jacen tan

KUNGFULAND Taps ‘Zombiepura’ Director For Singaporean/Canada Co-Prod

Jacen Tan is back on our radar this year. The Singaporean director behind 2018 horror romp Zombiepura is now underway with Singapore/Canada co-production, Kungfuland, filming AUX Infinite Studios at Singapore according to Deadline’s Liz Shackleton on Thursday. Set in Chinatown 1999, the film pays homage to the 1970s golden era of martial arts films, as well as nostalgically recreating the world of video stores and VHS tapes. The story follows a kungfu movie nerd who gets stuck in his favourite films and must fight to save his long-lost father, before the real world erases them both forever. Kungfuland stars Idrissa Sanogo Bamba and Ellen Wong along with Dion Johnstone and Hugh Tran, with a cameo appearance by Hong Kong cinema Chiang (The New One-Armed Swordsman). Combining virtual production with Shaw-inspired sets, Tan is directing from a script by Andrew Ngin and Maninder Chana, with backing by Singapore’s Ajacent Media and Canada’s […]

NYAFF Review: In Jacen Tan’s ZOMBIEPURA, Always Be Prepared!

Lee B. Golden III

In all of Singapore’s history, leave it to director Jacen Tan to blaze a trail introspective enough to pitch the Southeast Asian city-state’s first-ever zombie film. That effort leaves moviegoers with Zombiepura, partly inspired by Tan’s own conception in his heyday as a National Service reservist. This particular story focuses on Kayu (Alaric), a lazy reservist whose only focus at any given point is to take the path of least resistance despite constantly getting chewed out by his commanding officer, Siao On. At best, medical leave is his best and only option, and that’s only if he can fake it properly. Kayu and friend Tazan (Haresh Tilani) eventually make it inside doctor’s office after applying mosquito repellant to make it look like Kayu has early symptoms of conjunctivitis. Just as he’s being diagnosed, a soldiers bring in a dead body, only for it to reanimate and bite its first victim. […]

ZOMBIEPURA Wakes The Dead In The First Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

Here’s some trivia for you: Shortfilm director Jacen Tan once felt like a zombie roughly eight years ago while on guard for National Service. Since then and with the backing of mm2 Entertainment, Tan’s appeal to undead horror comedy with Zombiepura should make for a rewarding feature debut at the helm. Corporal Kayu is a lazy soldier doing guard duty during his mandatory reservist in an isolated army camp. A mysterious virus breaks out and turns his campmates into rabid zombies. Trapped together, Kayu must team up with his arch-rival, the tough Sergeant Lee to survive. Cut off from the outside world, their military training is put to the test and they must find out what it means to be real soldiers. Zombiepura is due out in Singapore later this year starring Alaric Tay with actor Benjamin Heng among the cast.