Local filmmaker Kelvin Tong has a new film!
It's a dystopian comedy in which food as we know it carries a deadly plague and is banned!
The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Adrian Pang, Yeo Yann Yann, Patricia Mok, Bobby Tonelli, Shane Mardjuki, Oon Shu An, and Singapore's man of food, KF Seetoh himself!
Adrian Pang plays the lead character, Chia Kau Peng, a die-hard foodie whose forbidden food fantasies lead him deeper and deeper into trouble, and right into the heart of PHood, the synthetic food empire that supplies Singapore and the world.
Starring opposite Pang is Golden Horse-winning actress Yeo Yann Yann, who plays high-octane, high-powered media executive Virginia, Chia's partner-in-crime.
Their wacky adventures would not be complete without the colourful characters of the Underground Food Club, who teach him a thing or two about contraband tasting, but also about community.
To commemorate Singapore’s 53rd birthday, Boku Films and Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) will screen
Republic of Food at CHJIMES on 10 and 11 August for free. Unfortunately, both screenings are fully subscribed.
Fortunately,
Republic of Food will be screened on select Cathay cinemas from 16 Aug 2018.
“We want to bring everyone together to enjoy
Republic of Food, a film that invites us to eat and remember..." says Karen Tan from MCI. "The event is a celebration of our community bonding, friendship, and kampung spirit as we come together as one big family.”
Director Kelvin Tong, who has helmed horror flick
The Maid (2005) and the thriller
Kidnapper (2010), wishes to explore Singapore's diverse multi-ethnic community through the perspective of food, an indisputable pasttime of all Singaporeans.
“In a world roiled by xenophobia and cultural divisions, Singaporeans’ love of food serves as a beacon of hope,” says Kelvin Tong.
“We don’t care if it’s popiah or paella, rojak or ratatouille, as long as it is yummy. Our tastebuds are colour blind and our stomachs are cosmopolitan. Our national obsession with eating chews through prejudices as well as biases and
Republic of Food is a toast to that.”
Republic of Food will screen in select Cathay cinemas from 16 August. Do not watch the film on an empty stomach!