Flowing river, fresh reels: film producer Tan Si En is taking Southeast Asian narratives to the world

The producer’s first brush with filmmaking came unexpectedly at age 12, when they were selected for a nationwide school video competition. Assigned the role of producer—a position they didn’t choose—Tan helped create a mockumentary about fast food that won an award. 

The ceremony, held at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, proved transformative. “They were giving out keychains of the film, sound and video course,” Tan recalls. “I got a keychain in the shape of a slate and kept it throughout my secondary school days. I knew I wanted to [study] there.”

This early spark eventually led Tan to enrol in Ngee Ann Polytechnic, where they began formally developing their production skills. However, their definitive “aha moment” came years later in Thailand, where they worked as an assistant producer on Pop Aye, a Singapore-Thailand co-production directed by Singaporean film director Kirsten Tan.

There, Tan had the opportunity to observe renowned Thai producer Soros Sukhum—producer of the Netflix hit Hunger—at work. During a particularly challenging pre-production crisis involving the potential recasting of the lead actor just one week before shooting, Tan had an epiphany: “Despite all the difficulties, I think I can do this for life.”

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Tan founded Momo Film Co after recognising untapped potential in emerging filmmakers across Southeast Asia. The company name, meaning “peach” in Japanese, references the Momotarō myth about bringing people together—fitting for a company dedicated to cultivating regional talent and creating space for their growth.

“I got to know a lot of emerging filmmakers from the Southeast Asian region, and I watched so many shorts and I just feel like there’s something special, there’s a sort of energy, the sort of stories that many people haven’t seen at that time,” Tan recalls, describing their motivation for launching the company.

Their approach to collaboration is distinctive. Rather than one-off projects, Tan builds long-term relationships with directors, often starting with short films before progressing to feature-length productions. This methodology bore fruit with the feature Don’t Cry, Butterfly, which premiered during the Venice International Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week section after a five-year collaborative journey with its director Duong.

Read more: 5 takeaways from Malaysian filmmaker Jared Lee’s journey from YouTuber to award-winning director

For Tan, the foundation of successful partnerships is trust. “I need to trust in the vision or I need to trust in the filmmaker. And I think in the same way they need to trust the way I work,” they say. This mutual trust enables the creative flexibility necessary for distinctive filmmaking, as demonstrated in their multi-project collaboration with Singaporean director Nelson Yeo.

With Yeo, Tan was one of the producers of his debut feature Dreaming & Dying, which premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival and won two awards at the prestigious Swiss event in 2024.

Read more: Nelson Yeo’s ‘Dreaming & Dying’ wins top two prizes at Locarno International Film Festival

Tan views their role as extending far beyond financial considerations. As a creative producer, they work intimately with filmmakers from story conception through development and production. When evaluating potential projects, they prioritise talent and growth potential, looking for, as they put it, “a really fascinating brain” and “interesting vision” in collaborators.

The producer rejects outdated notions of suffering for art, emphasising instead a people-first approach. “The best part of the job is working with people. It’s also the toughest part of the job,” they say. “Staying true to your values and principles while navigating all that is important.”

Tan maintains that the key to creating globally resonant films lies in authentic, specific storytelling. Rather than chasing universal appeal through generalisation, they believe that stories deeply rooted in personal experience can forge stronger connections with international audiences. This philosophy has proven effective as Southeast Asian cinema continues gaining recognition at major film festivals worldwide.

Read more: How to make a global sensation: Lessons from the makers of hit Thai film ‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’

Looking ahead, Tan envisions Momo Film Co moving on to larger-scale productions. It is currently developing Red Butterfly, a drama series in partnership with StudioCanal, one of Europe’s leading film and television studios, and Beach House Pictures, one of Asia’s largest independent TV and film production company.

Based on a true story about a female gang in Singapore in the 1950s, the eight-part series is set to be released in late 2026. Another project in the pipeline for the next two years is Crocodile Rock, the next feature from director Kirsten Tan. The film, which is loosely inspired by the now-defunct eponymous local lesbian bar from the 1990s, will be, as Tan puts it, “a very cool, hip, techno-rock story”. Both productions illustrate Tan’s commitment to bringing distinctive Southeast Asian narratives to broader audiences.

Read more: Queen of Hearts: Meet the female figures behind some of Singapore’s best bars

Tan identifies funding as an ongoing challenge for regional filmmakers, though they note positive changes with more private investors showing interest in Southeast Asian projects. Their advice to filmmakers seeking financial backing is straightforward: “First write something great, then find funders who are aligned with your goals, because you can always find money, but sometimes the wrong money is worse than having no money.”

Despite the challenges, Tan remains optimistic about the regional film industry’s trajectory. They point to booming box offices in Indonesia and Vietnam as evidence of growing audience demand for culturally relevant content. “People want to see stories from their own culture. People want to feel represented on the big screen,” they say.

For aspiring producers, Tan’s counsel is succinct: “Be ambitious, be confident. And sometimes you just need to trust your gut in what you’re doing and find your own path.”

When asked about their personal aspirations for the future, Tan, in a testament to their boundless creative ambition, reveals: “My dream is to be an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner within a decade.”

Read more: From Cannes to Sundance: Behind the scenes at film festivals

What is your favourite film?

Tan Si En (TS): That’s like choosing your favourite kid—super hard. My top favourites would be Dog Tooth by Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and the Oscar-shortlisted film Corpus Christi by Polish film director and screenwriter Jan Komasa.

Favourite producer?

TS: Someone I respect is Christine Vachon. I respect the way that she started producing and how she grew in ambition with the filmmakers who she works with.

If you could produce a film for any director, who would it be?

TS: The directors that I’m working with now. (laughs)

Your most important sources of inspiration?

TS: People around me, stories from Singapore, stories not told.

What gives you the most joy as a producer?

TS: After your film screens and having the audience react to it or people connecting to the stories that you’ve made. I think that’s the most gratifying feeling.

If not a film producer, what would you be?

TS: I would love to be a chef or champagne producer maybe. I’ll be in a vineyard, making champagne for my own brand.

Discover more Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow from the film industry. Listen to more episodes of Gen.T’s Crazy Smart Asia podcast.

This article was created with the assistance of AI tools.

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