Eric Khoo

Eric Khoo Kim Hai (born 27 March 1965) is a Singaporean film director and producer who is often credited for the revival of Singapore's modern film industry.

Early life and education

Born on 27 March 1965 in Singapore, Eric Khoo was the youngest son of the 15 children of Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat from his second wife Rose Marie Wee. His mother, who was a cinephile, introduced him to cinema when he was three years old.

Khoo's interest in film eventually led him to study cinematography at the City Art Institute in Sydney, Australia.

In 1992, the short film Carcass, which draws parallels between the life of a businessman and that of a butcher, was the first local film to be given an R(A) rating. Concerning a lonely noodle seller who falls for a prostitute, Mee Pok Man earned much critical accolade worldwide and encouraged more experimental, independent filmmaking in the nation. The film was also the first Singaporean feature film to be entered for SIFF. 12 Storeys won him the Federation of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award and the UOB Young Cinema Award at the 10th Singapore International Film Festival, and the Golden Maile Award for Best Picture at the 17th Hawaii International Film Festival. 12 Storeys was also the first Singapore film to be invited to take part in the Cannes Film Festival. Be With Me opened the Directors' Fortnight at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival, while My Magic was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and was voted as one of the top five films of that year by Le Monde. Most recently, Tatsumi, based on manga artist Yoshihiro Tatsumi's memoir, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

In September 2014, Khoo announced that he will release a drama anthology, In the Room, in 2015. Exploring themes of love and sensuality, the film will star Hong Kong actress Josie Ho, up and coming Korean actor Choi Woo-shik, Japanese adult-film actress Shou Nishino, and actor Koh Boon Pin, who starred in Khoo's 12 Storeys. In the Room will also feature a homage to controversial cabaret dancer Rose Chan, the subject of a biopic that was first announced in 2009 but is still under development. In the Room premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2015 and travelled to the San Sebastián International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival and Singapore International Film Festival. It was initially unable to be screened for commercial release in Singapore as Khoo refused to edit two scenes that exceeded the MDA's film classification guidelines. Later, the subtly different 'international version' of the film was given a commercial release on 25 February 2016, after it was passed uncut with an R21 rating by the Media Development Authority.

In December 2015, Mee Pok Man was restored by the Asian Film Archive for its 20th anniversary and screened at the Singapore International Film Festival. The high-resolution Digital Cinema Package version, restored from original 35mm prints, also enjoyed screenings at arthouse cinema The Projector in April and May 2016, with a panel discussion on the film's legacy.

2015 also saw the release of Khoo's short film, Cinema, as part of the omnibus, 7 Letters, to commemorate Singapore's 50th year of independence. In addition, Khoo released the telemovie Wanton Mee on okto in March, before it travelled to the Culinary Zinema section of the 63rd San Sebastian Film Festival in September and the 10th Culinary Cinema programme of the 2016 Berlinale in February, where chefs like Alexander Dressel took turns serving a menu inspired by the programme's films. Wanton Mee, a look at the transformation of Singapore's versatile street food scene, is also screening on Singapore Airlines' inflight entertainment programming.

In 2016, Khoo collaborated with some of Southeast Asia's most renowned filmmakers as part of an omnibus project commissioned by National Gallery Singapore, Art Through Our Eyes. This project brought together – for the first time – filmmakers Joko Anwar (Indonesia), Ho Yuhang (Malaysia), Brilliante Mendoza (Philippines), Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand), and Eric Khoo (Singapore).

In 2018, Khoo directed Ramen Teh, which stars Seiko Matsuda. The film premiered as the closing film of the Culinary Cinema section at the Berlin International Film Festival. He also launched the Scream Asia Festival in Singapore.

Personal life

Khoo is married to Kim Eun Choo; they have four sons named Edward, James, Christopher, and Lucas.

Awards Best Director for a Short Film at the Singapore International Film Festival in 1994 National Arts Council, Singapore Young Artist Award for Film in 1997 Singapore Youth Awards in 1999 Best Director at the Torino Film Festival in 2005 Singapore Youth Awards Medal Of Commendation in 2006 Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des letters in 2008