Royston Tan short film garners 3 million hits in China

SINGAPORE — A short film by local film-maker Royston Tan has garnered more than three million views ever since its debut on China-based video sharing platform Youku.

Titled 从心发现 家的味道, the heart-warming film debuted in China last month. It was a commissioned work from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) under a joint overseas marketing campaign to promote Singapore as a holiday destination.

It is Tan’s first work for the series, which has previously released short films directed by Alex Law from Hong Kong and Lin Yen Fu from China.

This micro-film collaboration — about the experiences of a young Chinese exchange student living with his Singaporean host — is first of many different campaigns by STB and CAG as part of a S$35 million marketing deal to boost awareness of and visitorship to both Singapore and Changi Airport.

Tan said the film was aimed specifically at the China market and filmed over four days in March. He also spent a lot of time finding a young boy who was from Beijing.

“When I do these shorts, I feel so alive. I think it’s because I feel so connected with our hawkers, our local food and our heartlands,” said Tan, who has four SG50-related films coming out this year. “When my tourist friends come to Singapore, I’m always the one dragging them to all the hawker centres and showing them all the sights.”

To show his appreciation and gratitude for the short film’s success, Tan and his production company Chuan Pictures have also produced an accompanying short music video, which will also debut on Youku tomorrow (June 4). It will star local singer and composer Jim Lim and feature the song Paper Aeroplanes, which was co-written by local composer Huang Yunren and lyricist Xiaohan.

To watch Tan’s short film, visit http://minisite.youku.com/STB2014/