The Magic of Royston Tan

“Each one of you sitting here has a story to tell. I want to tell all your stories to everyone else. That is what my filmmaking is about.” – Royston Tan

On 20th February, local filmmaker Royston Tan, strode casually into LT4 with a blinding grin on his face. Winner of multiple awards in various countries and a recent one at the International Festival Signes de Nuit in Paris, what was his philosophy to filmmaking?

An incredible presence; Royston Tan had everyone in the crowd hanging on to his every word.

This lauded filmmaker was surprisingly affable and sincere with the crowd. Royston Tan shared tidbits of his work and life with the crowd, how stressful the process of filmmaking is, and how he treasures his parents and his personal eccentric habit of carrying a one-sided conversation with guppies. The crowd was held rapt by his brutal honesty (“I hate National Service.”) and his personal feelings for each of his works, where to him, “...every one of my films is like pages of a diary.” Royston Tan also took questions from the crowd, where students’ curiosity about his life and works were satisfied.

As a student, Royston Tan failed to do well in his studies, but his burning passion and ingenuity of filmmaking earned him a place in Temasek Polytechnic, where he was honed and polished to be a talented director whom he is now. This is a learning point for all of us: There are no failures, only learning experiences.

NYJCians held rapt by the screening of Royston’s works of “After The Rain” and “DIY”

Finally, he encourages NYJCians to pursue their own dreams despite how non-mainstream and seemingly unreachable they may seem. Royston Tan himself is a shining example. Go reach for your dreams, fellow NYJCians!

The ultimate nice guy, Royston Tan agreed to take photos and give autographs for anyone who asked.

By Chia Ling Xian