Zihan Loo
Encyclopedia
Zihan Loo is a gay Singaporean actor, film director and dancer.
He has been open about both his own homosexuality and depicting gay themes in his films, despite the subject being particularly taboo in Southeast Asia
n society. His first film, Solos, was withdrawn from its début screening at the 20th Singapore International Film Festival
due to its explicit depiction of homosexual sex. Instead it premièred at the 12th Pusan International Film Festival
in the city of Pusan in South Korea
and became the first Singaporean film to be selected for the American Film Institute
Festival in Los Angeles
, going on to win the Nuovo Sguardi Award in the 23rd Turin Gay and Lesbian Festival, in the city of Turin
in Italy
. It was awarded by the jury to the film which "reflects the evolution of queer cinema".
He has been open about both his own homosexuality and depicting gay themes in his films, despite the subject being particularly taboo in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n society. His first film, Solos, was withdrawn from its début screening at the 20th Singapore International Film Festival
Singapore International Film Festival
The Singapore International Film Festival was launched in 1987. The festival is an annual film event, held around April/May each year, and screens about 300 films from over 45 countries...
due to its explicit depiction of homosexual sex. Instead it premièred at the 12th Pusan International Film Festival
Pusan International Film Festival
Busan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
in the city of Pusan in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and became the first Singaporean film to be selected for the American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
Festival in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, going on to win the Nuovo Sguardi Award in the 23rd Turin Gay and Lesbian Festival, in the city of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was awarded by the jury to the film which "reflects the evolution of queer cinema".
Filmography and theatrical works
- "Chancre" (2011 short film) - director
- "Aemaer" (2010 short film) - director
- Threshold (2009 film) - writer and director
- Past Carin’ (2009 play) — multimedia design
- Frozen Angels (2009 play) — multimedia design
- Gemuk Girls (2008 play) — multimedia design
- Pleasure FactoryPleasure FactoryPleasure Factory is a 2007 docudrama film set in Geylang, the red-light district of Singapore. Directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham, the film was selected for the Un Certain Regard competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival....
(2007 film) — actor - Solos (2007 film) — writer, director and actor
- Autopsy (2007 documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
short) — writer, director and actor - Embryo (2006 short film) — writer, director
- Untitled (2006 short film) — writer, director and actor
External links
- Official website
- Silencing Singapore, interview with The Advocate, 4 June 2009