Jonathan Choo
Directing
Biography
Jonathan is a filmmaker perennially curious and fascinated with human shifts and changes. At his time at school, his shorts, Stroll, Hero and his graduation film Han garnered him nominations for Best Director at the National Youth Film Awards in 2015 and 2016, taking home the award in the latter year. Han went on to travel notable film festivals worldwide in Poland, Cleveland, Tokyo, Yogyakarta and Tehran. In 2017, his short film, Rehearsal played in the Singapore International Film Festival Singapore Panorama section. Aside from shorts, Jonathan had also directed music videos for artistes like Charlie Lim and Gen Neo. In 2019, Jonathan completed his MA in Directing Fiction at the National Film and Television School in the UK on an IMDA MES scholarship.
Known For
Uncovers the remarkable story of how this small nation has made an indelible mark on Asian cinema in the past five years. Through exclusive interviews and captivating scenes across seven countries, we learn the rich diversity of Singaporean stories, and cast a forward-looking gaze towards an exciting cinematic future. A documentary commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Singapore Film Commission.
Singapore Films: To The World & Back
After his son inadvertently killed a Korean girl in a hit and run accident, Hoh Yim travels to South Korea to reconcile with the victim's parents but learns far more about himself than he ever expected to.
Han
Real-life father and son acting duo, Choo Hou Ren and Joel Choo, team up in this meta-narrative on familial collaborations and behind-the-scenes frustrations.
Reaction
An actor discovers his son’s university application in the boot of his car, which was supposed to be mailed out a while ago. This film follows him around in his car as he attempts to come up with an excuse and solve this problem.
Rehearsal
When a clinically depressed musician tries to back out on the day she gets the keys to her new rented flat, her closest friend has to coax her with a trip to the arcade and a Macdonald's meal.
Mama
Guoqiang is a socially awkward Instagram poet and occasionally posts his self penned haikus on his Instagram page. In order to get more attention for his haiku, Guoqiang decides to go to local author Augustine Chua’s writing panel to get his feedback. When he eventually gets the chance to ask questions during the Q&A, he comes off confusing instead, creating mass awkwardness.
Caifan Haiku
Two amateur podcasters must decide how far they will go for content when a Trump-loving Singaporean guest derails their show. Meanwhile, the Liberation Day tariffs inch closer.
Talking Stocks
Despite a long history of losses at the Chen family’s self-declared annual awards ceremony, River, the middle child, continues to yearn for the recognition that eludes her. Vacillating between apprehension and optimism, Jonathan Choo’s bittersweet Super 8 mockumentary glimpses the anxieties underlying familial dynamics built on the Singaporean dream.
Chen Family Awards
On the eve of a new millennium and a looming eclipse, 9-year-old May tries to make sense of her mother’s difficult pregnancy while a neighbour plays a sinister speech on an endless loop.
Hour of the Flower
A man down with fever becomes a king while his wife is away at work.