Roulette City screens at Sinema Old School, an independent cinema in Singapore.
Dates and times:
17 July 2010 (Sat) - 2:30pm
23 July 2010 (Fri) - 7pm and 8:45pm
30 July 2010 (Fri) - 7pm and 8:45pm
06 Aug 2010 (Fri) - 4pm
13 Aug 2010 (Fri) - 4pm
Tickets purchase and more information can be found here.
05 Jul 2010 edition of Singapore magazine U-Weekly reports on the upcoming screenings of ‘Roulette City’ at Sinema Old School.
2010年7月5日期的新加坡雜誌‘優周刊’刊登了即將在新加坡電影院‘新戲院’上映的電影《輪盤》的報導。
Macau English newspapers The Macau Post Daily reports on the theatrical release of ‘Roulette City’ at independent Singapore cinema ‘Sinema Old School’. 30 June 2010, Wednesday, Pg 3.
澳門英語報紙The Macau Post Daily刊登了關於電影《輪盤》在新加坡‘新戲院’放映的報導。
ROULETTE CITY will make it’s World Premiere at the Singapore International Film Festival on 16 April 2010 (Friday) 9:15pm at Sinema Old School. Tickets available at Sistic.
The 51st edition of TIME OUT HONG KONG published a feature article on Thomas Lim and his debut feature film ‘Roulette City’. (31 Mar-13 Apr 2010. page 64)
THE MACAU POST DAILY English newspaper reports on the coming premiere of ‘Roulette City’ at the Singapore International Film Festival. (26 Feb 2010, Friday, page 4)
澳門英文報紙The Macau Post Daily刊登了有關電影《輪盤》在新加坡國際電影節放映的消息。(2010年2月26日,星期五)
Macau Cable TV interviewed Thomas Lim on 14 May 2009.
This interview was broadcast in Sept 2009.
Above is a re-edited video of the interview, which was originally 30 minutes long. Below is a rough transcript of the entire interview.
MCTV: We are very pleased to have Mr. Thomas Lim from Singapore as our special guest today. Thomas is a long time friend of Macau and has been involved in our local theatre productions for several years. He has relocated to Macau last year to produce his own independent films, and it is safe to say that if you have been keeping up with news of the theatre and film industry in Macau, you would have already heard of his name before. Thomas, why don’t you introduce yourself to our TV audience?
TL: My name is Thomas Lim, and I was born and raised in Singapore. I started acting for theatre in 1999, and subsequently received formal theatre training in London in 2002. In 2004, I began acting for television and film when I moved to Beijing. And in 2008, I relocated again to Macau to make my own films, writing, producing, and directing them.
MCTV: We also understand that you are very well travelled, and have backpacked across over 30 countries. There must be so much that you have experienced. Can you share some of your travel experiences with us.
TL: I would like to think that traveling has been the best teacher in my life. Honestly, I was always quiet and shy as a kid. And although it is true that being a theatre actor helped me become a more open person, I think even more so, travelling and living abroad for extended time helped me develop a sense of identity in this world that I live in. And that gave me more ease in living in my own skin, and gives me the confidence to chase my dreams. I think from the day when we were born, we have been constantly searching for our identity. We first learn about ourselves as sons/daughters to our parents, and brothers/sisters to our siblings. Then, we go to school and we discover more about our place in a bigger environment (the school), developing skills to socialize with our schoolmates and teachers. Then the natural next step was to find our place in the society as we step into the working world. Few others take yet another step into the world outside of their own countries, to discover their identities in relation to foreign cultures. I see different sides of me surfacing in the different places that I have travelled to or lived in, which is natural as I had to deal with the different unfamiliar situations that I encounter abroad. And these experiences allowed me to learn more about myself. I would say that it is everyone’s responsibility to rediscover themselves each day, as we are changing everyday, as is our environment too. And if we are able to do that, we are already successful as human beings regardless of social or wealth status. That’s something that I have grown to firmly believe, and I have learnt that from my travels.
MCTV: It is rare to hear of Singaporeans venturing out of their own country on their own. In fact, it is more common to hear of Macau people, or people from Hong Kong or China immigrating to Singapore. What made you decide to move to China? Was is because there were more opportunities in China?
TL: I first went to Beijing to learn Chinese Kung Fu. I was in London for more than a year before that to study and work as a theatre actor and my goal back then was to become an internationally acclaimed physical theatre actor. It was also in London where I realized that being a Singaporean, I was too ‘general’. By that, I mean that because I don’t have a distinct culture, nor a distinct language, I often felt that I didn’t have what I call a ‘special something’ as an actor to the international eye. I decided to leave London and return to Asia, and because I am a Chinese descendent and have always loved Chinese Kung Fu, I decided to go to Beijing to learn that, hoping to use that as my ‘special skill’ to complement my acting. But midway through my Kung Fu sessions one day, I injured my back badly. I was in pain for more than a year, and became very depressed as I thought my dream of becoming a good physical theatre actor was in jeopardy. So, I started to think of other ways to chase my performing dreams, and that’s when I decided to try acting for films and TV. It was also because during that time, which I believe would still be the case now, there were a lot of American and European productions going to Beijing to shoot. So, one thing led to another and I started to act in both American and local Chinese productions.
MCTV: It must have been tough trying to carve out a career in another country. Can you also share with us your thoughts and experiences of living in Beijing and London?
TL: Again, I think it is all about self-discovery. Beijing was a rough place to live in. You really had to look out for yourself out there as it was so competitive. That environment was completely different than Singapore or London, and honestly, Beijing was a bigger culture shock for me than London was. But I welcome challenges and I would think that Beijing introduced me to some of my highest and lowest points of my acting career. And that directly translates into some of the happiest and most depressed moments of my life. Because acting was the only thing that I wanted to do back then.
MCTV: I can imagine that an actor’s career would be a tough one. Were there times when you felt like giving up, and if there were, how did you overcome these emotions and what did you learn from them?
TL: Of course. I think being an actor is much harder than anyone who’s not in the business can ever imagine. The easiest part of an actor’s job I would say, is the acting. Unless you are a star, otherwise the acting usually makes up only 10% of a normal actor’s whole career. If they are lucky, maybe 50%. The rest of the time is spent networking, going to dinners and parties, trying to get people to like you, trying to convince them to cast you etc. This whole process soon became hard for me because it forces me to remain in a passive position all the time. Actors are very sensitive people, as are directors and producers. And an overly proactive actor could be easily be misunderstood as being desperate, and people could get turned off if they sense that in you. Unfortunately too, being passive doesn’t work for me for too long as it is not natural to me. I cannot be passive. I like to create stuff. If I just sit around waiting, I feel the human spirit dying in me. And I don’t like that. But, I try to see the positive in things, and looking back, I have indeed gained many friends in this industry, and they have taught me heaps of things that I never knew I had the chance to learn. One of the most important things that I have learnt is how people perceive me as an actor, a person, or as a friend. And I also learnt how to read people’s characters better after all that tough times.
MCTV: So, why did you choose to base yourself in Macau now? I would think that places like Singapore, Hong Kong or China would have a bigger market for filmmaking. Why Macau?
TL: Like I said, being passive kills me. And an actor is often forced into a passive position. But, I needed to be creative. I have established a small group of close friends in Macau even before moving here because I have been doing short theatre gigs here since 2004. These friends are probably some of the greatest friends that I have in this world, because of their genuine and honest nature. They’ve always made me feel very welcomed during my short visits in the past. And perhaps most importantly, I think Macau gives me a small platform for creating new work. This is a city that is drawing more and more attention from the outside world, especially other Asian countries. Plus, it is also a very beautiful city with a lot of character and history. So, I decided to settle here to make my own films.
MCTV: Since your arrival, you have made a feature film called ‘Roulette City’. Can you tell us about the story of the film?
TL: This is a film about a Mainland Chinese person who came to Macau to gamble at the casinos in hope of winning money to pay for his sick mother’s medical bills. His first try won him a lot of money but eventually he lost something of greater importance – that is, a relationship which he had formed with a local Macau girl who worked as a casino dealer. This girl struggled between keeping her dealer job as a quick way of earning money and quitting the job and going back to the university for a better future.
MCTV: Was it difficult to find suitable actors for the film?
TL: It was hard. There is talent, but there isn’t an industry in Macau to give people who want to be actors a chance to become a professional. And I don’t just mean excellent acting skills. I mean bringing a professional actor’s attitude to the set everyday. That will come only if actors become experienced enough. But there is definitely talent here in Macau. And the two Macau actors who played lead roles in this film are extremely talented. I was very lucky to have cast them.
MCTV: I also understand that other than producing, writing and directing this film, you also played the leading role in it. How did you manage to perform so many duties at the same time?
TL: If given a choice, I wouldn’t act in my own films, unless I became very experienced as a director, or had a huge crew and amazing assistant directors. I had to act in this film as I couldn’t find a suitable male actor to do the job. The actors that I spoke to and auditioned were either not good enough, or didn’t have the time. I shot this film on a small budget. So, I couldn’t afford to pay people much. And I needed this male actor to be on set for at least 3 weeks. I actually had an actor who was interested in the role but I had to re-cast a day before the shoot, because the rehearsals did not go the way I wanted them to. So, it was hard, but I think all first time directors have similar ‘horror stories’ to share. I am not alone.
MCTV: Finally, when and where can we watch this film?
TL: I will be sending the film out to festivals first of all. Then, it should be screened as part of the Macau Film Festival next year, which could be a good time for Macau audiences to see it. Or, I could arrange for an earlier screening at the Macau Cultural Centre before the year ends. I’m not sure yet. I am still dealing with the final stages of post-production now, and didn’t have time to think much about the next phase of the film yet. But I would like the film to do it’s rounds at the festivals abroad before making it’s Macau premiere.
MCTV: Thank you Thomas for taking time to attend this interview, and I hope your experiences could serve as inspiration for local youths who want to make films. We wish you the best in your film and theatre career, and look forward to seeing ‘Roulette City’ very soon.
TL: Thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it.
A feature article on Thomas Lim’s talk on ‘Low Budget Filmmaking’ was published on Macau’s Chinese newspaper ‘Macao Daily News’. (14 Sep 2009, Monday, Page C1)
澳門中文報紙‘澳門日報’在9月14日(星期一)刊登了有關林毅煒在9月13日的‘低成本獨立電影製作’講座的報導。
The video below is a condensed version of the talk.
To read the article, please click on the image to enlarge.
Macau Portuguese newspaper ‘Hoje Macau’ interviewed Thomas Lim on 26 Aug 2009.
This article was published on 28 Aug 2009.
澳門葡語報紙‘Hoje Macau’ 在8月26日採訪了林毅煒。此報導在09年8月28日刊登。
It gives me great joy to announce that our Macau film ‘Roulette City’ is officially listed on IMDb.com.
The page is: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1488065/
Portuguese newspapers ‘Ponto Final’ interviewed Thomas Lim on ‘Roulette City’ on 19 Jul 09.
This article was published on 21 Jul 09.
澳門葡語報紙’Ponto Final’採訪了林毅煒有關電影《輪盤》的拍攝花絮。此報導在09年7月21日刊登。
FRONT PAGE
CENTRE PAGE (PAGE EIGHT)
CENTRE PAGE (PAGE NINE)
Macau TV station TDM interviewed Thomas Lim on 10 Jul 09.
This program will be broadcast on 22 July, 7:15am. Repeat at 1pm on the same day.
澳門廣播電視台在09年7月10日採訪了林毅煒。此專訪將於7月22日 (星期三)早上7:15播出。中午一點重播。
The MACAU POST DAILY newspaper interviewed Thomas Lim on ‘Roulette City’ on 3 Jul 2009. This article was published on 6 Jul 2009.
澳門英語報紙’澳門郵報’採訪了林毅煒有關電影《輪盤》的拍攝花絮。此報導在09年7月06日刊登。
Macau’s English newspapers THE MACAU DAILY TIMES reports on THOMAS LIM and his feature film ROULETTE CITY. (page 5)
澳門英文報紙‘澳門每日時報’在09年5月9日刊登了關於林毅煒及電影《輪盤》的報導。(第五頁)
ROULETTE CITY featured article on Macau Portuguese newspapers ‘HOJE MACAU’.
Interview on 9 Feb, published on 10 Feb 2009.
Click on image to enlarge, and to read the contents within.
Macau Portuguese Newspaper 'Hoje Macau'. 10 Feb 2009
Island Man Pictures wishes you a very Merry X’mas. May all your dreams come true in 2009. Remember to keep an eye out for the completion of our film ‘Roulette City’ in the new year!
It gives me great joy to announce that we have finished shooting the feature film ‘Roulette City’ in a short span of 18 days. Many thanks to the cast and crew, and especially my Director of Photography Sam for the hard work. — Thomas Lim, 13 Dec 2008.
My dearest team, I am so sorry for today peformance, n brought a lots of inconvenience to all of you!!! Thank you for all of you guys, it is very touch when heard yr encouagements!!! It is my biggest motivation!!! I promise I will work n try my very best to do, n I really enjoy the moment working with you guys!!! We are the best team!!!
經過一天的拍攝, 我發覺原來拍電影是不容易的. 為了拍攝不到的角度, 取全鏡, 近鏡, 演員都需要keep住情緒不斷重覆拍攝. 而當中每一個細微的動作都要一樣.這可是很考功夫呢! 而且要好用很多精神去keep住energy, 一loose就不能投入狀態了. 但無論怎樣, 我還是深深地體會到, 我是非常喜愛演戲!!! 因為我很享受在拍攝過程中的每一個呼吸, 那是不一樣的呼吸… This is really an enjoyable moment which impressed in my life!
開鏡前收到一個有Armanda 名ge曲奇餅^^
左邊的人就是我偉大的哥哥啦!!! 右邊的人是我們的camera man 阿sam, 他是超棒的!!!
I am very proud to announce that my young production company Island Man Pictures has started shooting our very first feature film ‘Roulette City’ on 23 November 2008. We are very fortunate to have my close friend Sam Voutas in as our Director of Photography (Cameraman), and Miss Macau finalist Annie Loi as the female lead. Watch this space for more blog entries by the crew, actors and of course, myself - Thomas Lim 26 Nov 2008
I’m sorry to announce that the ‘Roulette City’ movie shoot has been postponed to (tentatively) November due to my personal family situation.
Something happened, and I am currently in Singapore to be with my family during this difficult time.
My apologies to the crew and cast members, as well as friends and audiences who were following the progress of the making of the film.
It gives me great joy to announce that Miss Macau 2008 finalist Ms Annie Loi has been cast as the female lead for our feature film ‘Roulette City’ as ‘Armanda’.
Annie has limitless talent and is a hard-worker. So, I have no doubt that she will excel in the role and that audiences will remember her performance.