Royston Tan


Royston Tan is a Singaporean filmmaker and actor.

Background

Tan is a graduate from Temasek Polytechnic, where he studied Visual Communications. He first came into prominence through his short films: Sons, Hock Hiap Leong, 48 on AIDS, Mother and 15. He has so far directed six features.
In 2021 he was selected as a jury member for the Sonje Award at the 26th Busan International Film Festival.
He was appointed creative director of the Singapore National Day Parade in 2020 and 2023. In 2023, Tan was one of the eight assentors appointed for eventual president-elect Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the 2023 Singaporean presidential election.

Filmography

As director

Short films

  • Adam.Eve.Steve
  • Jesses
  • Sons
  • Hock Hiap Leong
  • 48 on AIDS
  • 24 HRS
  • Mother
  • 15 !
  • The Old Man and The River
  • 177155
  • Cut
  • The Blind Trilogy: Blind / Old Parliament House / Capitol Cinema
  • The Absentee
  • Careless Whisperer
  • New York Girl
  • Monkeylove
  • DIY
  • Cellouiod Dreams, for the National Museum of Singapore's Living Galleries
  • Sin Sai Hong
  • After The Rain
  • My SARS Lover
  • Little Note
  • Anniversary
  • No Admittance
  • Ah Kong
  • FishLove
  • I want to remember
  • Vicky
  • 033713
  • Wedding portrait
  • 50 First Kisses
  • Bunga Sayang, as part of the anthology 7 Letters
  • Provision Shop
  • ''Half''

Other works

Remains Music videoErase Music videoKisses Music video4A Florence Close Home videoBirdsong TV movieOld Places TV movieSingapore Biennale 2013 If The World Changed - Ghost of Capitol Theatre Journey to the West Pioneer Generation Video AdvertorialVoyage Multimedia musicalGeTai Challenge Guest judge High Interactive filmNational day Parade
  • ''National day Parade ''

Compilations

Royston's Shorts - produced by Tan Bee Thiam

Awards

1996
  • National Panasonic Video Award for Music Video for "Erase"
1997
  • UTV International Book Prize for "Adam.Eve.Steve"
1998
  • Bios MTV Awards 2nd prize for Music Video for "Kisses"
1999/2000
  • Hong Kong IDN Excellence in Digital Imaging Award for "Senses"
2000
2001
  • Singapore Short Film Festival – The Voice Award for "Mother"
  • 6th Malaysian Video Awards: ASEAN Director of the Year – Silver Award
  • 23rd JVC Video Award – Silver Award for "Sons"
2002
2003
  • Filmlet 2003 – Best International Short Film
  • Brief Encounter Short Film Festival 2003
  • Best International Short Film
  • Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2003 – Promotion Prize of the International Competition 03
  • 22nd Uppsala International Short Film Festival "UppsalaFilmkaja" Award
  • Mecal Film Festival – Special Mention for "15"
  • 16th Singapore International Film Festival – NETPAC-FIPRESCI Jury World Critic Award for "15: The Movie"
  • Newport International Film Festival – Honorable Mention for "15"
  • Oberhausen Short Film Festival – Special Mention Award for "15"
  • Tampere Film Festival – Best Fiction Award for "15"
  • Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards – Asian New Force 2003 Critics Awards for Short Film for "15"
  • New York Film and Television Award – Silver for "48 on AIDS"
2004
  • Hall of Fame – Best Family TVC
  • 10th Lyon Asian Film Festival – Press Award for 2nd Best Film for "15"
  • TIME Magazine – "Top 20 Asian Heroes"
  • Panasonic Digital Filmmaker Awards 2004 First Prize for "Cut"
  • 2004 Busan Asian Short Film Festival Excellent Kodak Film Award for "15"
  • Buenos Aires VI Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente
  • Deauville Asian Film Festival – Special Jury Award for "15: The Movie"
2005
2006
  • 2006 Hawaii International Film Festival NETPAC award –
  • 2006 Sapporo Short Shorts Special award –
  • 2006 HAF Award – "132"
  • 2006 Fitzroy Short Film Festival – Audience Prize for "Monkeylove"
  • Geneva Black Movie Festival – Special Mention Award for "4:30"
2007
2009
  • 22nd Singapore International Film Festival – Singapore Film Awards: Best Director for "12 Lotus"
2010
  • 1st Singapore Short Film Awards – Honorary Award for "outstanding contribution to the film community through short films"
  • Singapore Youth Award - Arts & Culture
2012
2013
  • China International Micro Film Awards "Best Director" for 'Popiah'
  • Hangzhou International Micro-film festival 2013 "Special Jury Award" for 'Popiah'
  • The 4th Xi’an China International Folk Video Festival 2013 for 'Popiah'
2015
2016
  • Sapporo International Short Film Festival 'Best Asian Short' for Bunga Sayang
  • Kumamoto City Award Focus on Asia-Fukuoka International Film Festival for '7 Letters'
2017
  • 同仁 Special Jury Award for 'Popiah'
  • 歌台至尊大奖 for 881, 歌台红星大奖
2020
2022
  • Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival "Jury Special Mention" for '24'