Cartoons Underground 2021 Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary from 20 to 27 November 2021

It is Cartoons Underground's 10th Birthday this year! To celebrate this joyous occasion, South-East Asia's biggest independent animation festival has expanded to a 7-day event from 20 to 27 November 2021. It will run as a hybrid event, with both in-person and virtual segments.

Cartoons Underground, the brainchild of Singaporean festival director Vicky Chen and celebrated American animator Patrick Smith, launched a decade ago with just a 2-hour animated movie screening session. Through the years, as interest for animation grew, the event included workshops and panels, as well as the annual Golden Durian Awards for excellence in animation. It was boosted to a 5-day virtual event last year, despite of restrictions due to the pandemic.

This year's National Day has shown the kind of magic our homegrown indie animation studios can do, so the festival provides a great opportunity to give them more exposure. Not only that, Cartoons Underground offers opportunities to connect animation art students - most who come from NTU and LASALLE - to the industry's professionals.

“We always believed Singapore had this huge potential to be a hub for independent animation for the entire region,” she says. “When we launched Singapore was trying to tempt the big international studios. But it’s the independent studios that have stayed and ten years on we’re seeing more and more people buying into our vision,” says Vicky Chen.



Cartoons Underground 2021 will still centre on the screening of new animated short films. The screening helps to showcase and introduce an eclectic range of animation films to local and global audiences. These films are in contrast to the easily marketable styles by Disney or Dreamworks, or even some anime, that many are already familiar with.

Included in the festival programme are two international competitions. One of the notable entries for the international competition is The Visit by Morrie Tan (LASALLE College of the Arts BA(Hons) Animation Art), an intimate stop-motion story about a girl and her thoughts whenever she visits her father in prison. Red Dot Diva first watched The Visit as part of the seven animated short film anthology Spectrum, which was co-produced by Singapore-based Robot Playground Media and Malaysia’s The R&D Studio. The Visit draws you in with quiet emotion, and the film has already received awards and is currently in the film festival circuit.

Tan Wei Keong, Programme Director of Cartoons Underground, also recommends checking out other entries, like Canada-based director Liza Desyatkova's Don't Think About Her. “It magnifies the agony of having a crush on someone and I love it that the director pushed the film over the edge to a laugh-out-loud effect,” Tan says.

There will also be a screening of films from students at Singapore’s NTU and LASALLE. In addition, the anniversary celebration will provide a nostalgic throwback of some of the very best films shown at Cartoons Underground over the last decade, including those by Singapore creators Sarah Cheok's The Growth and Davier Yoon and Joshua Tan's witty A Brief History Of Time. Incidentally, the latter is one of Tan Wei Keong's favourites.

“It's a joy to rewatch it a million times,” he says. “I always discover something new in the process. It's a gem in the local animation scene, so it's the perfect short to open the retrospective program.”

The expanded programme also includes three online panels about careers in animation. They are:

Developing the animation industry: The role of education (23 Nov, 8pm) looks at how Singapore’s animation industry can bring on the next generation of talent.

Beyond Animation: What’s next for creative graduates? (21 Nov, 2pm) brings together animation graduates who’ve built successful careers.

Future of monetizing in animation (25 Nov, 8pm) looks at the ways the new digital economy lets animator make money from connecting directly or indirectly with audiences.

On this weekend and next weekend, Cartoons Underground 2021's partner *SCAPE is hosting a four-day development lab on-site and providing Zoom webinars on topics including Non Fungible Tokens on Animation. On the last day of the festival (27 November, 1 PM SGT), *SCAPE Gallery will be hosting a limited in-person screening of animated movie TATSUMI. The film about Japanese manga artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi, was directed by local auteur Eric Khoo.

“Ten years really flies by when you’re having fun,” says Festival Director Vicky Chen. “Cartoons Underground really has been a labour of love. But seeing the reaction of audiences, following young animators as they embark on their careers, and watching indie animation really take root in Singapore is awesome payback for everything the CU team puts in.”

Tickets for Cartoons Underground 2021 is already on sale! To view the animation films and panels online, buy your ticket from this link - https://cartoonsunderground.com/ticketing-2021


More details about the festival are at Cartoons Underground's website at https://cartoonsunderground.com!

Folklore Season 2 Ups The Scare Factor With More Asian Horror Stories

FOLKLORE Season 1 (2018), HBO Asia's original anthology series consisting of horror stories from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, was a success in the international film festival circuit. Award-winning film-maker Eric Khoo is the creator and showrunner of the series, and various episodes were screened in major festivals like Toronto International Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival, Geneva International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest (Texas, USA) and Asian World Film Fest (California, USA).

The best thing about FOLKLORE Season 1 was how novel it was. Compared to East Asian lore, South-East Asian stories are rarely known internationally. FOLKLORE managed to lovingly capture the essence of some of South-East Asia's favourite momoks (phantoms/ bogeymen) with a high production values.

There are a couple of stories in the first season that are still visually ingrained in Red Dot Diva's mind. They are POB, the brilliantly filmed black and white Thai ghost story by reknown director Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, and the more traditional and partially socio-political tale of the TOYOL by Malaysian director Ho Yuhang. That just shows how creepy and memorable Asian horror can be compared to the Westernised ones, which tend to over-explain the supernatural.

Well, come 14 November 2021, horror fans can expect more scares as FOLKLORE is set to increase the fear factor for a second season. There will be six new episodes about the human condition when faced with the deeply rooted superstitions and myths in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. Each of the stories is helmed by a director from their respective territory, with a special spotlight on two female directors this new season. Famous Japanese popstar Seiko Matsuda makes her directorial debut in the episode about a lonely Japanese idol, and Singaporean director Nicole Midori Woodford unveils the roots of a family trauma.

Cartoons Underground Returns With An Online Edition from 9 to 13 December 2020

So what if COVID-19 a.k.a. the Big Bad of 2020 is still lurking in the corners of Red Dot Island, and has prevented festivals and events from taking place? Cartoons Underground 2020, the island's very own animation festival, has in fact expanded from a 1-day evening festival to an exciting 5-day online event from 9 to 13 December 2020.

Of course, the festival, which is also South-East Asia's largest, will not be happening in their usual physical venue. Instead, attendees will step into an interactive and vibrant 360° virtual world created by CG lead Enrique Caballero.

Love is in the air

Within this immersive neon-lit cyberpunk 'hood, festival goers will be able to hunt for easter eggs, view films and behind the scene footages, and attend Q&A sessions with directors. Red Dot Diva had a sneak peek of the 360° world, which had tributes to Lady & The Tramp as well as the chef couple from the movie, Ratatouille. According to Enrique Caballero, he felt that during this difficult year, we all needed more love. Since the locals love shopping online, there will also be an art market where you can buy unique items for your own collection or as presents.

While the pandemic continues to rage on in several parts of the world, live action TV and movie productions have either halted or have been delayed. But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Seemingly pandemic-proof, the animation industry is set to boom in the next 5 years due to market demand, and for the practical reason that most of the work can be performed remotely.

Red Dot Diva welcomes the rise of animation movies. They are not just for kids and children. There are the cookie-cutter Disneys, Pixars, Dreamworks and well-loved Studio Ghibli films, and then there are so many others that fall in between or out of those familiar lines that are as beautiful and moving.

NEWSFLASH: We Bare Bears are coming to Singapore!

We did it! We made our votes count!

It's time to get your Bear Squad ready. Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears are visiting our Red Dot Island, their very first stop of their pan-Asian "We'll Be There" Tour!

From March 5, Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear, the uber-cool bears of pawsitivity, will be making stops at Red Dot Island's iconic hotspots, and doing typical touristy things together with internet personality Preetipls as their personal tour guide. (Does this mean they will be adventurous enough to try tasting durians too?) If you can make a good guess as to where the Bears will be hanging out, there might be a good chance you will get to bump into them.

Over at Tampines 1 and Century Square malls, fans can take part in fun We Bare Bears themed activities from March 20 to March 26. Take and share your photos at Panda-approved locations using the hashtags #Tampines1xWBB #CenturySqxWBB and you could stand a chance to win exclusive We Bare Bears kitchenware premiums.

Cartoon Network's We Bare Bears Will Be Visiting Asia - Cast Your Votes for Singapore Now!

Been needing some hugs lately? Better still, We Bare Bears Hugs?

Then, it's time to leap with joy. We Bare Bears, Cartoon Network's coolest bears, will be making their way to Asia. However, there is a catch! For Grizzly, Ice Bear and Panda to make a trip to Red Dot Island, you will have to vote for them to come here and hang out with the local bear squad! Click this link from now till February 24 to vote! - https://webarebears.cartoonnetworkasia.com/hugstour

"We Bare Bears" is a charming animated series about three bear brothers who help each other deal with living in human society through easy to follow plot lines. The series is light-hearted, funny and appropriate for kids. Yet, in some episodes, the series can get rather deep and emotional when it chooses to deal with subjects, like how friendship works, jealousy, internet addiction and diversity.

It will awesome to have these bears spread some of their paw-sitivity as they visit the island's iconic spots, snapping selfies, making more friends, and dishing out loads of bear hugs!

In the meantime, get your bear squad ready for their Hug Tour, and follow their "We'll Be There" journey on Cartoon Network's Facebook page. You can also keep the excitement going by interacting with We Bare Bears fans at join Cartoon Network Asia’s Community Page (http://bit.ly/WBBFBGroup).

Red Dot Diva has already voted for We Bare Bears to visit our 'hood. Hurry, and click to vote too!


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Catch "We Bare Bears" on Cartoon Network (StarHub TV Ch. 316 and Singtel TV Ch. 226)

HBO Asia's "Folklore" Horror Anthology Set To Give You Sleepless Nights, Premieres 7 Oct, 10 PM

October is the best season for a nice, spine-chilling scarefest, and HBO Asia will be rewarding horror fans with a 6-episode anthology called "Folklore".

Created by award-winning local director Eric Khoo, "Folklore" is a HBO Asia Original series that brings a modern or updated twist to the classic ghoulies and myths that Asians will be familiar with. The team of directors, specially requested by Eric Khoo to be part of the project, spin creepy tales that possess their own home countries' brand of horror.

Each story will be told in the local language that the episode is based on, and will also provide insights of the social issues that exist in that country.

Six episodes will air each Sunday exclusively on HBO (StarHub TV Ch 601), beginning from 7 October, 10 PM. They will also be available on HBO Go and HBO On Demand (StarHub TV Ch 602).

Non-subscribers of HBO will be able to watch the first episode "Folklore: A Mother's Love" via streaming on HBO GO for free, from 10 PM on October 7.




Here are the synopsis of the 6 episodes:

Spy On Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie in "The Night Manager" premiering on AMC Asia, 22 February 2016

When it comes to Tom Hiddleston, Red Dot Diva cannot get enough of his undeniable charisma and screen presence. There is still no release date in Red Dot Island for his next movie "High Rise", so Red Dot Diva is delighted that she is able to swoon over Hiddles tomorrow night instead.

"The Night Manager" TV series is based on the John le Carré spy novel of the same name. A hotel manager goes undercover for an intelligence agency in a bid to take down an international criminal and arms dealer. While doing so, he becomes untangled in a dangerous game of secrets that also involve corrupt officials from both the CIA and MI-6. Unlike the book where the story unfolds in the post-Cold War era, the show is set in modern times, with most of the action taking place in the exotic locale of Cairo, Egypt.

Spot Red in Singapore as "The Blacklist" Season 2 Premieres on AXN Asia, September 23rd!

Hit TV Series "The Blacklist" may seem like the run-of-the-mill good guy vs bad guy investigative show. But there are a few things that set it apart from other FBI or cop shows out there.

For starters, there's Emmy Award-winning actor James Spader, who is superb in the main role of Red "Reddington", the manipulative resident baddie with a well-mannered, cultured demeanor but mysterious background.

Parading around in his trademark fedora and black trench coat, and enunciating his lines in clipped tones that more often than not are dripping with sarcasm, one simply cannot keep one's eyes off him on screen! James Spader makes egoistical and scheming Red's almost Hannibal-Clarisse-like relationship with FBI agent rookie profiler Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone) seem creepy but believable.

Secondly, the show is full of characters that have intriguing backgrounds and nefarious motives. In Season 1, every episode was based on a target with an over-the-top codename like "The Stewmaker" or "The Pavlovich Brothers". Each target on Red's list provided clues to the intricate web that he had been weaving, and continues to weave.

There were more twists and kinks than one could count, making the series such a watchable guilty-pleasure. Red Dot Diva got seriously hooked to it after the first couple of episodes of Season 1!

Cinemax Asia: Relish the First Cut and Watch New Medical Series "The Knick"

When a TV watching fan's taste for hospital dramas is less soap-operish and more gory, then Red Dot Diva recommends Cinemax's new retro medical 10-episode miniseries "The Knick"!

The show premiered on 9 August (YAY! National Day, yo!) on HBO Asia's network in the following eight territories, including the Red Dot Island - Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand, with subtitles available in a few specific countries - Hong Kong (Chinese), Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia), Malaysia (Bahasa Malaysia), Taiwan (Chinese) and Thailand (Thai).

HBO Asia Set to Scare Viewers with Original Mini-Series "Grace" this Halloween!

At Halloween this year, tune in and get spooky with HBO Asia!

The cable channel has just announced the October 17, 2014 premiere date for new horror mini-series "Grace", a four-part story fully conceptualized and developed by HBO Asia. This is the company's first original mini-series.

"Grace" is set in current day urban Asia and is about an unspeakable horror faced by a family due to a father's mistake. Ooooohhh... Red Dot Diva wonders what horrible boo-boos did Daddy commit. According to HBO Asia, "the Asian views concerning family, sacrifice and vengeance" will be examined in the mini-series.

AXN Asia's Very Special "Sherlock" Screening Marathon on 23 February!

For the last few years, the latest and most comtemporary incarnation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's book character Sherlock Holmes has taken pop-culture audiences around the world by storm.

The BBC TV series created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and simply entitled "Sherlock", stars Brit fan favourites Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

Red Dot Diva has to be confess: she is not a big fan of the series. Being a hardcore ACD book nerd, she has her own personal reasons for not enjoying the new "Sherlock" as much as she thinks she should. But, there is one thing she cannot fault about the series - the solid acting of Cumberbatch and Freeman (and many of the other supporting/ guest actors).... And the silver foxiness of Inspector Lestrade/ Rupert Graves .... *bites quivering lower lip*

A Hot Inspectory Silver Fox

STGCC 2012: Asian Comic Artists Get The Spotlight!

It is about time that talented local and regional comic artists given their chance to shine.

Did anyone notice that with each bout of STGCC guest announcement, there has been an indication that the spotlight will be on Asian artists this year? There also seems to be a stronger, more united support from the Asian artists involved with this year's event, and Red Dot Diva thinks it is wonderful to see this happening.

Sure, well-known creators from USA and UK, like Marvel artist Mark Brooks, creator of the Tokidoki brand Simone Legno, toy designer/ street artist Tristan Eaton, UK-based comic artist Andie Tong and the recently announced addition, prominent writer Andy Diggle, will all be attending STGCC 2012. But it is even more exciting to see the number of Asian artists getting ready to flock to Red Dot Island on the weekend of 1-2 September, armed with printed sketchbooks, an enviable resume and a ready fanbase.

HBO Asia's "Game Of Thrones" Premiere - Diva Seized The Iron Throne

So........ Red Dot Diva just had to ask....

Dear Asian fans who have been waiting this long for the premiere of HBO series "Game of Thrones", was it as good for you on Sunday night as it was for Red Dot Diva?

Prior to the actual telecast 28th August, Sunday night on the HBO Asia channel, a bunch of local geek/ pop-culture bloggers (including Red Dot Diva) was specially invited to a "Game of Thrones" media preview by the very lovely ladies of the HBO publicity team.

The event was held on 18th August at the very swanky ION SKY, an indoor observatory on Level 55 / 56 of Ion Orchard, with a breath-taking 360-degree view of the Orchard Road area and beyond.

"Game Of Thrones" - HBO Asia's Epic Fantasy Series Not To Be Missed!

Lovers of medieval-like fantasy epics would not want to miss this wonderfully produced series on HBO called "Game of Thrones".

The show is based on esteemed writer George R.R. Martin's book series about seven houses vying for the Iron Throne, with the first season of the series following his first book "A Song On Ice and Fire" .

With seven kingdoms seated in different parts of the Westeros world, there is a whole bunch of colourful characters to love (or hate), and all kinds of politics thrown in the mix - including the sexual kind (which suits Red Dot Diva's pervy tastes just fine).

Not sure how pervy Red Dot Diva can get?? Read a Straits Times Life article about period dramas where she was quoted together with fellow fans, Here Be Geeks. (Page 1 here and Page 2)

Red Dot Diva says that there are proud and noble warriors, murderous spouses, witches, incestuous twins, a tomboy, over-protective mothers, creepy zombie-like creatures, regally beautiful direwolves and not to mention, a partying whoring dwarf of a prince.