Kelvin Tong, Tay Ping Hui among 4 Singapore directors to helm movies for iQiyi, Clover Films
Together with Ong Kuo Sin and Melvin Mak, they will work on four Mandarin-language films that will be distributed internationally by Clover Films and by iQiyi in China in a newly-announced collaboration.
Tay Ping Hui (left) and Kelvin Tong will direct a film each under the Clover Films and iQiyi collaboration. (Photo: Mediacorp/ Boku Films)
Four Singapore directors – Kelvin Tong, Ong Kuo Sin, Melvin Mak and Tay Ping Hui – will produce a film each under a new partnership between distributor Clover Films and Chinese streaming giant iQiyi.
Singapore-based Clover Films announced the tie-up on Monday (Mar 15). In a statement, the company said: “This collaboration between Clover Films and iQiyi seeks to merge talents between the two countries and create stories told by Singaporean filmmakers that cater to the wider Chinese language audience across Asia”.
Clover Films will distribute the four Mandarin-language movies internationally while iQiyi will distribute them in China. The films will be shot over two years and will comprise a comedy, a drama, a romance and a horror-thriller.
Up first will be the comedy Reunion Dinner, written and directed by Ong. According to Screen Daily, it’s about a couple who encounter a series of mishaps with their eccentric parents while planning their wedding.
Ong’s most recent film was the comedy Number 1, which starred Mark Lee in a performance that earned him a Golden Horse Award nomination last year.
The second project is a horror-thriller by Tong, who's best known for The Maid and The Faith Of Anna Waters.
Mak will helm the romance drama, while Tay will turn in a medical drama. Â
Tay has been working in China recently, starring in series such as The Condor Heroes and Handsome Siblings. He’s also starring in The Ferryman, together with Qi Yuwu and Lawrence Wong, which will debut on iQiyi later this year.
READ:Â Tay Ping Hui has found his new calling in China: As a middle-aged alpha male TV star
Screen Daily reported that Clover will be working on the creative aspects with the filmmakers while the iQiyi team in Beijing will work on the story, casting, packaging and marketing.
Said Lim Teck, Clover Films' managing director: “We are excited to be partnering with iQiyi on this excellent slate of movies by four sterling Singapore filmmakers. We have always believed in our local talent pool and are glad that our partners at iQiyi are as invested as we are in promoting Singaporean talent. We aim to produce movies that would connect to audiences in the China and Southeast Asian markets and this requires great support from iQiyi and our four directors.”
