FREQUENT FLYER
Janice Chua, filmmaker and vice president of international development of Imagine Entertainment
Ask the average moviegoer what makes a film successful, and he would say that it boils down to A-list actors and how well their onscreen performances are. It’s not often that anyone would mention behind-the-scenes roles in filmmaking, such as editing or production.
Janice Chua belongs to the latter. She joined Ivanhoe Pictures in 2015 as associate producer of Crazy Rich Asians. While audiences would attribute the movie’s success to director Jon M. Chu or the star-studded cast, some credit should definitely be given to Chua, who was responsible for ensuring that the film would stay faithful to its setting.
A heartland girl who grew up in Bukit Batok, Chua brought the production team on a location scouting spree in Singapore, taking them to places that she thought would capture the Garden City in the best possible way. She also contributed to the script development process, giving pointers to Chu on ways to make the movie feel more authentic. (Chua penned some of the Hokkien lines that appeared in the dialogue.)
How did you get your start in the film industry?
Back when I was in secondary school studying English literature, I had the chance to analyse screenplays. My interest in film developed from there, and my aspirations of being a film editor led me to study for a Film, Sound and Video diploma from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I was hungry for career growth so I flew to China to try and get into the film industry, as the market was more developed than our local scene.
What films did you work on when you in China?
I was with a company called Beijing Galloping Horse, and the most memorable film that I worked on was John Woo’s The Crossing. It was an exciting time as the first stop on our promotional tour was to Singapore, and it’s always great to have an excuse to return home. Plus, John Woo happens to be one of my parents’ favourite filmmakers. We also did promotions in Macau and Russia, which exposed me to the different markets.
What are your favourite spots in Beijing?
I lived in three different areas during my time there, but I really like the last place I stayed at. It was in a hutong (a traditional Chinese commune), where I had Chinese neighbours and shopped at a wet market in a neighbouring hutong instead of a supermarket. Rent was cheap, which was why it was exciting as there were youngsters who opened pop-up restaurants and speakeasies. Some of my favourites include Mao Mao Cong, which does these really fantastic homemade vodka infusions, and Katchup, a pop-up restaurant that serves up juicy burgers.
What was your first thought when you landed a job with Ivanhoe Pictures, and subsequently worked on Crazy Rich Asians?
I honestly treated it as national service! When I first read Crazy Rich Asians I was skeptical, as I didn’t know who Kevin Kwan was and I thought that the book would be wildly inaccurate. Once I saw Singlish being used in the book I knew I was completely wrong with my initial judgment. It blew my mind to see a book about Singapore being on the New York Times Bestsellers List. When I found out that Ivanhoe Pictures would be working on the film adaptation, I knew then that I had a duty to portray Singapore as realistically as I could. Naturally, my boss John Penotti nominated me as associate producer, as I am a true-blooded Singaporean.
You are now vice president of International Development and Production at Imagine Entertainment in Los Angeles. Where’s the best place for authentic Asian food?
I moved here in 2015 and Sawtelle is my prime foodie destination; it’s relatively close to where I stay in Western LA, and I daresay some of the best ramen in the world can be found here. But there’s one place that’s near and dear to my heart – Simpang Asia. It’s
a no-frills strip mall restaurant that serves the most authentic Indonesian food. I always have to stop by to pick up a packet of nasi bungkus, as it reminds me so much of the hearty plates of nasi padang I get back home.
What else do you do to remind yourself of home? I’m happy to say that there’s a bustling Singaporean community in LA, and a surprising number of Singaporeans are working in Hollywood too. I feel that the kampong spirit is kept alive even here, as being expats in a foreign country we are often drawn to find and reach out to others from our home. It also helps that the Singaporean accent is just so distinct; you’ll hear one before you even see one.
Where’s a good place to catch a movie in LA?
I tend to avoid chain cinemas as I don’t find their box office offerings to be particularly interesting. I like heading to The Landmark and Laemmle Royal for their emphasis on foreign and independent films, plus you can bring your own beer and wine to the former. One of my favourite theatres is the Nuart Theatre, an art-house focused cinema along Santa Monica Boulevard. They’ve got a really distinct entrance that lights up beautifully at night, and I love catching screenings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Akira there.
Who’s your favourite Singaporean director currently?
Boo Junfeng, hands down. I think it’s rare to find a Singaporean who can write screenplays of such quality, and his films are often focused around an emotional core that more novice screenwriters will often have difficulty translating onto the big screen. I remember watching his film The Apprentice together with Penotti at the LA International Film Festival in 2016, and when the movie was over he turned to me and said that it was one of the most stunning films he’d seen all year. I agreed without hesitation.