cineleisure on Grange road in collaboration with Golden Village.
The collaboration - titled Golden Village x The Projector - replaces Cathay Cineplexes, which exits the Cineleisure venue at the end of June.
December 2023: Movie screenings commence under the collaboration, with the movie operators each running three theatres at the space formerly occupied by Cathay Cineplexes.
Aug 7, 2024: Golden Mile Tower's collective sale committee applies to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) for the complex to be redeveloped as a 46,253 sq m mixed-use development, hoping that an approved application would signal the property's redevelopment potential to prospective buyers.
The proposal entails developing Golden Mile Tower into a 35-storey office and residential tower, a 32-storey office and hotel tower, and a five-storey retail podium.
Dec 23, 2024: URA rejects the proposal and counter proposes two options.
One option allows Golden Mile Tower to be entirely redeveloped but caps its gross floor area at the complex's existing 38,953.72 sq m, with a maximum building height of 145 m.
The alternative is a redevelopment with a gross floor area of up to 48,871.2 sq m and a maximum height of 164 m, on condition that the cinema block is conserved.
Golden Mile Tower currently comprises an 18-storey office tower on top of a six-storey retail and carpark podium which houses the cinema block, where The Projector is located, alongside another cinema, Carnival Cinemas.
Jan 25, 2025: The Projector marks its tenth year of business.
Apr 10, 2025: It stops daily screenings at Golden Mile Tower from May.
Instead, it will focus on special events and curated experiences there, while screening movies daily at Cineleisure.
Co-founder Karen Tan describes the move as a strategic pivot that will help the indie cinema plan for its future, as talks continue about the en-bloc sale of Golden Mile Tower.
Aug 1, 2025: The Projector announces its exit from its tie-up with Golden Village Multiplex at Cineleisure mall on Grange Road.
It says it will focus on its original Golden Mile space, a move described by founder Karen Tan as a 'return to (its) roots'. This comes after the latest en bloc sale exercise for Golden Mile Tower closed without a transaction.
GV, which jointly managed the Cineleisure outlet with The Projector, announces it will fully manage operations of the space.
Aug 3, 2025: The Projector has its final screening at Cineleisure.
Aug 6, 2025: Operations resume at Golden Mile Tower.
Aug 19, 2025: The Projector announces its closure with immediate effect and enter voluntary liquidation, citing industry challenges that make 'sustaining an independent model in Singapore especially challenging'.
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Singaporeans will have one less cinema brand to patronise now as The Projector has brought down its curtain after a decade. The independent cinema and arts venue announced the sudden news in an Instagram post on Aug 19 and shared that it will enter voluntary liquidation. "The realities of the cinema industry have been increasingly unforgiving. Rising operational costs, shifting audience habits, and the global decline in cinema attendance have made sustaining an independent model in Singapore especially challenging," the cinema shared. "These pressures have been compounded by the broader realities of operating in the arts and culture sector in Singapore, where independent ventures navigate limited resources while contributing to the country's evolving cultural landscape." On July 23, The Projector had shared that it planned to resume screenings at its original Golden Mile Tower location as the building's en bloc process had concluded without a transaction. On Aug 1, it then announced its exit from its collaboration with Singapore's biggest cinema chain, Golden Village, at Cineleisure, which started in December 2023. Prior to today's closure announcement, The Projector had several events and shows lined up, including a themed party called WHY? Underground on Aug 30, and the screening of Arze, which was exclusive to the cinema. An automated reply to AsiaOne's queries said: "Because the company will be placed into liquidation, we are not able to issue refunds directly. Any refund claims related to tickets, Projector memberships, Purchased Vouchers and/or Projector E-gift Cards, will need to be submitted through the appointed liquidator." It added that details will be updated soon on its website's FAQ page under "Important Cinema Announcements". The Projector opened in 2014 and was more than a place to watch movies. It was also an events space to experience "creativity in its various forms and engage with diverse communities". "From showcasing award-winning independent films to hosting film festivals, like the Singapore International Film Festival, the European Film Festival, Pink Screen, poetry slams, vintage markets, and charity fundraisers, The Projector has remained committed to broadening the definition of cinema and a community space in Singapore," the post wrote. [[nid:720793]] melissateo@
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