The Projector Bows Out. And What’s Next for Indie Culture in Singapore

PUBLISHED August 20th, 2025 01:19 am | UPDATED August 26th, 2025 11:28 pm

The Projector has gone dark. Singapore’s beloved indie cinema and arts venue entered voluntary liquidation today and ceased operations on 19 August 2025; ending a decade of screenings, festivals, parties and first dates that didn’t look or feel like anywhere else.

Across the years (since its 2014 revival at Golden Mile Tower and later pop-ups at The Cathay, Cineleisure and Riverside Point), The Projector did the unfashionable work: platforming non‑blockbusters, LGBTQ+ stories, regional indies, restorations, and late‑night cult chaos. It became a third place as much as a theatre: a bar you could wander into alone and leave with three film recommendations and a new friend.

How did we get here?

The news landed hard because it came fast. Only weeks ago, there were announcements about returning to Golden Mile and a calendar stretching into September. Then, silence, and a final post. “Honestly very surprised… they only announced four weeks ago they were moving back to Golden Mile,” one Redditor wrote. Another added: “They even planned for shows in Sep ahead.” The timeline of the last month tells its own story of pivots and pressure, ending in an immediate curtain call.

What people remember

The tributes pouring in say more than any obituary could. “Always more than a cinema… Singapore just lost a gem,” shared @cinephilesg on Instagram. “You gave us so many awesome memories… You were a home for so many,” another longtime follower posted. People miss the specifics: cinnamon popcorn, the little monthly zines, and that pre‑roll warning against the “pocket beacon of dumfuggery” featuring the infamous “Turkish Luke Skywalker.” Others recall The Room spoon‑throwing nights, queer film spotlights, and the chance to catch a festival darling months before any awards buzz.

What this closure asks of us

The official note pointed to rising costs and shifting habits. None of that is new, but the loss clarifies the question: if we want spaces that make room for risk and nuance, how do we help them breathe? Maybe that looks like lighter‑weight pop‑ups in borrowed rooms. Maybe it’s stronger support for distributors who bring the good stuff in. Maybe it’s the unglamorous choice to buy the ticket, show up on a weeknight, and stay for the post‑film chatter.

For ten years The Projector proved there’s an appetite here. For the odd, the tender, the urgent. We didn’t always love the rock‑hard seats or the sound bleed, but we loved that it existed. If there’s a legacy worth keeping, it’s the permission it gave us: to be curious, to gather, to argue, to care. The screens are dark; the impulse they nurtured doesn’t have to be.

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Top photo: Courtesy of The Projector