北京的签约和首映

这是在签约之前的一个晚宴，在这里遇到了很多本想见面一直都没有时间的老朋友。。
This was a gala dinner just before the signing ceremony. Met a lot of friends whom I was supposed to catch up with earlier, but didn't get the chance to.
这次新加坡在北京的晚宴主办得很成功。当中都有来自中新两国媒体界的领导。
This Beijing gala dinner was a success for Singapore. Amongst the guests were many top shots from both China & Singapore's media industry.

这是当晚的演出舞台，我国著名歌手何耀姗也到场助阵。
This was the performance for that night. Singapore's famed singer Sun Ho also turned up to lend her presence.
这位是中国电影界一位举足轻重的人，上海电影制片厂的汪总，负责海内外的电影制作项目，色戒就是其中一部，他们投资了3百万坡币。我们就是跟他们签了合作意向书。
This gentleman plays a very important role in China's movie industry. The CEO of Shanghai Production Studio, Mr Wang. He's in-charge of all productions, local & imported. Lust, Caution, is one of the productions in which they invested SGD 3 million. And we signed a collaboration contract with them.
站在这类舞台对我来说并不陌生，但是要给这类主题发表专业的演讲，很压力咯，不过也很享受
I'm no stranger to standing on stage in such gala dinners. But to make a professional speech like this is quite pressurizing leh. But then, still quite shiok lah.
这次在同一个台上负责介绍新加坡媒体的，当然还有新传媒的总裁，Lucas Chow,一个很有男人魅力的人。。。（在场一些女孩子告诉我的）
On the same stage this time, introducing Singapore's media industry, is of course Mediacorp's CEO, Lucas Chow, a very charming man … (some girls there told me!)
当天的论坛，我是主席。。。哈哈，这种压力难以相容，因为台下来了很多中方的代表。
I was the chairman of the forum that day… Haha, very hard to describe the pressure, because off stage, there were a lot of representatives from China.
看看我这个神态，还会想起梁婆婆吗？
Look at my expression, does it still remind you of Liang Po Po?


终于在北京和三家公司签了电影合作意向书了。
Finally signed the collaboration treaty with 3 companies in Beijing.

这是一个很大的挑战也是很大的任务。
This is a really big challenge as a very heavy responsibility.


成立“强片制片厂”，目的是和中国电影公司进行更多的合作，毕竟，中国是一个很大的市场，我们这个小小市场的新加坡如果也不争取搭这躺顺风车，我们真的是该死！
Setting up "Neo Studios" has this exact intention of working together with China's movie companies. After all, China is a very big market. Our market in Singapore is really tiny, and if we don't hop onto this bus, then we should really hang ourselves!

感谢媒体局上下人员的安排，不但让这次的交流空前成功，也让我的电影“小孩不笨2”有机会在北京和观众见面，最重要的是，很多当地的高层领导也在媒体局的邀请下出席了我的首映会。
I'd like to thank all staff at MDA for organizing this event, allowing such successful cultural exchange, and also giving me the opportunity to showcase "I NOT STUPID 2" to the audiences in Beijing. Most importantly, many top management leaders from the China movie industry who were invited by MDA, had attended my movie premier.

这是一个很难忘的经验，首映当晚，观众出乎意料的多，影院甚至还得安排额外的椅子来平息一些没位子的来宾，负责人说，根据惯例，票都会刻意多发，没想到的是，观众出席率有些叫人意外。
This is really an unforgettable experience. On the night of the premier, the crowd turnout was unexpectedly high. The theater even had to arrange for extra chairs to accommodate some guests who had no seats. According to the organizer, the usual practice would be to over issue those tickets. But it was really a surprise to see such overwhelming response.


这个场面，我的情绪是。。。有一句话叫“非笔墨可以形容”，我，就不形容了。
In that scenario, my sentiments were… There's a saying that goes "no words can describe those feelings", so, I shall not describe it.

我看，还是形容一下吧，回想九年来导演了十一部电影，很多人都认为我的作品不适合新加坡以外的市场，就是这个问号，让我此刻心情开始紧张了，我的幽默，我的节奏我的思维，我的主题，会丢新加坡人的脸吗？毕竟，中国市场大但是也是一个陌生的市场。
But I think, let's just try and describe it a bit. Thinking back, it's been 9 years as a director with 11 movies under my belt. Many people think that my movies are not suitable for markets outside of Singapore. And it's this very point with a question mark that has left me very anxious. My humor, my pace, my thoughts, my topics, will they really disgrace Singapore? After all, the China market is after all, an unfamiliar market.


终于开映了，熟悉的人物逐渐登场，逐渐的听到影院里的观众被里头的对白逗热了，我逐渐的放心，根据过去的经验，只要前面的情节大家可以入戏，下来的情节和幽默感人之处应该会有共鸣，尽管如此推测，心情还是战战兢兢的。
At last, the screening starts. Familiar faces have all gradually turned up. I also start to hear the movie dialogue fill the audiences, and I start to relax. According to my past experiences, as long as everyone starts getting engrossed from the beginning of the show, then the rest of the movie would have struck a responsive chord in the hearts of the audiences. And whilst I reckoned that way, I still felt butterflies in my stomach.



和新加坡、马来西亚、香港和台湾的观众一样，北京的观众，笑了，也哭了。。。就好像上次在杭州金鸡百花奖的反应一样，散场后，很多观众带着泪水给我很大的肯定，而到现在为止，我们仍然处在和当地发行商交流的阶段。我做好一切的心里准备，也告诉和鼓励我自己千万不要放弃任何可以争取的机会，尽管有很多人奉劝我，你已经争取了那么多年，没人理你，你又到处碰壁，放弃吧，往前看！这些话都是善意，但都是消极的，就好像我们自己的孩子一样，如果你自己也不给孩子机会，谁还会给这个孩子机会？
Like audiences in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the China audiences laughed, and they also cried… Just like the last time in the Gold Rooster Awards in Hangzhou, many audiences left the gala in tears, but they gave me their blessings and recognition. But until now, we are still in the cultural exchange stage with the local film distributors. I have braced myself already, telling myself not to give up on any opportunities that may come by. Even though many people have advised me against it, saying that I have already tried for so many years, and no one will bother about me, that I will walk into a wall again, so just give up and look ahead! These advices are of good faith, but they are also negative. Just like our own kids, if we don't give them a chance, who would?

到处碰壁，是最好的生活体验，我是属于必须奔波的命，非常奔波的命，只有自己不放弃，才会有机会。
Walking into walls can actually be a very good experience in life. I belong to the type who has to slog, and in fact, slog very hard. With only determination, will there be opportunities.