Local indie theatre The Projector to cease operations on Aug 19 after a decade

Straits Times

16 hours ago

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Local Indie theatre The Projector announced on Aug 19 that it is winding down after a decade of operations.
SINGAPORE - Local indie theatre The Projector announced on Aug 19 that it is winding down after a decade of operations.
In an Instagram post, it said that it 'will enter voluntary liquidation after a decade of championing alternative films, local creativity, and community-led programming'.
Its operations will cease on Aug 19 with immediate effect, with all screenings and events scheduled after the date to be cancelled.
In a press statement, it cited rising operational costs, shifting audience habits and the global decline in cinema attendance as reasons for its closure.
These have made sustaining an independent cinema in Singapore an increasingly difficult endeavour, it said.
Alongside these pressures are 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', it added.
On its website, there are screenings for several films such as horror flick Together, listed to open on Aug 21, and Magnolia, a 1999 cult classic by director Paul Thomas Anderson, which was scheduled for screening on Aug 17 and 30, and Sept 10.
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However, tickets are no longer available for these screenings and its statement did not address what would happen to those who had purchased tickets in advance.
However, an automated e-mail response said that it will not be able to issue refunds directly as the company will be placed into liquidation. Instead, any refund claims related to tickets, memberships, vouchers and e-gift cards will need to be submitted through an appointed liquidator.
More details will soon be updated on its FAQ page, under 'Important Cinema Announcements', the Projector added.
Fighting to keep it alive
The Projector first opened its doors in 2014 at Golden Mile Tower, an iconic building known for its Thai discos and eateries. It was started by three female co-founders: Ms Karen Tan, Ms Blaise Trigg-Smith and Ms Sharon Tan.
In the past decade, it has hosted many film festivals and screened countless indie films from across the globe.
Just weeks ago, the indie theatre had said that it would
resume regular movie screenings at its original space in Golden Mile Tower from Aug 6. Operations at its second outlet in Orchard Cineleisure ceased on Aug 3.
'It breaks our hearts to make this decision,' said Ms Karen Tan in a statement.
'We've fought to keep The Projector alive through every challenge - from breathing new life into a disused cinema at Golden Mile Tower, to weathering the pandemic, to expanding to new spaces.'
She added that she is immensely grateful to everyone who has been part of The Projector's journey, including its team, collaborators, partners and loyal audiences.
'The Projector may be closing, but we hope its spirit will live on in the conversations, ideas, and communities we've nurtured,' she said.
Local cinemagoers and artists expressed sadness at the iconic cinema's closure.
Mr Christian Yeo, 26, a writer and poet, said: 'As a young artist growing up in Singapore, I have been going to The Projector since I was in my secondary school uniform.
'Apart from being a lodestone of arthouse cinema, it was and remains perhaps the only space in Singapore in which I felt able to fully be myself.'
He added that attending Singaporean novelist Amanda Lee Koe's book launch in 2019, held at The Projector's Golden Mile Tower venue, was the first time he knew he wanted to be a writer.
He also attended a poetry reading at its Riverside outpost in 2020 with other young poets and Hong Kong-born poet Mary Jean Chan.
To 28-year-old copywriter Max Sin, The Projector was markedly different from its commercial counterparts.
The cinema, he said, offered a space for alternative yet critical voices and for like-minded individuals to forge a community.
Ms Rhea Chalak, 23, an undergraduate and the vice-president of the Nanyang Technological University's Film Society, added that the indie cinema was a safe space that she and her fellow cinephiles will miss dearly.
She described The Projector as having 'something so inherently Singaporean, homely and true about it', which has allowed for a different film watching experience.
'At the end of the day, the death of The Projector is the death of yet another third space that brings our community together, inspires and drives change, is a mascot for culture and the arts, and ultimately an appreciation of the world beyond us through cinema.'
Last day of operations
Upon learning about the cinema's closure, 26-year-old Saksham Mehrotra immediately headed down to its outlet on the fifth floor of Golden Mile Tower.
The cinephile, who works as a philanthropy officer, said that when he visited at 1.55pm on Aug 19, he saw staff in the midst of packing up.
They could be seen carefully wrapping up movie posters, chairs and the bar area.
The Projector first opened its doors in 2014 at Golden Mile Tower, an iconic building known for its Thai discos and eateries.
PHOTOS: SAKSHAM MEHROTRA
'They had a rather sincere demeanour to them, focusing on the job at hand while making space for cinema enthusiasts to come and say goodbye,' he said.
Staff members also encouraged patrons who dropped by to pick up a rolled-up movie poster from buckets placed at the lift lobby to remember the good times the cinema gave them.
Two buckets of rolled-up posters were placed by the lift lobby of The Projector's Golden Mile outlet, for patrons to collect.
PHOTO: SAKSHAM MEHROTRA
The Straits Times has contacted The Projector for more information.