Royston Tan

Award-winning Singaporean filmmaker, Royston Tan, is known for his distinctive knack for cinematic narrative, original directorial style and an innate ability to connect with his audience. Besides his extensive list of short films, Tan has been recognised for his feature films such as 15 (2003), 4:30 (2006), 881 (2007), 12 Lotus (2008) , 3688 (2015) and 24 (2020), collecting over 90 international and local film awards for his works. Apart from being a director, Royston takes on executive producer duties, collaborating with various filmmakers. The Old Trilogy was made from 2010-15, a personal project intended to documenting memories of fast disappearing spaces in Singapore. 7 Letters (2015) was made with alongside Tan’s contemporaries, some of the most important filmmakers in Singapore as a tribute to Singapore’s 50 years of independence. It was also submitted as the country’s entry to the Academy Awards the same year for Best Foreign Picture. In 2016, he produced 667, an anthology feature film commissioned for the opening of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. Royston was also the Creative Director for Singapore’s National Day Parade for 2020 and 2023.

Royston Tan is presenting his film Half at OFF Focus 2025: Everything in its Time 

What happens if your reflection breaks free from you? What will it do and where will it go?

Half is an explosive and intimate dance portrait of a dancer and his reflection. The film offers a fusion of film and dance by incorporating movements within the image. Through this, it also explores the idea of having multi-faceted layers within the self.
Half is directed by critically acclaimed local director Royston Tan and produced by Chuan Pictures, in collaboration with co-choreographer and dancer Zhuo Zihao, co-choreographer Yarra Ileto as well as composer and sound designer Chong Li Chuan.

Half is a dance film commissioned by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. It is presented as part of Dance en Scene by Esplanade, in partnership with National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) (Taiwan), National Taichung Theater (Taiwan) and Tai Kwun – Centre for Heritage and Arts (Hong Kong).