Latest news with #BooJunfeng
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Forum: Parade brought many elements together perfectly
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox I want to congratulate the organisers of the 2025 National Day Parade, a complex mega-event. The event featured air, sea and land elements coordinated perfectly. Creative director Boo Junfeng's focus on diversity and multiculturalism was world class and full of panache. The choreography was good, and pairing seasoned and newer singers blended the generational gaps very well. The parade was a wonderful way to celebrate Singapore's 60th birthday, and I am sure the whole nation is proud. Well done, Singapore. Hua Tye Swee
CNA
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - More realistic and accurate graphics on MAPS
Singapore's 60th National Day Parade involves over 39 artistes and over 3,000 performers, while featuring a 360-degree mobile stage, light projections on buildings, massive floats and fireworks displays. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speaks with Boo Junfeng, Creative Director, NDP 2025. Water guns that shoot gel beads are one of the newer tools the National Parks Board has started using to keep monkeys away from residential areas. How do water gel guns work, and is there a better way to manage macaques? Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak with Kalaivanan Balakrishnan, Chief Executive of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society. In 'Destination Anywhere' Melanie Oliveiro finds out where Singaporeans and Singapore residents can go to discuss and view the works of underground local filmmaker Tzang Merwyn Tong. Tong will talk about two public events that will examine his early works as an underground filmmaker as well as his contributions to early Singapore cinema. Held at two different places, Tong will highlight his talk 'e'Tzaintes before Faeryville: Insight on 90s Guerilla Filmmaking in Singapore' and the double bill screening of his films e'Tzaintes and Faeryville. In 'Made in SG' Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Rachel Nadia Goh founder of Kin Collective, a social impact group creating children's books and theatrical experiences. Goh will talk about Kin Collective's mission: helping children nurture empathy from a young age, and hopefully raising a generation of thoughtful changemakers. She'll also discuss the theatrical adaptation of the book, 'Sara, Hana and Their Three Wishes,' and how the play brings to life the voices of children from conflict zones, and invites families and educators to reflect on the role of empathy in today's divided times.
CNA
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
He used to want 'everything' to excel, but filmmaker Boo Junfeng now knows what matters most for an NDP show
It was close to two weeks before Singapore's National Day when I met Mr Boo Junfeng at the Padang. He is the creative director of this year's National Day Parade (NDP), specifically the song-and-dance show after the initial formal ceremonial segment. We were set to meet him at his workspace – a shipping container repurposed as an office at the Padang, part of the event's temporary infrastructure. The 41-year-old was in a meeting – one of many scheduled for the week – but he graciously welcomed me and my colleagues into the space. He reminded us that he had to leave by 3.30pm, which meant that we had just under an hour for an interview, not including time for photos and getting some video footage. "I've another meeting after this," he said, looking remarkably at ease, as if the hectic pace was just another day in his life. This was the man who, at 34, became the youngest-ever creative director of the NDP in 2018, followed by another stint in 2021. Helming that same role today for Singapore's landmark 60th birthday edition, Mr Boo was clearly in his element. He was making last-minute changes to stage cues, reviewing performance footage from the previous rehearsal and fine-tuning a show that must move not just the live audience at the venues, but everyone watching the telecast here and overseas. For the first time in NDP history, the spectacle would extend across two locations – from the Padang to Marina Bay – with the second venue serving as what he called a "second canvas". The goal is to make this National Day special to more Singaporeans, expanding the stage so that more people can feel like they have front-row seats. "People usually go to Marina Bay to catch the fireworks and aerial displays, but they would feel like they are outside of the centre of the show," he said. "But this time around, we are trying to make it such that even if you're at Marina Bay, you could feel like you are a part of the centre stage. We are putting speakers all around the bay so that people can minimally hear the music and what's going on at the Padang." For the first time, a bay-wide speaker system will broadcast synchronised audio across Marina Bay. There will also be emcees in the bay area to engage the crowd, bringing the festivities closer to the waterfront crowd. There are even choreographed moments to sync between both locations. "We want people to feel like they have front-row seats to a national show," he added. One such moment is a special cross-venue performance of last year's NDP theme song, Not Alone. Veteran singer Rahimah Rahim will perform live at the Padang, while the song's composer and vocalist Benjamin Kheng will sing from a mobile floating stage at Marina Bay for the duet. "I think it might be the most ambitious NDP so far in terms of scale," Mr Boo said sheepishly. And he might be right, if the descriptions and rehearsals for the upcoming Aug 9 show are anything to go by. In addition to more than 39 artistes and 3,000 performers involved in the show, this year's show will feature a specially designed 360-degree centre stage at the Padang – the largest mobile stage in NDP history – along with light projections on buildings, massive floats designed by artists with disabilities and the much-loved fireworks display. Audiences can expect four land floats at the Padang and another four water floats at Marina Bay. These elements are more than just creative flourishes. For Mr Boo, they serve to lift the storyline, theme and messages, to showcase Singaporeans whose life stories often go unheard. AN INTEREST IN EVERYDAY SINGAPOREANS Having been a filmmaker since 2004, Mr Boo made a name for himself when, in 2010, his debut feature film Sandcastles was screened at the Cannes Film Festival's 49th International Critics' Week and then at various international film festivals. It was a coming-of-age story about a boy having to take care of his grandmother who was slipping into dementia. His second feature film Apprentice, about a prison guard and an executioner, premiered in 2016 at Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard and was Singapore's entry for Best Foreign Language Film in the 2017 Oscars. With several award-winning short films under his name, it was no surprise that he was tapped to bring a storytelling lens to the NDP and he has worked to anchor the show in stories about the human experience. He has a deep interest in spotlighting everyday Singaporeans – people with hopes, ideas and a vision for the country, especially those who are not in the news or featured on social media. The scale of this year's show was so immense that he was approached early last year to take on the role of creative director – a whole year-and-a-half ahead of the parade. Typically, the process begins just a year in advance, he said. Since then, he and his team have spent months talking to Singaporeans from all walks of life about their past, present and future aspirations, using those voices to shape the emotional arc of the show. "When I think about where the world is headed today, or perhaps not knowing where it is headed, it is that change has always been part of life," he said. "People before us have faced just as much of a transformation, if not a more drastic one. And there is strength to be drawn from those stories." In the second act of the show, massive floats will be featured, inspired by artworks from artists with disabilities. The floats, designed by these artists, showcase their visions of the future and are powerful symbols of inclusivity and creativity, the NDP's website stated. Mr Boo said: "The goal is to include more voices, allowing more people to feel that they are part of the national story, regardless of their background." This human-first approach is not new for him. He has long been drawn to quiet, emotionally layered stories, often exploring themes of memory, identity and belonging in his films. He now brings this same sensibility in telling the country's story on its biggest national stage. For the past NDP shows he directed, he featured stories of migrant workers and ex-offenders striving for second chances, grounded on his personal belief that there is room for a more empathetic society. "This year, there is a significant focus on people with disabilities. It has always been my hope to inspire more empathy and understanding (among various communities)." WITH EXPERIENCE COMES CONFIDENCE There are few creative jobs quite like orchestrating the NDP's show segment. As creative director, Mr Boo oversees everything from conceptualising the show's theme, storyline and staging, as well as working with a team of artistes, musicians, designers, choreographers and filmmakers to bring his vision to life. It is a mammoth undertaking involving thousands of participants and requiring careful planning and coordination, but he has learnt much from his earlier experiences directing the NDP shows. "I used to focus a lot on achieving professional excellence in the choreography, the performances, everything. But over time, I've come to appreciate that even when things are a little rough around the edges, it can still be incredibly powerful," he said. "What matters most is the spirit of the performers and how they reflect the broader community of Singaporeans. That, to me, is just as meaningful." Before becoming the creative director for the first time, Mr Boo had served as film and multimedia director at three NDP shows, with veteran musician-songwriter Dick Lee at the helm. "I have (him) to thank for roping me in as early as 2010 and again in 2014 and 2015. I learned a lot during those years about what it takes to put together (a show of this scale). "But of course, when I took on the role of creative director myself in 2018, I injected what I understood as a filmmaker into the process and tried to do things my way," he said, recalling that he was also guided by his team's feedback, often bouncing ideas off them to make everything work. Especially when it came to the performance segments, Mr Boo admitted that he often felt like a fish out of water because he was unfamiliar with the theatrical side of things. "I relied a lot on the team to propose ideas on what the costumes should look like, the music and the choreography. But now, I am more comfortable saying, 'No, don't do that' or 'Why not try this instead?' "(The confidence) does come with experience. I am now much better at being specific about what I think we should have (for the show)," he added. Certainly, looking back now, there were moments where he wished he had done things differently and when such situations surfaced again this time, he was able to refine them. "In 2018, I relied heavily on the film segments to tell the story or communicate the themes. In 2021, during COVID-19, we used animation and a short film to do the same," he said. "This time round, there is still a short film, but I feel the performances in between have become stronger and more coherent. What surprised me this time was how much the performances themselves could carry the story." Although Mr Boo's films have travelled the world, the NDP is as close to home as it gets, yet he does not feel that his global achievements have fundamentally changed how he sees himself as a Singaporean. "While my films are my own artistic expression, I see my role in NDP closer to that of a designer responding to a brief," he said. "Sometimes, I inject my own point of view and naturally, aspects of my worldview do find their way into the show. But ultimately, I am designing something to suit the purpose of the occasion." TELLING A STORY THAT RESONATES At home with his family, National Day came with its own routine – his father would hang the Singapore flag each August and Mr Boo would help. Over time, it became a quiet tradition. And when it came to the parade, Mr Boo said his favourite parts when he was growing up were the fireworks, the Red Lions parachutists and the roaring flypast. "Anything that made you tilt your head up," he said. "As a child, the things that stuck with me were always in the sky. That is something I still hold onto today when designing the show," he added. "I try to create moments where people are not just looking straight ahead but looking up, looking back and looking all around, so that the experience feels full and immersive." When asked about his earliest memories of watching the NDP, Mr Boo recalled attending a couple of them with his whole family when he was still in primary school. "My dad was a civil servant, so I attended one or two NDPs when I was young and those moments stayed with us." His connection with the NDP deepened years later, when he first got involved behind the scenes as a volunteer camera assistant during film school in 2002. "We laid cables for the video cameras and were responsible for taking shots from the tower," he recounted. Coincidentally, the creative director that year was veteran artiste Dick Lee – a name that would resurface in Mr Boo's career years later when they worked together on the 2010, 2014 and 2015 shows. Remembering the emotional impact of watching NDP live as a young boy, Mr Boo said that this shaped his approach as well when he became creative director for the show. He wanted to make sure that every performance – rehearsal or not – feels complete and meaningful. "That is why we always try to make the (rehearsals) feel as ready and complete as possible, even though it is still very early in the process when those shows happen." In the years when he was not involved in the show as creative director, he usually watched the NDP from home, Mr Boo said, because he was curious to see how other directors or artists interpreted and presented the themes of National Day. As for whether he plans to take a break after wrapping up 18 months of work for the NDP, the answer was no. "I'll be jumping right back into my next feature film, from which I took a break to do NDP. We're hoping to complete it by early next year," he said. The film, shot in Taiwan and Singapore, has been eight years in the making – and that was all he would say about the project. On what he hopes viewers could take away from this year's show, he pointed to a line in this year's NDP theme song Here We Are, performed by Singapore artistes Charlie Lim, Kit Chan and The Island Voices. It goes like this: to be seen, heard and known. "When I first came across the lyrics, they really struck me," Mr Boo said. "To some degree, that's what we do as artists – we tell stories, shine a light on a sentiment, a feeling, a character. And with something like NDP, we try to do that on the broadest possible scale.
CNA
28-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Hotelier Loh Lik Peng appointed Singapore Land Authority chairman
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) on Monday (Jul 28) announced several board appointment changes at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), including a new chairman and filmmaker Boo Junfeng as a new board member. Loh Lik Peng, the founder and director of Unlisted Collection and a hotelier, restaurateur, and entrepreneur, will be appointed chairman of the SLA board on Aug 1. He has been on the board since 2017 and was appointed deputy chairman in 2020. Outgoing chairman Yeoh Oon Jin is the former executive chairman of PwC Singapore, and has served on the SLA board since 2016. "Under his leadership, SLA has made significant strides in transforming state properties to serve businesses and the community," MinLaw said. "As chairman, Mr Yeoh pushed for the adaptive reuse of state properties for more social and community uses, successfully activating diverse spaces for community building and social good and pivoting state properties for uses that are attuned to evolving needs in the community." This includes rejuvenating heritage buildings such as the former St Andrew's Mission Hospital, MinLaw added. Mr Yeoh also helped to advance the development of the digital conveyancing portal, "which will transform the current manual, paper-based conveyancing process into an efficient, streamlined digitalised process". "Under Mr Yeoh's guidance, SLA was elected co-chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global GeoSpatial Information Management and implemented the refreshed National Geospatial Masterplan to drive a geoenabled Singapore," said MinLaw. The Law Ministry and SLA thanked Mr Yeoh for his service and contributions. Jerry Koh, a corporate lawyer and a managing partner at Allen and Gledhill, will be appointed deputy chairman of the board on Aug 1. He has been on the board since 2020. NEW BOARD MEMBERS Mr Boo, a director and writer at Peanut Pictures, will be appointed to the SLA board for two years. His feature-length films, Sandcastle and Apprentice, have premiered at Cannes Film Festival. He also served as the creative director of Singapore's National Day Parade in 2018, 2021 and 2025. Mr Boo is also the chair of the Singapore International Film Festival. The other new appointee to the SLA board is Rafiq Bin Mohamad, the founder and the creative and branding director of design agency Feral. The agency's clients include the Singapore Art Museum, The Lo and Behold Group and Restaurant Labyrinth. Six other members of the board, including Lien Choong Luen, general manager of Gojek Singapore, were reappointed for another two years. Angeline Poh, Mediacorp's chief customer and corporate development officer, will complete her board term on Jul 31. "MinLaw and SLA extend our deepest gratitude to Ms Poh for her invaluable contributions to SLA during her appointment," the agencies said.
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
NDP 2025: Show at Padang to feature largest mobile stage in parade history
The National Day Parade 2025 features creative director Boo Junfeng (centre) and performers such as (from left) Matthew S.T. Sunil, Jennifer Thevajenner, Rahimah Rahim and Benjamin Kheng. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE – The 2025 National Day Parade (NDP) will feature a 360-degree moving stage that will bring the performances close to the audience at the Padang, the largest mobile stage in NDP history. Measuring 15m in diameter, the three-tiered 20,000kg stage can rise up to 7m high and includes 270 LED screens. There will also be eight additional island stages around the Padang. The facades of buildings in the area, including the Fullerton Hotel and the UOB Plaza One, will also come alive with projections of SG60-themed artworks by local artists such as Sam Lo. Land and water floats designed by artists with disabilities will be featured. NDP 2025, which marks Singapore's 60th year of independence, marks the return of acclaimed home-grown film-maker Boo Junfeng as its creative director. The 41-year-old was also creative director of the 2018 and 2021 editions of the NDP. Audiences can expect to be entertained by 39 home-grown artistes from different generations and genres, as well as over 3,000 performers. These include seasoned names such as Dick Lee, Kit Chan, Rahimah Rahim and Ramli Sarip, as well as contemporary acts ranging from singer-songwriters Charlie Lim and Benjamin Kheng to actor-musician Tosh Zhang and rapper Yung Raja. To reach as many Singaporeans as possible, the live show will extend from the Padang to Marina Bay, another first for the NDP. Another first for the NDP is having performances on a mobile floating stage in Marina Bay mounted on a Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Fast Craft Utility. Kheng will sing on the 9m-long stage with 12 dancers from the Music and Drama Company. A pre-parade segment will open with a musical film, also a first for the NDP, with an original song, Makin' Our Way, directed, written and composed by Kheng. This is followed by the inaugural Jump of Unity, featuring the Red Lions parachutists from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and naval divers from the RSN. A segment called Our Singapore Wish will air videos of Singaporeans sharing their aspirations, with music from the Combined Schools Band. The show is itself is divided into four acts, each inspired by words and lines from the national anthem, Majulah Singapura. Act One will celebrate Singapore's diverse society and features Chan and Lim performing this year's NDP theme song, Here We Are, and a spoken rendition of the national anthem by Ramli and other artistes such as Zhang. Singer-songwriter Charlie Lim performing the NDP 2025 theme song Here We Are during a preview on June 26. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Act Two, with performances by singer-songwriter Linying and rising singer Heema Izzati, focuses on Singaporeans' personal dreams and collective aspirations. There will also be performances by groups and schools such as Soka Gakkai Singapore and Greendale Secondary, as well as Diverse Abilities Dance Collective of Maya Dance Theatre, who are performing at the NDP for the first time. The performances in the third act, about resilience through family bonds and the community spirit, includes Lee singing NDP 2002 theme song We Will Get There in a floating balloon at the Padang. Act Four shapes the dreams and aspirations of different Singaporeans into a collective national destiny, and includes a synchronised performance of NDP 2021 theme song The Road Ahead by SMU Samba Masala Drummers at the Padang, Extraordinary People at the NTUC building and Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) at Marina Bay Sands Singapore. The final act culminates in a sing-along of classic NDP anthems such as Stand Up for Singapore (1984), Count On Me Singapore (1986), We Are Singapore (1987) and One People, One Nation, One Singapore (1990), in sync with a fireworks display lighting up the Padang and the Marina Bay. The fireworks show is specially designed to commemorate SG60. Audiences at the Padang and Bay Celebration sites will also get to write their wishes for themselves and for their community on a double-sided placard found in their NDP Packs. These will then be featured at various points throughout the show. There will also be a series of interconnected short films depicting the challenges the nation overcame over the past 60 years, shown throughout the four acts. All 27,000 spectators at the show will wear LED wristbands that will emit a light show in sync with the performances. Water floats on display at Esplanade's Singtel Waterfront Theatre on June 26. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Boo tells The Straits Times that he hopes that the audience, whether they are watching at the Padang, in the surrounding areas or on television, will reflect on what makes Singapore a home. 'Beyond just being a celebration, I think it's also a point of reflection so that we can contemplate why we love our home, and what we wish for Singapore to become.' Veteran singer Rahimah says that she is proud to do a duet in Act Three with Kheng on his 2024 NDP theme song Not Alone. 'I'm so honoured to be able to do this inter-generational collaboration,' she tells ST. Kheng, who also co-wrote the tune, says Rahimah's singing adds a new layer to the song. 'She's unabashedly herself and (with) that kind of energy she brings, and the warmth, she really grounds everyone in a room, and that shines through so well.' The pair will be physically apart during the duet, as Rahimah will be at the Padang, and Kheng on the floating stage in Marina Bay. Singers Rahimah Rahim and Benjamin Kheng performing 2024 NDP theme song Not Alone during a media preview on June 26. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Among the many performers are dancers Jennifer Thevajenner and Matthew S.T. Sunil, a married couple who are returning for their seventh NDP performance. The pair of amateur dancers, who have been married for two decades, said that the 2025 performance is special. 'Our segment is under People's Association, and the theme is our resilience and our spirit. So the two songs we are doing are flowing with emotions. We feel very touched when we dance,' said Mr Sunil, 49. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
