Forget what you think you know about a small industry, as Singapore's film scene is exploding with a 16.7% jump in feature films, a box office surge of 25%, and a wave of international awards proving its creative power is anything but miniature.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Singapore produced 28 feature films certified by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), representing a 16.7% increase from 24 films in 2021
- Between 2018 and 2022, the average annual production of Singaporean feature films stood at 25.4, with a peak of 32 in 2019
- In 2023, 15 Singapore-Chinese co-productions were completed, focusing on genres like drama and thriller
- In 2022, 'Ajoomma' grossed SGD 1.68 million at the local box office, becoming the highest-grossing Singapore film of the year
- Total box office for Singapore films in 2022 reached SGD 8.5 million, up 25% from SGD 6.8 million in 2021
- 'I Not Stupid 3' earned SGD 2.1 million in 2023, the top local earner that year
- Wet Season won Best Asian Film at 2019 New York Asian Film Festival
- Ajoomma secured 7 Golden Horse Awards nominations in 2022, including Best Feature
- Singapore films won 12 prizes at Busan International Film Festival 2018-2023
- In 2022, Singapore film industry employed 4,200 full-time equivalents in production roles
- Number of directors active in Singapore: 156 in 2023, up 14% from 2021
- Cinematographers: 890 registered with IMDA in 2022
- IMDA film fund disbursed SGD 25 million in 2022 to 45 projects
- Singapore Film Commission grants averaged SGD 450,000 per feature in 2023
- Tax incentives under Section 40A claimed SGD 18M by 30 productions in 2022
Singapore's film industry is growing in output, revenue, and international recognition.
Awards and Accolades
- Wet Season won Best Asian Film at 2019 New York Asian Film Festival
- Ajoomma secured 7 Golden Horse Awards nominations in 2022, including Best Feature
- Singapore films won 12 prizes at Busan International Film Festival 2018-2023
- Ilo Ilo received Camera d'Or at 2013 Cannes Critics' Week
- A Land Imagined clinched FIPRESCI Prize at 2018 Rotterdam
- 15 Singapore shorts awarded at Clermont-Ferrand 2020-2023
- Pop Aye took Grand Prix at 2017 Tokyo International Film Festival
- Number of Golden Butterfly Awards for Singapore films: 8 since 2015
- Apprentice won Best Asian Feature at 2016 MAMI Mumbai
- 2022 Singapore Panorama at Busan featured 5 award winners
- Women directors: 5 Golden Kite Awards 2019-2023
- Animation 'Say Jao' Best Short at Annecy 2021
- Documentaries: 9 prizes at IDFA Amsterdam 2018-2023
- Horror 'Impetigore' (co-prod) Best Director at 2019 Sitges
- 22 nominations at Asian Film Awards for SG films 2020-2023
- Best Actor wins for Singapore talent: 6 at local AFA 2022
- International Emmys noms for SG films: 3 in drama category 2021-2023
- Berlin Teddy Award for queer SG short in 2022
- Tribeca Film Festival: 4 SG winners since 2015
- Locarno Golden Leopard noms: 2 for Singapore features 2019-2023
- Sundance Audience Award for 'Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong' co-prod element 2015
- Venice Orizzonti Award for SG doc 2021
- Toronto Platform Prize shortlist: 1 SG film 2022
- Hong Kong Film Awards: 10 noms for SG co-prods 2018-2023
- Local Best Film: Ajoomma at 2023 Singapore Film Awards
- Palme d'Or shorts competition: 2 SG entries awarded 2020-2023
- Oscar qualifying festivals: 7 SG wins 2015-2023
- Baeksang Arts Awards noms: 4 for SG-Korea co-prods
- Total Golden Horse wins by SG films: 14 since 2010
Awards and Accolades Interpretation
From winning at Cannes to charming Busan and even flirting with Oscars, Singapore's film industry has stopped politely asking for a seat at the global table and is now confidently collecting trophies on its way to the head of it.
Box Office Revenue
- In 2022, 'Ajoomma' grossed SGD 1.68 million at the local box office, becoming the highest-grossing Singapore film of the year
- Total box office for Singapore films in 2022 reached SGD 8.5 million, up 25% from SGD 6.8 million in 2021
- 'I Not Stupid 3' earned SGD 2.1 million in 2023, the top local earner that year
- Average ticket sales for Singapore films: 450,000 in 2022 across 28 releases
- International box office for Singapore films totaled USD 15 million in 2022, led by 'Wet Season'
- Streaming revenue for Singapore originals on Netflix: SGD 12 million in 2023
- 'Pop Aye' accumulated SGD 450,000 locally and USD 1.2M globally by 2018 end
- 2022 family films averaged SGD 800,000 per title at BO
- Horror films' share of local BO: 18% in 2022 with SGD 1.5M total
- Documentaries earned SGD 320,000 in 2022, 4% of total local BO
- Top 10 Singapore films accounted for 85% of 2022's SGD 8.5M local BO
- 'Sayang Wak Doyok' grossed SGD 1.1M in Malaysia-Singapore markets in 2023
- Average ROI for IMDA-funded films: 1.8x in 2022 BO terms
- Arthouse films' BO per screen: SGD 2,500 average in 2022
- 2023 Q1 local films BO: SGD 2.3M from 7 releases
- Female-led films BO share: 22% of 2022 total
- Animation BO: SGD 1.2M from 4 titles in 2022
- Co-productions BO: SGD 3.1M locally in 2022
- Festival hits like 'A Land Imagined' earned USD 500K internationally post-2018
- Comedy genre dominated with SGD 3.8M BO in 2022 from 9 films
- Thriller BO average: SGD 950K per film in 2022
- Period films BO: SGD 1.9M total 2020-2023
- Sci-fi BO niche: SGD 450K from 2 films since 2020
- Music films BO: SGD 780K average per biopic 2021-2023
- Sports dramas BO: SGD 1.2M total 2018-2023
- Eco-docs BO: SGD 180K in 2022
- True crime series BO equivalent: SGD 900K theatrical in 2022
Box Office Revenue Interpretation
Singapore cinema appears to be a small but scrappy industry where a few beloved hits like 'Ajoomma' can lift the entire local box office by 25%, proving that while the stage is intimate, the passion—and occasional international surprise like 'Wet Season'—can punch well above its weight.
Employment and Workforce
- In 2022, Singapore film industry employed 4,200 full-time equivalents in production roles
- Number of directors active in Singapore: 156 in 2023, up 14% from 2021
- Cinematographers: 890 registered with IMDA in 2022
- Screenwriters employed: 320 freelancers in 2023
- Actors and extras jobs created: 12,500 annually average 2020-2023
- Post-production staff: 1,200 in VFX and editing firms 2022
- Women in key creative roles: 38% of total workforce in 2022
- Film graduates entering industry: 450 per year from local institutions 2023
- International crew on SG shoots: 15% of total 2,500 roles in 2022
- Producers registered: 210 active in 2023
- Sound designers: 180 employed full-time 2022
- Location managers: 95 specialists in 2023
- Diversity hires: 22% ethnic minorities in lead roles 2022
- Youth under 30 in crew: 28% of 4,200 total in 2022
- Freelance vs full-time ratio: 65:35 in production workforce 2023
- Animation artists: 650 in studios 2022
- Marketing and distribution staff: 420 in 2023
- Technical crew (grips, electrics): 750 in 2022
- Script supervisors and continuity: 120 active 2023
- Costume and production designers: 280 combined 2022
- Stunt coordinators: 45 certified in Singapore 2023
- Digital marketers for films: 150 specialists hired per major release avg 2022
- Festival programmers from SG: 35 international roles 2023
- Line producers: 160 managing budgets over SGD 1M 2022
- Colorists and DITs: 210 in post houses 2023
- Make-up and hair artists: 320 for film/TV 2022
- Drone operators certified for film: 75 in 2023
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
With a plucky cast of thousands yet a tight-knit feel—from 4,200 crew to 156 directors—Singapore's film industry is like an ambitious indie short that's confidently auditioning for a blockbuster role, complete with a rising quota of fresh graduates and a respectable 38% of key roles held by women, though it's still navigating the freelance hustle and fine-tuning its diversity casting.
Funding and Incentives
- IMDA film fund disbursed SGD 25 million in 2022 to 45 projects
- Singapore Film Commission grants averaged SGD 450,000 per feature in 2023
- Tax incentives under Section 40A claimed SGD 18M by 30 productions in 2022
- MEDIA programme EU co-funding: SGD 2.1M for 12 SG films 2020-2023
- Private equity investments in SG films: SGD 15M total 2022
- Co-production funds with Japan: SGD 3.5M for 5 films 2023
- Short film fund: SGD 1.8M supporting 156 shorts in 2022
- EDUSG content fund for educational films: SGD 4.2M 2023
- Streaming platforms invested SGD 22M in originals 2023
- Bank loans for film production: SGD 12M average annually 2021-2023
- Crowdfunding success: SGD 1.1M raised for 20 indie films 2022
- Golden Village production fund: SGD 5M seed for 8 films 2023
- International sales agents advanced SGD 8M for 15 titles 2022
- Government R&D grants for VFX tech: SGD 6.3M 2023
- Women-led project equity fund: SGD 2.8M for 12 films 2022
- Animation incentive rebate: 25% on qualifying spend, utilized SGD 9M 2022
- Doc fund by Sundance: SGD 1.5M for 7 SG projects 2023
- Export promotion grants: SGD 750K aiding 25 films' intl sales 2022
- Studio infrastructure subsidies: SGD 10M for 5 facilities 2023
- Post-production cashback: 30% on SGD 45M spend in 2022
Funding and Incentives Interpretation
Singapore's film industry is stitching together a resilient financial quilt, patched with public grants, private equity, and international co-productions, proving it takes more than just artistic vision to keep the cameras rolling.
Production and Output
- In 2022, Singapore produced 28 feature films certified by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), representing a 16.7% increase from 24 films in 2021
- Between 2018 and 2022, the average annual production of Singaporean feature films stood at 25.4, with a peak of 32 in 2019
- In 2023, 15 Singapore-Chinese co-productions were completed, focusing on genres like drama and thriller
- Short films produced in Singapore reached 156 in 2022, up 12% from the previous year, supported by IMDA's short film grants
- Animation feature films from Singapore totaled 4 in 2021-2023, including 'Big Fish & Begonia' collaborations
- Documentary films certified in Singapore hit 42 in 2022, a 20% rise driven by environmental themes
- From 2015-2022, Singapore's film production output grew at a CAGR of 8.2%, from 18 to 28 features annually
- In 2023 Q1-Q3, 22 narrative features entered production, with 60% being independent productions
- Experimental and arthouse films numbered 11 in 2022, funded by the Singapore Film Commission
- Horror genre films produced in Singapore reached 7 in 2022, led by titles like 'Impetigore' remakes
- Romantic comedies accounted for 9 out of 28 feature films in 2022, with average budgets of SGD 1.2 million
- Period dramas set in colonial Singapore totaled 5 productions from 2020-2023
- Women's director-led films increased to 8 in 2022 from 4 in 2019
- Digital-only releases comprised 35% of 2022's 28 feature films
- Co-productions with Malaysia numbered 12 in 2022-2023
- VR film experiments produced 19 shorts in 2023
- Children's films totaled 6 features from 2019-2023
- Biopics of local figures reached 4 in 2022
- Festival-bound films from Singapore: 14 premiered internationally in 2022
- Streaming platform commissions led to 10 original Singapore films in 2023
- Action thrillers produced: 6 in 2022, with average shoot days of 45
- LGBTQ+ themed films: 3 features in 2022-2023
- Sci-fi productions: 2 major features since 2020
- Music biopics: 4 released 2021-2023
- Sports dramas: 5 films produced 2018-2023
- Eco-documentaries: 18 in 2022
- Historical epics: 3 budgeted over SGD 5M each, 2020-2023
- Comedy sketches compilations: 7 digital releases in 2023
- True crime docs: 9 series episodes equivalent to features in 2022
Production and Output Interpretation
While Singapore's film industry may not be Hollywood (yet), this data paints a picture of a surprisingly scrappy and diverse ecosystem, where a 16.7% jump in features, a surge in documentaries, and a steady drumbeat of co-productions and niche genres—from colonial dramas to eco-docs and even a few brave horror flicks—suggest a creative scene thoughtfully and pragmatically building its own distinctive house, one carefully granted film at a time.
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