Films

I have no festival awards, no films on the circuits. I couldn't bear to watch my thesis film. I think all my shorts from university days are campy, predictable and pretentious. I'm a hobbyist/wannabe/guerrilla/day-job/Sunday/ HDSLR-wielding/nobody filmmaker. True story.

A Light In The Darkness (2010)

Country of Production: Singapore
Year of Production: 2010
Category: Drama
Duration: 24 minutes
Language: Chinese, Japanese.
Subtitles: English, Chinese
Shooting Format: HD
Screening Format: DVD

Directed by Liew Shi Xiong
Produced by Yan Zixin
Director of Photography: Pang Sern Yong
Production Designer: Yang Shuhui

Synopsis:

In 1942, the unforgiving invasion of the Japanese has left the island of Singapore in chaos and disarray. Thousands of lives are lost and despair has descended upon the people of the island. Despite being marked earlier on by the Japanese for supporting relief efforts in China, a Buddhist monk in Singapore risks further enraging the oppressors, when he opens the gates of his monastery to shelter hundreds of frightened and homeless civilian refugees. His courage and compassion shows how humanity still shines on even in the darkest of times.

Inspired by actual historical events.

Participation:
2011 - Nominee, Best Art Direction, Singapore Short Film Awards.
2011 - First Take, The Substation
2010 - The Oriental Show, Sinema Showoff
2010 - Filament 2010

The Bird That Shakes The Jute Fields (2010)

Country of Production: Singapore
Year of Production: 2010
Category: Documentary
Duration: 2 minutes
Language: Bengali
Subtitles: English
Shooting Format: miniDV
Screening Format: DVD

Synopsis: 

Set to the melody of a popular Bengali folk song, this video essay serves as a meditation on the street life in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, whose poeple and their daily work and struggles is like a young bird in the jute fields; a sense of optimism for a young country. Yet, a looming somberness is a painful memory that freedom comes at the price of a war and political struggles. 

Participation:

2011 - Nominee. Best Documentary, Singapore Short Film Awards.

2011 - First Take, The Substation.

The Soldier (2009)

Country of Production: Singapore
Year of Production: 2009
Category: Drama
Duration: 4 minutes 29 seconds
Language: Nil
Subtitles: Nil
Shooting Format: miniDV
Screening Format: DVD

Directed by Kwek Zeming & Liew Shi Xiong
Produced by Kwek Zeming & Liew Shi Xiong
Written by Liew Shi Xiong

Cast: Lim Jianliang

Synopsis:

Even the most peaceful country may one day see itself threatened by war. Even the most ordinary things in life may one day cease to exist. A soldier returns from war, only to find his hometown barren.

Participation:

2010 - National Education video material

2009 - Sons of Singapura (condensed version), National Day Students Video Competition

Zen & Now (2008)

Country of Production: Singapore
Year of Production: 2008
Category: Videojournalism / Documentary
Duration: 3 minutes 27 seconds
Language: Chinese, English
Subtitles: Chinese, English.
Shooting Format: miniDV

Directed by Liew Shi Xiong
Produced by: Fiona Low, Liew Shi Xiong.
Written by Fiona Low, Liew Shi Xiong.

Synopsis:

Venerable Chuan Guan was born in Singapore and graduated from NTU Computer Engineering in 1997. He became a Buddhist monk in 2002 at Fa Yun Monastery in the United States and now resides in The Buddhist Library in Singapore.

Save The Filmmakers (The World Premiere of Top Cop) (2008) 

Country of Production: Singapore
Year of Production: 2007
Category: Drama
Duration: 6 minutes 41 seconds
Language: English
Subtitles: Nil
Shooting Format: miniDV

Directed by Liew Shi Xiong
Produced by Liew Shi Xiong
Written by Liew Shi Xiong

Cast:
Pang Da Yong – Pang Sern Yong
Top Cop – Chong Ziliang
The Lawyer- Tang Zhanwei

Crew:
Director(s) of Photography: Liew Shi Xiong, Lim Chee Harn, Lin Junjie
First Assistant Director: Zakaria Zainal

Synopsis: 

Pang Da Yong is a Singaporean filmmaker set unveil the world premiere of his Johnnie-To-influenced, Singaporean blockbuster gangster film, Topcop. And then the unthinkable happened.

Based on a true story.

Taiping (2007)

Country of Production: Singapore
Year of Production: 2007
Category: Drama
Duration: 4 minutes
Language: Chinese
Subtitles: English
Shooting Format: miniDV
Screening Format: miniDV

Directed by Liew Shi Xiong
Produced by Liew Shi Xiong & Lin junjie
Written by Liew Shi Xiong

Cast:
The Novelist - Chong Ziliang
The Hitchhiker - Christine Tan
Narration - Lim Chee Harn

Crew:
Director of Photography - Lin Junjie
Editor - Lin Junjie
First Assistant Director - Lim Chee Harn
Key Grip - Lim Chee Harn
Assistant Grip - Low Ting Yi
Sound Recordist - Low Ting Yi
Boom Operator - Low Jin Yong
Music by Joe Sibol

Synopsis:
A novelist goes off to Kuantan in Malaysia to seek inspiration for his latest book. En-route, he picks up a hitchhiker and changes his course towards Taiping, eventually coming to terms with his insecurities.