Tens Across the Borders

Cannes Docs

Tens Across the Borders

Original title: Tens Across the Borders

Directed by: CHAN Sze-Wei

Produced by: Alemberg ANG (Daluyong Studios, Philippines), TAN Si En (Momo Film Co, Singapore), Yasmin RAMS (Perennial Lens, Germany/USA), CHAN Sze-Wei (Oddpuppy Productions, Singapore), Executive Producers - Derren LAWFORD and Daniel KARSLAKE (DARE Pictures, UK)

Country of production: Philippines, Singapore, Germany, UK

Runtime: 90' / 52'

Expected release: February, 2024

Production stage: Late Production

Budget: €484.000 (53.89% in place)

1st feature: Yes

Looking for: Broadcaster, TV co-productions, finishing funds, sales and distribution

Synopsis:

We witness four trailblazers of the underground ballroom scenes in Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore, as they journey to hold on to their ballroom and birth families, connect with ballroom’s source in New York City, and grow a flourishing queer community across Southeast Asia.

Director’s profile:

Sze is a documentary and experimental dance filmmaker who observes alternate histories, identities and social issues as expressed in the body, movement and art. They are also a dance maker, arts journalist, activist, and parent. Since 2016, their films and installations have screened at festivals including the Singapore International Festival of the Arts, Signes de Nuit Paris, Screen.dance Scotland, and Dança em Foco. Sze’s projects have received grants from Purin Pictures, the Asian Cinema Fund, DMZ Film Festival, HessenFilm, Dance Films Association USA and the National Arts Council of Singapore. They are a member of the Cinemovement Collective (Singapore) founded by Jeremy Chua and Elysa Wendi.

Producer’s profile:

Working with first and second-time filmmakers, Alemberg Ang produces films that provide a voice to marginalized communities. Recent projects include RIA (Cannes Residency CNC Award), Plan75 (Camera d’Or Special Mention, Cannes 2022), and Divine Factory (Cannes Docs-in-Progress award, Singapore International Film Festival SEA-DOC Grant).
Yasmin Rams is a producer and director based in Germany and Los Angeles, who produced the IDFA Bertha Awarded In Exile (2016). Her award-winning film Go Heal Yourself (2022) had a German cinema run of 10 weeks.
Tan Si En is a film & TV producer, and founder of Momo Film Co. She was the producer for Wet Season by Anthony Chen, which World Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her co-production The Year Of The Everlasting Storm premiered in Cannes, and Arnold is a Model Student by Sorayos Prapapan premiered in Locarno.