Cartoons Underground 2025 Brings Two Screenings Of Dynamic Animation Shorts at *SCAPE's The Ground Theatre on 1 November 2025

If you have not noticed, the Red Dot Diva blog was in hiatus for most of this year. Red Dot Diva had to deal with her mom's declining health and dementia. Due to this, her mom had to be placed in a nursing home for better long time care. With the loss of the matriarch in the home, other family and personal matters had to be managed as well. However, Red Dot Diva is now ready to revive the blog in some limited capacity, and she is delighted to bring this piece of announcement about an event that adds so much colour to the local arts scene.

Cartoons Underground, South-East Asia’s top indie animation festival, is back this year despite a major setback regarding the loss of the favourite and longtime venue, The Projector cinema. After the unexpected news of The Projector's closure, Cartoons Underground 2025 was almost cancelled. Fortunately, with the last minute help of new venue partner *SCAPE, the festival is raring to go with a bigger than ever programme on 1 November 2025. For the first time, there will be two screenings held for the afternoon and evening programme, consisting of 2 1/2 hours screening of a selection of bold and creative indie animated shorts. Included in the programme are also live Q&As, and the event's iconic Golden Durian Awards, presided by judges Huang Junxiang, Khoo Siew May and Ning Xuan Tan.

“We were very close to not being able to stage the festival this year,” says Festival Co-founder Vicky Chen. “Thanks to *SCAPE, we can bring our community together once again—and on a bigger scale than ever before.”

As in past years, the event's screening will feature an eclectic mix of local and international animation shorts, which include four films by homegrown student filmmakers and 16 global entries that include award-winning entries screened at international film festivals like Annecy, SXSW and Cannes. Festival attendees might want to look out for these film highlights - Mountain Mountain by Singaporean students Grace Cheu and Ben Tan, a story about two young adults searching for “mountains in Singapore” on a Mount Faber cable car ride; S The Wolf by Egyptian filmmaker Sameh Alaa, whose previous work won the Palme d’Or at Cannes; and Pear Garden by Iranian animator Shadab Shayegan, a BAFTA-longlisted film exploring the bond between a granddaughter and her grandmother after breast cancer surgery.

LASALLE College of the Arts is also continues to support young filmmakers as Education Partner for the festival. Chris Shaw, Head of LASALLE’s Puttnam School of Film & Animation, says: “We are excited to partner Cartoons Underground once again this year. Collaborations like these that bring education, industry and community together are absolutely vital to develop a thriving animation scene. Singapore and the region have an incredible wealth of creative talent that deserves to be showcased on significant platforms like this. Festivals like Cartoons Underground are essential for our students. Having their work seen by the wider community and industry, not only motivates them with a sense of accomplishment, but also builds confidence and creates pathways onto the international stage.”

On 25 October 2025 (Saturday), a week before the festival, Cartoons Underground will be presenting a masterclass and panel entitled Animating Tomorrow at LASALLE College of the Arts. This session will feature indie and industry professionals Paul Fu (Ubisoft Singapore), Ervin Han (Robot Playground Media), Vann Law (Rouge Collective), Race Krehel (Metamo Industries), and Exyl (Independent Filmmaker & Programmer), who will share about their individual journeys in the art of animation and help participants explore how they can keep their animation fresh and future-ready.


Check out the details of this industry event below. Do hurry, as there are only a few tickets left!

Animating Tomorrow – Industry Meet-Up
Date: 25th October 2025 (Saturday)
Venue: LASALLE College of the Arts, 1 McNally Street Blk F, Lvl 2, Room F208 Singapore, 187940
Time: 2PM – 530PM
Tickets: Free, but please sign up at https://tinyurl.com/AniTmr-panel

*SCAPE will be transformed into an animation playground for the upcoming festival. Expect to experience an interactive virtual street-art gallery inspired by Kampong Glam (created with Metamo Industries), enjoy scrumptious food from Kult Yard and Lavi Tacos, and check out creative booths that bring Southeast Asia’s animation community to life.

For a taste of what will be in store on 1 November, here's a trailer of the brilliant animation films that you would be able to catch at the screenings:

Having attended a few iterations of Cartoons Underground, Red Dot Diva recommends those who want to support local creative endeavour or wish to do something different to come for the screenings. You will be wowed by the amazing filmmakers that we have nurtured here. Who says Red Dot Island is boring???


Cartoons Underground 14th Edition
Date: 1st November 2025 (Saturday)
Venue: *SCAPE, The Ground Theatre, 2 Orchard Link #04-05 Singapore, 237978
Time: 4PM – 11PM
Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/cartoons2025
Festival Pass (Programme A + B):SGD 35
Programme A Only (4PM):SGD 15
Programme B Only Q&A + Awards Ceremony (7PM):SGD 25
Festival Pass (Programme A+B) (Student):SGD 25
10% Off Group Buy: SGD 157.50
Website: www.cartoonsunderground.com


------------------------------

If you enjoy Red Dot Diva's content, feel free to help her efforts going by showing your support through ko-fi. Thank you!

Cartoons Underground 2024: Interview With The Creators Of Animation Short Film "I Think I'm Going To Die"

Southeast Asia's largest independent animation festival Cartoons Underground 2024 will be having a one-night only animation short film screening on 19 October 2024 at The Projector @ Cineleisure. The screening will feature a total of 14 specially selected films.

One of these films in the Singapore Student Competition segment is a stop-motion animation and mixed media feature entitled “I Think I'm Going to Die” by Ning Xuan Tan, Audrey Yong and Meghan Poh. The trio are recent graduates from Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design, and Media, and “I Think I'm Going to Die” was their final year project. The film is about a young girl who discovered that she had a mysterious condition, and in a panicked state, scurried around looking for a diagnosis.

From left to right: Ning Xuan Tan, Audrey Yong and Meghan Poh

Director Ning Xuan Tan is a writer, editor and illustrator and loves telling stories that create compelling emotional connections. Her first film “Paper Offerings,” co-directed with Vanessa Ng and Winona Mazo, has been selected for a number of film festivals and was won first place at the 100-Second International Film Festival in Tehran.

The Art Director of the short film is Meghan Poh, a designer, illustrator, and animator, who enjoys experimenting in different ways of telling visual stories. Rounding up the core team is Head of fabrication, lights and rigging Audrey Yong, the stop-motion expert who also has a specialisation in 2D drawn animation and compositing.

Red Dot Diva had the pleasure of interviewing the team, and asked them about their process while creating “I Think I'm Going to Die”. They also shared with her what their aspirations are in the near future!

Red Dot Diva: Congrats for getting selected for Cartoons Underground! What made you decide on the theme of your short film?
Ning Xuan: Animation is a vehicle for spreading awareness and bringing experiences to others, so I really wanted to do a social issue which many could relate to. It was also exceedingly important to me that I was very familiar with the topic. So the theme of women’s health, followed by a bit of cyberchondria just seemed to be a good theme to talk about. I think in our world today, it’s just so easy for us to google search our illnesses. And then we’d have to try to figure out whether or not we’re actually dying, or is it just a part of being a woman.

Audrey: Animation is also the best medium for trying to visualise and communicate issues to a larger group of people who would never in their life experience the same problems. It’s very “If you know, you know” when it comes to women’s issues, so we wanted to make something that would instantly connect with other girls.

Red Dot Diva: Stop-motion animation is such a back breaking art, with so many bits and pieces involved in its process. How do you get things organised so that you can be creative and yet meet your deadlines?
Ning Xuan: We had clear roles, but we ended up being quite chaotic. What we wanted to do was to complete our film (from making a set, to animation to compositing it into a video) in sections, based on the mediums. And each person would have a job in that medium, like rigging the puppet, building the set, animating, post-production etc. So we’d set deadlines for ourselves, creating a pipeline and hoping to be done with a medium and then moving on to the next medium.

But we were slow because we had to keep experimenting and working things out. Our pipeline of work would fail because of this, and we’d jump over to help each other which slowed us down more. We’d end up juggling multiple jobs. I think there were times when I didn’t have a rest day at all for weeks because we couldn’t meet our deadlines.

Still it really helped that our film had so many things to do, I’d find myself editing, making paper flowers, colouring with crayons, felting, and then sculpting a plunger. So creatively, I was never completely burnt out since there was always something new and exciting to do. In that aspect, it meant that I was always quite productive. And once things were going, it was easier to be inspired and motivated to finish the scene. I would always feel incredibly happy after we complete a shot, because just seeing all our hard work put together, even if it’s just a few seconds, makes it all worth it.

Audrey: It’s organised chaos for a film at this scale – we always plan things to go one way but end up realising that it’s not realistic while we’re in the midst of it. Our flexibility with our planning both helped and hindered us, but I think it was the reason we got it all done in the end. The key was to make sure we were all doing something at any given point in time – if I’m still fixing Lily’s puppet for one scene, I’d ask Ning Xuan to help me get the set for the next scene ready in the meantime, while Meghan animates the shots in a different scene that doesn’t require the puppet I’m currently fixing. As long as we were optimising for simultaneous work, we were somewhat on the right track.

Red Dot Diva: It's interesting to note that the film involves different animation mediums and styles. What is it about the story that fits this choice of direction?
Ning Xuan: I wrote this story knowing that I wanted a stop motion animation film that could let me experiment as much as possible. With this in mind. I thought of creating a story of a girl that could travel through different worlds searching for a diagnosis. So this gives us an opportunity to reasonably use different mediums and styles throughout the film. Our professor, Bernhard, would also always tell us, “why use stop motion? Why not 2d or 3d animation?” He would try to get us to think about why we are using a certain medium for each part of the story. So the entire story was really carefully considered with each medium.

Meghan: The core of the story is really about transformation, Lily (the main character) is changing physically and psychologically, and the way the world sees her is changing as well... it’s fitting that the film’s art direction is all about shifting from medium to medium!

The medium changes are also done very deliberately—there’s one transition from sand to paper that blends the two materials together and even uses a special puppet only present in that transition—and this all underscores the journey that she is on. I really enjoy when films use visual techniques usually reserved for epic drama to illustrate the emotional impact of seemingly mundane experiences. Lily is facing something completely unfamiliar to her, her world is turning on its head, and animation is such an imaginative medium to pull the audience along for the ride.

Red Dot Diva: What were the best and worst parts of making this film?
Ning Xuan: I think the best part is being surprised by how good a medium looks as a final product. There were a lot of times we were just going in blind not knowing what we’re doing half the time, just trying our best. My team would always say we just have “5 bucks and a dream.” And then we’d be in complete shock when we light it all up, set up our camera and things actually look amazing.

The worst part for me was the uncertainty of the whole film. Sometimes, it just felt as if our hard work amounted to nothing. Because we were working so hard, experimenting and yet we wouldn’t have a lot shot on camera. The thing about stop motion is that more time can be spent making and preparing things, and if we don’t do this well it’s super hard for the animator to animate. So we were always slow in our cohort because we didn’t have just as much filmed and shot as they did. But I’ve come to accept that stop motion is all about problem solving disasters. And while we were slow we completed things at a good pace and even managed to finish the film early.

Meghan: The best part is that I came out the other end still loving the process of animation, thanks to a wonderful team. I don’t think most people get to see how tedious, lonely, and borderline painful animation can be—spend hours and hours in a dark little room pushing grains of sand around in very specific ways and you start to lose your mind a bit. The worst part is that I’m not sure when I will have the time and resources to make something at this scale again...

Audrey: The worst parts for me were all the unprecedented problems we encountered. There’s a lot of unknown when it comes to stop motion because it’s a lot harder to execute than any other kind of animation - our built assets need to last, our rigs need to function the way our animators need it to, etc. At some point I was literally fighting science because the type of silicone rubber I had just happened to be the kind that didn’t cure when in contact with resin. Things like these are impossible to account for without experience, so it really felt like we were wandering around a dark room with no flashlight in those moments. The best part was probably the entire process of making something in stop motion. I’m now more convinced than ever that this is something I wholeheartedly love and enjoy.

Red Dot Diva: What is your favourite stop-motion animation movie?
Ning Xuan: A classic for me would be Coraline, I watched this so many times when I was a kid I could recite the script. I just love how uncanny it looks. But currently? I have to say Pui Pui Molcar. There’s just something about both films that really shows that every scene was handmade with love.

Meghan: It was an experimental stop-motion short that made me decide to major in animation: Furniture Poetry by Paul Bush. I didn’t know that animation didn’t always have to be representational or narrative-driven.

Audrey: The one that stuck with me the most from my childhood was The Boxtrolls. But I’ve also been really loving Pokemon Concierge.

Red Dot Diva: After the premiere at Cartoons Underground, what are your key aspirations regarding the art of animation film-making?
Ning Xuan: We’ve been trying to work out something as a team again to make another stop motion film for fun. I just love stop motion so much it would be a shame if I can’t do this again, I will just be open to opportunities in the future.

Meghan: I want to make a film again, whether it’s with this team or on my own or in some other way. It’s a really rare, precious opportunity to make a movie that isn’t business and doesn’t have to bend to the world, one that I’m not sure will come by again.

Audrey: Future stop motion projects aside, I’m interested to see how far we can carry the stop motion medium with us. I feel like it's so rare to see stop motion outside of a film format. It would be really cool if we had the opportunity to work on a stop motion game or visual novel.

Red Dot Diva finds it super exciting to see how energetic and imaginative our local animation and film students can be, and you will be even more impressed by their work when you watch their short films at Cartoons Underground 2024 next weekend. Go grab those festival tickets now!


CARTOONS UNDERGROUND FILM SHOWCASE
Date: 19 October 2024 (Saturday)
Times: 7 PM
Duration: 1 hr 36 min
Venue: The Projector @ Cineleisure - https://theprojector.sg/films-and-events/cartoons-underground-2024
Admission: Standard tickets at $20 each. VIP Ticket at $40, includes exclusive Cartoons Underground 2024 Merchandise

----------------------------


If you enjoy my content, feel free to help keep the blog and other Red Dot Diva efforts going via ko-fi. Thank you for your support!

Cartoons Underground 2024 - Watch 14 Stunning Animation Short Film Showcase at The Projector @ Cineleisure (19 Oct 2024)

Craving to feast on animation films other than those blockbuster aesthetics produced by Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and the like? Then, it's time for you to head to Cartoons Underground 2024, Southeast Asia's largest independent animation festival.

The 13th iteration of the animation event will showcase a lineup of 14 specially curated shorts from Italy, the US, China and of course, Singapore, on 19 Oct 2024, 7 PM at The Projector @ Cineleisure. These films - which feature different styles of animation like 2D, 3D and stop-motion animation - were selected from 1,500 submissions from over 90 countries. Expect to watch stunning animation films with topics that range from sex positivity, mental health, friendship, horror and the classic good versus evil.

Premiering at the festival is “She and Her Good Vibrations” by Olivia Griselda and Sarah Cheok, a bold story a woman's sexual discovery. This film was developed in Cartoon Underground's Story Development Lab back in 2021. Other notable films include Dahee Jeong’s “Society of Clothes,” where everyone exists only as clothes; Greg McLeod’s comical, philosophical take about filmmaking entitled “Mee and Burd,” and Animation Youtube titan, Patrick Smith’s “Broken,” which tells the tale in his signature style about the eternal battle between good and evil.

Since the roots of Cartoons Underground originate locally, the event also highlights the wonderful work of Singaporean student filmmakers and artists of Asian heritage with 2 International Programmes and 1 Singapore Student Programme. In the Singapore Student category, NTU Art, Design and Media (ADM) makes a strong showing this year. Four out of the five films presented are from the school, and include “Neh Neh Pok” which tackles body positivity, and the dialogue-less and emotional drama “The Seamstress' Secret,” as well as Ning Xuan Tan's “I Think I'm Going to Die,” a striking film about a girl's odd affliction that uses diverse animation techniques.

For the full list of the 14 animation films featured, check out the programme list at www.cartoonsunderground.com. Here's the trailer so you can take a peek of the selected films:

For those who want deeper insights to the art of animation, Cartoons Underground will be hosting a special event called Behind the Screams: Masterclass on Singapore Horror Adult Animation, which will take place on 17 October 2024 from 6PM to 9 PM. The horror-themed masterclass (perfect for the Halloween season!) will feature two upcoming horror-themed animated TV Shows: “Zombie Safari” by Finding Pictures Studios, and “A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts” by Robot Media Playground! You will get to learn about TV animation production, and engage with the speakers Ervin Han (Robot Media Playground), Mark Wee (Finding Pictures Studios) and Jerrold Cheah (Finding Pictures Studios) at the Q&A.

Cartoons Underground is a fantastic way to appreciate the vast range of animation talent out there, especially those based here locally. Red Dot Diva attended the film showing for the first time last year, and it was an eye-opener. It is amazing that amidst layoffs and closures of large animation studios like Lucasfilm, there is still a strong presence and animation talent burgeoning on our island and in the region. So, if you want to try something different, go get a ticket at this very unique one-night-only premiere.


CARTOONS UNDERGROUND FILM SHOWCASE
Date: 19 October 2024 (Saturday)
Times: 7 PM
Duration: 1 hr 36 min
Venue: The Projector @ Cineleisure - https://theprojector.sg/films-and-events/cartoons-underground-2024
Admission: Standard tickets at $20 each. VIP Ticket at $40, includes exclusive Cartoons Underground 2024 Merchandise

----------------------------


If you enjoy my content, feel free to help keep the blog and other Red Dot Diva efforts going via ko-fi. Thank you for your support!

Top Gun: Maverick – A Light, Water & Pyrotechnic Extravaganza At Marina Bay Sands - What A Blast!

After 36 years, the long awaited sequel TOP GUN: MAVERICK starring Tom Cruise, is now showing at theatres all over the world. The follow-up movie is set 30 years after the original action blockbuster film TOP GUN, and sees the return of Tom Cruise' character Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Val Kilmer as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.

In tune with the TOP GUN movies stories about US Navy fighter pilots, TOP GUN: MAVERICK had a world premiere on board the aircraft carrier USS Midway, where Tom Cruise made a heckuva entrance by flying and landing a helicopter on the ship deck. To add on to the spectacle, there were also jet flyovers and the presence of uniformed servicemen accompanying the cast members on the red carpet.

Red Dot Island has seen her share of flashy red carpet premieres in recent years before the pandemic struck. Ever since a series of lockdowns and limited social restrictions in 2019, big scale events such as these have yet to return to our shores. In a way, Red Dot Diva misses these grand affairs, even though the messy and sweaty hours of standing in the public fans' area does suck the energy of from her for a couple of days or so. She has also suffered a few minor bruises and scrapes from being right in the fray of things. Still, the possibility of getting close to your favourite celebrity was real, and if you managed to get that rare selfie with the actor, well... then you are probably set for your entire geek life.

Hopefully, movie premieres will return in a big way in Red Dot Island again soon. Meanwhile, less flashy movie premieres at cinemas are still held by the local distributors. UIP Singapore's premiere event for TOP GUN: MAVERICK held at Shaw Theatres Lido saw some well-known celebrities in attendance, as well as a few US Navy aviators based here.

DC's Stargirl Season 2 Debuts on Warner TV Asia on 11 August 2021, 9 PM

Season 2 of DC'S STARGIRL will premiere on the same day as the U.S. today (11 August) at 9 PM local time. Fans can watch the episodes on Warner TV (Starhub channel 515 and Singtel channel 306) on Wednesdays at the same time.

Created by Geoff Johns (Titans, Wonder Woman, Batwoman), DC'S STARGIRL is a bright spark amongst the sea of superhero TV shows. These days, there is a trend toward apocalyptic and violent story-telling that favour dark or snarky characters and arcs. Such shows include Gotham, Doom Patrol and Titans, that belong to the same media network, as well as Amazon's The Boys. STARGIRL's innate optimism and sincerity is what made Red Dot Diva adore the series' first season so much. It was also fun to watch. Even though the series was skewed to the younger audience, Gen X-er Red Dot Diva still enjoyed the upbeat drama set in a quaint American small town. And there's even a giant robot!

Sacred Guardian Singa's Debuts Opening Theme Song by Tujuhband on 8 August

SACRED GUARDIAN SINGA, our home-grown Red Dot Island original tokusatsu franchise, is raring to debut their opening theme song and music video today (8 August) on their Facebook Page! The song, a re-recording of a 2013 hit Malay language song Suara Kita, is by local rock band Tujuhband. Lyrics for the opening verse and part of the chorus have been rewritten in English.

The hard-working and passionate team at Tokuasia has been making slow but progressive steps in the last one and a half years despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to on-going health and safety restrictions, filming teasers and more footage for the planned live action series had to be put on hold. But that did not stop the creators from thinking of different ways to keep the SACRED GUARDIANS SINGA spirit alive.

Gossip Girl Reboot Premieres in Asia on HBO GO, 8 July 2021

Nostalgia seems to be a popular currency these days, with reboots or shows that evoke memories of years past. Such examples include Roswell, Charmed, Cobra Kai, and the Friends Reunion. The latest toss into the pot is GOSSIP GIRL, the 2007 CW teen drama that ran for 6 seasons.

The original GOSSIP GIRL boasted of a cast of gorgeous actors, and the series helped boost the careers of many of them. Lead actor Blake Lively went on the star in movies like The Age of Adaline, The Shallows and A Simple Favour. She is currently married to A-lister and Deadpool himself, Ryan Reynolds. Co-star Leighton Meester married Adam Brody and besides acting, she carved a career as a musician, Broadway actor and social media influencer.

Zack Snyder's Justice League To Premiere 18 March 2021 on HBO GO (Asia)

Mention the name Zack Snyder and you will find mostly fans from both ends of the spectrums - those who are in rapturous worship of his works or those who bristle with snarky derision. He's the ultimate controversial hot button for any geek conversation concerning DC superhero movies.

Zack Snyder was working on the movie JUSTICE LEAGUE since 2016. Before he had the change to edit and finalise the film, Snyder left the production in 2017. His daughter had died by suicide, and he wanted to spend time with his family. Joss Whedon, well known for being the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the first two Avengers' movies, took over. The movie version released in the same year was a weird combination of Snyder's original take and Whedon's more colourful style. Not surprisingly, with an uneven tone given to the characters and the script, the movie did not turn out to be the box office hit that Warner Bros. had hoped.

Ardent fans of Snyder began calling for an original cut of JUSTICE LEAGUE, insisting that such a version exists. They flooded social media with the hashtag #releasetheSyndercut soon after the movie's release and continued promoting the grassroots campaign for years. Finally, on the date of JUSTICE LEAGUE'S 2nd anniversary, the fans efforts gained more traction when actors like Gal Gadot and Ben Afflect added their voices to the chorus. Synder also began posting more stills from the alternate cut.

The studio finally gave in despite pundits estimating that it would cost gazillions to produce this version. In May 2020, WarnerMedia announced that the infamous “Snyder Cut” will premiere on HBO's streaming services in the following year. The extended version of the movie would be about 4 hours long.

Pennyworth Season 2 Premieres on Warner TV Asia on 14 December

Season 2 of the series PENNYWORTH will be back on Warner TV Asia on 14 December, with the first episode premiering at 9 PM Singapore time. This time, there is hardly a delay as Warner TV Asia decides to air the new season on the same day as the U.S. telecast. There will be 10 episodes in this season.

The series is an alternate universe about ex British SAS soldier Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon) set in a more violent version of 60's London. In the show, Alfred, or Alfie as he is affectionately known, is not yet the famous DC comics butler of the Wayne household whom we are familiar with. When we meet him in Season 1, he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub and then started a security company, together with his SAS pals, “Bazza” (Hainsley Lloyd Bennett) and “Daveboy” (Ryan Fletcher), of which, their contract work includes working for Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge).

We Bare Bears: The Movie Premieres on Cartoon Network and Warner Media Channels on 12 September 2020

Life is going to get better again on 12 September (Saturday) at 11 AM when WE BARE BEARS: THE MOVIE premieres simultaneously on Cartoon Network (Starhub TV 316, Singtel TV 226) and other WarnerMedia channels like Boomerang, HBO, HBO Family, Warner TV, Korean entertainment channel Oh!K, as well as streaming service HBO GO.

As most of us are still in some form of lockdown or social distancing measures during this coronavirus pandemic, a beary big dose of pawsitivity is exactly what we need! Fans of WE BARE BEARS will have a chance to give a proper farewell to Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear, as the 70-minute TV movie wraps up the beloved Cartoon Network animated series after four memorable seasons.

Makoto Shinkai's Latest Movie "Weathering With You" Premieres in Singapore on 6 September 2019

After the astounding international success of the body-swapping, time travel love story “Your Name” in 2016, fans of Makoto Shinkai have been looking forward to enjoy more imaginative tales and dreamy landscapes in his signature style.

“Weathering With You” is Makoto Shinkai's latest animation masterpiece. In the long awaited movie, the city of near-future Tokyo is facing an unusual deluge of rainstorms. Hokada, an underaged runaway tries to look for a job and ends up as an intern in a publication that investigates strange phenomena, one of which is a story about "sunshine girls". He meets and befriends one of them, Hina, who is able bring on clear skies through prayer. Both of them decide to use and monetise her superpowers... but surely, there is a price to pay for that?

When the movie was released in Japan earlier this year, it raked in takings of over USD100 million (10.7 billion yen) at the domestic box office, officially making it the biggest Japanese film domestically since “Your Name”. It has also been chosen as Japan’s entry for the best international feature film category at the 2020 Oscars.

“Weathering With You” has since been released in Hong Kong and Indonesia, and has topped box offices in the opening week in both countries.

Singapore audiences need not wait too long to experience another of Makoto Shinkai's enigmatic tale of young love unfolding in stunning, photorealistic backdrops. The Singapore premiere of “Weathering With You” (organised by film distributor Encore Films), will be held at Capitol Theatre this Friday, 6 September.

Hardcore fans can be one of the first to watch “Weathering With You” at this special event on 6 September, before the official theatrical release on 12 September 2019. All they need to do is buy the tickets at this link. At the cost of SGD 55 per ticket, fans will also be able to redeem exclusive movie premiums, like the transparent umbrella and notebook as seen in movie, an A2 movie poster and invite card. Seats are filling up fast, so get your tickets pronto!

Here's the trailer for “Weathering With You”:

Blessed Be the Fight! Season 3 of The Handmaid's Tale Premieres 6 June, on HBO Go

“The Handmaid's Tale” is an Emmy award-winning series that depicts a disturbing dystopian scenario during the rule of Gilead, a totalitarian state that has taken over what was once the United States of America.

In this era, when the environment is heavily polluted and birthrate is falling, women are treated as state property. Men make all the rules, and hold most of the power. The women have almost no rights. It is even considered heresy for them to read. Inevitably, following this imbalance, where competition is intense and there is little room to breathe, women tend to do cruel things to each other. In an effort to repopulate the earth again, the few women who are found to be fertile are forced into sexual servitude under a banner of religion, and are called Handmaids. 




The TV series created by Bruce Miller, is based on the best-selling book written by Margaret Atwood. Even though the book was published 34 years ago, it now more relevant than ever, with what is currently happening in a fractured USA. As the the recent ruling against abortion in Alabama, Ohio and Missouri shows, “The Handmaid's Tale” is no longer a metaphor - it is fast becoming a reality.

Season 3 of “The Handmaid's Tale” ups the ante as the resistance grows against the regime of Gilead. Offred (Elisabeth Moss), who has sacrificed her chance to escape, returns to fight back, with all the allies that she can garner, and with whatever means that she can muster. It is time for each and everyone to take a stand.

Cast members Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenie, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley and Bradley Whitford reprise their roles in Season 3 together with Elisabeth Moss, who plays Offred with such astonishing defiance and ferocity.

Red Dot Diva admits that it can be difficult to watch the ugly scenes that unfold during some of the episodes in “The Handmaid's Tale”. However, these are very same scenes that speak to her regarding her existence as a woman, and reminds her not to take the rights that she now have for granted. It is also a cry to continually make a stand for more freedom to be accorded to women, and for more barriers to be broken.

On 6 June, 3 episodes of “The Handmaid's Tale” will premiere in Asia, exclusively on HBO GO. A new episode of the 13-episode third season will premiere every subsequent Thursday. Red Dot Diva highly recommends that you watch the past two seasons before beginning with Season 3. All the episodes of Season 1 and 2 are available on the streaming platform for your binging needs.

For those who prefer a non-streaming platform, the series is also available on HBO On Demand.

 

Black Mirror Teases Return of Season 5 on Netflix , 5 June 2019

Emmy Award-winning science fiction anthology “Black Mirror” has released a teaser for its 5th season, which will premiere 5 June, exclusively on Netflix.

The inventive show, created by Charlie Brooker, consists of dark tales that unfold in a familiar, yet dystopian, technology-driven world set in the near future. It is this familiarity, the reflection of our basic human flaws, and the plausible scenarios depicted that provide viewers with an uncomfortable sense of paranoia.

Killer robotic dogs? With Boston Dynamics showing off the technological advances with their  animal-like bots... Yep! Totally possible. Dating apps that dictating your life, including how long you need to live with someone? Not too far away from reality. Same for people who are crazy... literally, off rocker insane, about raking Likes and approval on social media. With each episode, “Black Mirror” episode, the series takes you on a mostly satirical journey together with androids, augmented consciousness programs, neural implants and more.

In the upcoming season, there will be 3 new, mind-bending stories that star Anthony Mackie, Miley Cyrus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topher Grace, Damson Idris, Andrew Scott, Nicole Beharie, Pom Klementieff, Angourie Rice, Madison Davenport and Ludi Lin.

Check out the new trailer:



If this is the first time you have heard of “Black Mirror”, there are already four season out in the wild, plus an interactive instalment called “Bandersnatch”. There is still some time to catch up all of them before the series take us all around the bend again!

----------------------

Official website: netflix.com/blackmirror

Cinemax's Martial Arts Series "Warrior" Based on Bruce Lee's Writings, Premieres on 6 April 2019

Rich Ting as Bolo,  Jason Tobin as Young Jun
Pic credit: HBO/ David Bloomer

Wuxia fans will now have a new martial arts action drama to indulge in. On April 6, CINEMAX will premiere “Warrior”, their first tentpole 10-episode series which is based on the writings of the one and only martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Back in the 1970's, Bruce Lee tried to get his 8-page pitch called “The Warrior” to be produced, but at that time, the Hollywood studios were not confident that audiences would accept an Asian lead actor as the hero. Things have changed a lot in recent years, with more Asian actors leading Hollywood movies and TV shows, and gaining prominence for their work. With such a pedigree behind it, “Warrior” should prove to be a worthy a fix for those who love to watch martial arts shows.

How did the back story of how Bruce Lee's script finally came to fruition? This amazing journey from idea to TV series is now chronicled in Cinemax's 8-part docu-series, “Becoming Warrior”, and all 8 episodes are now currently available on Cinemax's Youtube Channel!

HBO Asia's "Grisse" - Feisty Gun-slinging Western set in the Rojakness of South-East Asia

As a child from a primarily English-speaking home, Red Dot Diva has always fantasized of being able to watch South-East Asian tales on TV or in the movies which were spoken in English. Local TV dramas and sitcoms in the 1990's helped to bring Red Dot Island stories to the forefront, but international exposure was very limited.

It has been a long time coming, but in recent years, HBO Asia has been passionate about showcasing stories from this region to the world, and Red Dot Diva is always delighted to see and support the shows that they invest in.

Tonight, 4 November (Sunday), "Grisse", another new English language original series by the cable channel will be premiering at 9 PM. Set in 1800’s Indonesia, during the time when the Dutch East Indies were busy colonizing this region, the period drama has a unique look - a South-Asian story with an Old Western aesthetic, complete with all that dirt, dust, feisty heroines, and gun battles. The series is created by Mike Wiluan, and has eight 1-hour long episodes.

Step into the town of Grisse, and you will be greeted by people from different creeds and agendas. The Indonesian rebels have taken a stand in the gritty town, leading the way to eradicate colonialism and tyranny. Occasionally fighting alongside them are the factions consisting of the Chinese, and the "Half-breeds".

DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 4 Premieres on Warner TV Asia, 23 October

The 4th season of "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" premieres on Warner TV Asia today (Tuesday), 23 October at 9 PM, a same day telecast as the U.S.

In this new season, powerful mage John Constantine (Matt Ryan) comes on board the Waverider to join "the legends" in their time travelling adventures. For those who have been watching the series, Constantine had warned the team about how defeating Mallus in the last season, has caused a new set of problems. Basically, the barriers between worlds have weakened, and the world is now plagued with magical creatures from myths, fairytales and legends called the Fugitives.

So, it's all up to the ragtag team of superheroes, consisting of feisty Sara (Caity Lotz), nerdy inventor Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), gruff ex-con Mick Rory (Dominic Purcell), totem-bearer Zari (Thanks ala Ashe), and heartbroken historian Nate (Nick Zano) to save the universes in their own zany and inimitable ways, as they groove their way to Woodstock 1969 in the season opener entitled "The Virgin Gary", and make various stops in other historical eras, like the Salem Witch trials and 1970's London. Get prepared for unicorns in the mix too!

Game of Thrones Season 7 Arrives on HBO Asia 17 July 2017, 9 AM

Winter is Coming. And so is War!

After that shocking "Game of Thrones" S6 season finale where a whole bunch of people went Kaboom!, the cruel and scheming Cersei ended up being crowned as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. From then on, things are just going to get more intense.

The convergence of the different houses in Season 7 will unfold in just seven episodes as the different players focus on King's Landing. This is ominously depicted in the first official teaser made entirely of sigils belonging to the main Houses at play - the Lannisters, the Targaryens, the Starks, the Baratheons and the Tyrells, plus one more powerful game changer - the White Walkers.

Will the Great Wall hold? Or will it all come tumbling down?

The Synths are Back! Humans Season 2 Returns on AMC Asia, 14 February 2017

Before HBO's "Westworld" took TV and scifi audiences by storm, there was a brilliant series by UK's Channel 4 and AMC called "Humans" about sentient androids hiding in the plain sight from human beings.

The first season which starred a wonderful ensemble cast including William Hurt as Dr George Millican, one of premiere robotics engineers of the first working synthetics (or "synths" for short), Colin Morgan, Gemma Chan, Emily Berrington, Katherine Parkinson, Ivanno Jeremiah and more.

The follow-up season of "Humans" returns on AMC Asia, Singtel (Channel 322), 14 February 2017 at 10 PM.

Captain America: Civil War - Battle Of The Light Displays Begins at Marina Bay, 22 April 2016

These are the final hours!

Soon the "Captain America: Civil War" South-East Asia Blue Carpet Premiere will be held at the Skating Rink located at the Marina Bay Sands.

Many of you will be heading there early to "chope" your spots at the outer barricade. Yes, outer. Because there's an inner one within the rink where those lucky ones with the access passes are allowed entry.

Do feel free to share your Blue Carpet Premiere photos by tagging Red Dot Diva on Twitter, and she will be happy to retweet them to the world!

The #TeamCap party won't end after the Blue Carpet Premiere is over though!

Come back to the bay the next day, 22 April, Friday as the cast members of #TeamCap - Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan and Joe Russo - join their superhero powers to take over Marina Bay Sands, the Helix Bridge as well as the Singapore Flyer for a very epic lightup and fireworks display!

The colourful light fest will be a challenge against #TeamIronMan who will be standing ready to light up the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Be at the Helix Bridge or the Olympic Youth Park by 8PM to watch the showdown. Don't worry, it's free for the public to attend!

Remember to have lots of fun showing off your love for these Marvel superheroes this weekend. The event is going to be crowded and wild so Red Dot Diva reminds everyone again
-- Be Kind to Each Other!

STGCC's Captain America Festival at Marina Bay Sands - Where Team Money Wins!

Seeeeeeeeeee??

What did Red Dot Diva tell you? It's always a win to join #TeamRichGuys, coz when you do, you'll get the flow of monie$$. And with that, you can pay for the best option(s) to meet #TeamCap at Marina Bay Sands this coming Thursday, 21 April 2016!

The team behind STGCC, in partnership with Disney and Singapore Tourism Board, has organized a host of activities for fans called the "Marvel's Captain America: Civil War Festival", that includes the South-East Asia Blue Carpet Premiere for the "Captain America: Civil War" movie. The 4-day long festival held from 21 to 24 April 2016 at the Marina Bay Sands' Event Plaza at the Promenade, also offers three festival packages. Two of these give fans the chance to meet the #TeamCap cast members who will be attending the premiere.

The most expensive option, called the "MBS Superheroes Universal Pack" costs a whopping SGD 1,288. WHAM! POW!!! Piggy Bank Broken.