SINGAPORE – Indie film buffs can look forward to a collaboration between a century-old private members’ club and a bookstore to screen art-house films monthly from January 2026.
The organisers are optimistic so far that they can fill some of the space left by the
closure of indie cinema operator The Projector,
with all 50 tickets for the inaugural screening – sold at $15 each – snapped up within three days of their launch on Dec 13.
French movie Anatomy of a Fall will be screened on Jan 9 at the Ee Hoe Hean Club’s Bukit Pasoh premises in its multi-purpose hall. Given the warm response, the organisers said they may expand future screenings to accommodate 60 to 70 people.
Mr Odie Wu, who founded
TBC Bookstore
in New Bridge Road in 2024, initiated the tie-up with the aim of preserving a communal space for art-house films. He approached Ee Hoe Hean Club, which agreed to offer its historic premises for free.
They are working with Anticipate Pictures, a key distributor and primary content provider for The Projector.
Each screening will be followed by a moderated discussion, which may be led by a cultural scholar, film critic or practitioner, said Mr Wu.
“We hope this is not merely about watching films, but about a real cultural experience – where people sit and watch, stay and speak, and leave with something that matters,” he said.
A spokesperson from Ee Hoe Hean Club said besides supporting young cultural practitioners, the collaboration is intended to spark inspiration.
“We wish to support local art films through concrete actions, so that film distributors will have the confidence to bring in more and better art films,” she said. “We also hope small ‘cinemas’ like ours can flourish all across Singapore.”
The organisers are optimistic so far that they can fill some of the space left by the closure of indie cinema operator The Projector, with all 50 tickets for the inaugural screening snapped up within three days of their launch on Dec 13.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Founded in 1895, Ee Hoe Hean Club is one of Singapore’s oldest social and business clubs. Its three-storey building was gazetted as a heritage site in 1995. Historically associated with millionaires, its past members included prominent businessmen and philanthropists Tan Kah Kee, Lim Boon Keng and Gan Eng Seng.
The club, which has about 330 members, opened to female members only in January 2025. Over 80 per cent of its existing members, many of whom are businessmen and professionals, are aged 60 and above.
It hopes to raise its profile among the young, the spokesperson said. Past public lectures and talks drew a mainly older audience.
To 42-year-old Mr Wu, screening films in a venue with a century-long legacy was both “an honour and a gesture of trust” towards cultural enthusiasts like his team.
The initiative comes amid broader efforts to sustain art-house cinema in Singapore following The Projector’s closure in August. The cinema operator, which ran outlets at Golden Mile Tower and Orchard Cineleisure, cited rising operating costs, shifting audience habits and a global decline in cinema attendance.
In November, the
Singapore Film Society
(SFS) said that from January 2026, a 66-seater hall in Golden Village Cineleisure will be a dedicated screening hall for independent and Singapore films.
SFS chairman Kenneth Tan said then that the new SFS Somerset will screen eight films a week and focus on works that have had limited or no screenings in Singapore. Films will play at a regular 7.30pm slot from Wednesdays to Sundays, as well as 1.30pm and 4pm on Saturdays and 4pm on Sundays. Tickets cost $15 for non-members and $9 for members.
Mr Vincent Quek, founder of Anticipate Pictures, said he has received much interest for one-off screenings, but only SFS, as well as Ee Hoe Hean Club and TBC Bookstore, have committed to regular screenings.
SFS’ Mr Tan told ST that he is heartened to know about the new collaboration, adding that there is no duplication of efforts.
“There are so many good films, and so many worthwhile interactions and conversations, that need and deserve to happen, in and amongst our film community,” he said. “The audience’s demand and film supply are both huge.”
Mr Wu hopes that more will be keen to screen indie films.
“Both movies and books are forms of cultural expression that need to be promoted,” he said.
Ms Khoo Sim Eng, head of film studies at Singapore University of Social Sciences, said the new partnership creates a microcinema – a small, intimate, independent screening space for alternative programming and a community focus.
With the closure of The Projector, Ee Hoe Hean Club and TBC Bookstore initiated a proposal to preserve a public space where audiences can continue to enjoy artistic films.
PHOTO: EE HOE HEAN CLUB
Microcinemas are springing up in countries like the United States, Australia and Japan as movie-lovers are actively looking for ways to screen art-house films. They want more than just blockbusters and streaming, she said.
Having several microcinemas with a wide range of well-curated art-house films catering to different tastes and communities would be good for audiences here, she added.
“It remains to be seen whether this demand can be sustained, but I think that there will be good word-of-mouth, especially if the programming is nimble and responds to audience demand, current events and special occasions,” she said.
Ms Jovina Ng, a 32-year-old communications practitioner, watched about eight films at The Projector.
“It is a pity to see it go as it was a space that allowed for alternative voices and different views to flow freely,” she said.
“I am open to watching art-house films curated by SFS and those hosted by Ee Hoe Hean Club and TBC Bookstore, as long as the themes and topics resonate with me.”