LookAtMe

The Online Citizen Asia #LookAtMe banned from screening by Singapore for having potential to cause enmity and social division in its multi-racial and ...

In a tour-de-force performance, yao (fka Thomas Pang of Tiong Bahru Social Club, NYAFF 2021 selection) plays renegade vlogger Sean and his gay identical twin, Ricky, supercharging this exhilarating, damning, and morally essential fable about social media celebrity, cancel culture, and the erosion of human rights. This decision is supported by MHA and MCCY. [a joint statement](https://www.imda.gov.sg/news-and-events/Media-Room/Media-Releases/2022/Joint-IMDA-MCCY-MHA-Media-Statement-on-the-Film---LookAtMe) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the film is said to have the potential to case enmity and social division in Singapore because the pastor featured in the film preaches against homosexuality but engages in behaviour that goes against his religious teachings.

SINGAPORE: Singapore has banned the showing of the local film #LookAtMe for denigrating a religious community, authorities said on Monday (Oct. 17).

“It features top film and acting talent from Singapore and beyond. It also states that “films likely to denigrate a racial or religious group should be denied classification”. “Several descriptions of the pastor (including a similar-sounding title) suggest a real pastor in Singapore. The context can be seen as suggesting or encouraging violence against the pastor,” the statement said. The film was not rated because it “has the potential to cause enmity and social division in Singapore’s multiracial and multifaith society,” according to a joint statement by the Ministry of the Interior (MHA), Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. #LookAtMe, Kwek’s second feature, premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival in July.

Singaporean film '#LookAtMe' has been barred from screening in the country over accusations that it denigrates a religious community.

The film seeks to entertain and encourage conversations on important social issues that are relevant to Singapore.” Kwek and the film’s producers will be submitting an appeal for the authorities to reconsider their decision. The film premiered at the New York Asian Film Festival earlier this year in July, winning a Special Jury award for Best Performance.

The team behind the film said that the feature is a work of "cinematic fiction".

"The allegations may be perceived to [be] offensive, defamatory and contrary to the [Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act], in that it may be seen as unfairly attacking a religious figure, as well as cause offence to religious beliefs", IMDA said. In a separate case from earlier in May 2022, a film on the conflict in Kashmir, "The Kashmir Files", was also It noted that various description of the pastor in the film, including a similar sounding title, "are suggestive of a real pastor in Singapore". The team also shared that "#LookAtMe" has been selected for screening at the Singapore International Film Festival later in 2022, and hope that Singaporeans will have the opportunity to see the film then. Singapore has barred the screening of local film "#LookAtMe" because "it denigrates a religious community" and has "the potential to cause enmity and social division in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society", the authorities said in a "The film seeks to entertain and encourage conversations on important social issues that are relevant to Singapore", they added.

Singapore has banned the screening of Ken Kwek's film "#LookAtMe" over its potential to "cause enmity and social division" in Singapore, said IMDA.

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Singapore bans local film 'LookAtMe' on religious grounds; Wanda signs for more Imax screens, Foxtel starts second season of 'Love Me.'

](https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/foxtel-expands-original-production-1235308973/)The first season also played on Hulu in the U.S. [Foxtel](https://variety.com/t/foxtel/), has begun production of a second season of drama series “Love Me.” The series is now shooting in Melbourne and Victoria State. Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion announced on Monday that eight Thai companies had generated THB398 million ($10.4 million) of sales deals during the recent Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan. [banned Indian film “The Kashmir Files”](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/kashmir-files-banned-in-singapore-1235261835/) on religious grounds. The [InfoComm Media Development Authority](https://variety.com/t/infocomm-media-development-authority/) said that the film exceeds film classification guidelines because it denigrates a religious community. [Ken Kwek](https://variety.com/t/ken-kwek/).