An experiment on a new type of filmmaking style, inspired by Zen Practice to allow the filmmaker to be more ‘in-the-body’, present with the moment, and to tap into intuition and acceptance of things ‘as-is’ to create a film.
The Zen-Mind Filmmaking approach will embrace minimalism, co-creation, and intuition, allowing room for inventiveness and intuition in storytelling. The purpose of the Zen-Mind experiment is not to attain any sort of spiritual awakening but to investigate if filmmaking can be approached with a Zen Mindset. Can filmmaking can be distilled to its essence - as an artistic practice / a storytelling art fom, where practice can happen without excessive entanglements (financing, obligations, hustle).
The experiment involves making a film / telling a story under minimalist conditions, 4 hour shoot, 4 hour edit, minimal preparation with room for failure. Completed works will be compiled and presented as an experimental omnibus film in festivals.
We are currently on the look out for Research Volunteers / Assistants (4 hours commitment) - Actors, Filmmakers and Location in January 2022.
Tzang Merwyn Tong is an arts educator and underground film director known for award winning offbeat films often set in surreal worlds. An alumna of Berlin Talent Campus, Tzang is the writer/director/ producer of Singapore’s first dystopian feature film, Faeryville, which made its world premiere in Los Angeles and was selected to be the Asian closing night film of the Central European Film Festival Timisoara in Romania to celebrate 30 years since the Romanian Revolution.
His other films (V1k1, e'Tzaintes, A Wicked Tale) have travelled to international acclaim and full house crowds in film festivals in Rotterdam, Montreal, Berlin, Potsdam, Munich, Tel Aviv, Lund, Leeds and has enjoyed a brief cult following in underground film circuits. He is currently an educator doing his MA in Arts Pedagogy and Practice with LASALLE in partnership with Goldsmiths University in the UK.
The Zen-Mind Filmmaking Manifesto is written and available upon request.
A-LIST, Astro Channel 456, celebrates the Crème de la crème of cinema with 8 critically acclaimed films a month, released in stunning HD. Faeryville will make its International TV Premiere this month, on 20th April 2017, 10pm in Malaysia on A-List.
Other S.E. Asian Countries will soon be able to pay a visit to “Faeryville” College as well. They include Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor, Indonesia and Brunei, as Faeryville has signed a 7 Year deal with ASTRO to bring the film to these regions.
Directed by underground filmmaker Tzang Merwyn Tong (dir. of A Wicked Tale, 2005 / V1K1, 2011), “Faeryville” tells the story of college misfits who experimented with home-made bombs to get back at their bullies. The film made its World Premiere in Los Angeles, California in 2015 and was the Closing Night Film of the Brisbane Festival.
“Needless to say, I’m thrilled to know that Faeryville is going on be released on Television and Astro’s new media platforms. South East Asia is changing and there is a growing demand for independent and alternative films. I’m proud to be feeding that demand to this changing audience,” says director Tong. "Faeryville" will make its International Television Premiere in Malaysia on A-List, Astro Channel 456, on 20th April 2017, 10pm. Check it out here.
Hear Alex Oh's atmospheric OST theme for Faeryville
In Tzang Merwyn Tong's Faeryville, Lyon Sim stars - alongside Aaron Samuel Yong, Tanya Graham, Farid Assalam, Jae Leung and Kris Moller - as a youth making sense of his rebellion in our increasingly surreal world. First Audiences at the World Premiere in Los Angeles has called Faeryville "A Dystopian Fairytale", "A Mindbomb!" and "a Timely Critique on ideology and influence".
Alex Oh is one of Singapore's most prolific and versatile film composer. His philosophy to scoring is telling the story of the film through music. In his career, he has scored many award-winning features, ranging from comedy, family-oriented, action films like Taxi!Taxi!, My Dog Dou Dou, Imperfect, It's A Great Great World to darker films like Bait 3D, Rule Number One and The Maid . He was nominated for Best Original Music Score from Asian Television Awards in 2004 for TV Series, The Frontline.
Alex is one of the few composers in Singapore that uses a large orchestra for a filmscore. His score for Bait 3D is recorded on the Simon Leadley Scoring Stage at Trackdown with the Sydney Scoring Orchestra in Fox Studios, Australia. Bait 3D, distributed by Paramount Pictures, is released in 72 countries worldwide. In his work in Faeryville, Alex Oh's work is dark and broody. See review from Soundtrackgeek.com:
Review from Jørn Tillnes "It’s always exciting to discover something new. Although I am familiar with the composer’s work, it’s been a while and I’ve barely scratched the surface. While his “Bait 3D” score was a fun action-filled ride, Faeryville is different. It’s very dark and brooding, using long synth pads and cello. There’s hardly any percussion here, merely a subtle bass percussion line. It’s pure mood for the first few cues. There are also subtle hints of choir music. It’s buried in the mix, but it’s present particularly in the first cue. There’s no theme to talk about until a few guitar notes near the end of ‘Laer’. Not until ‘Fidei Defensor’ we get something different. Not so subtle choir and a strong electronic melody line with percussion. My favourite moment of the score though is ‘Mother Saint’ which sound almost uplifting. It’s “heavenly” sounding vocal is really good along with a lovely melody line. It is in fact so good I got goose bumps listening to it. I love surprises like that. There are still a few more surprises like the finale of ‘Take Over Or Be Taken Over’ and the guitar heavy ‘Baptism Of Fire’. There is also the massive 12 minute track ‘We Still Have A Soul’ near the end and this is where the action has been hidden. There are some excellent action bits in here, although short, but quite many of them. It’s a bit disjointed, but there are bits and pieces in here that’s pretty great."
Also featured in Faeryville, are music contributions from In Each Hand a Cutlass, ANECHOIS and The Great Spy Experiment.
★★★★ "A Fairy Tale of Nightmarish Real World Consequences." - POWER OF POP
Singapore's first dystopian youth film, FAERYVILLE is out now.
FAERYVILLE is a dystopian youth film set in an alternate universe - by award winning indie / underground filmmaker Tzang Merwyn Tong, dedicated to misfits and dreamers.
Synopsis: After a recent shooting in Faeryville College, fraternities are picking on misfits. Poe and his friends are such misfits. They are used to being pushed around, happy to just get by - as 'Nobodies'. Until one day, a transfer student joins them. He shames them for embracing their 'misfithood' and inspires them to rise above. Together, they stand up to the bullying frats and take on the establishment, first with fart bombs, and later with home-made bombs. Youthful idealism soon becomes an excuse for all-out-anarchy.
Faeryville may be set in a fictitious world, but it explores real fears of the post-9-11 generation and how 'ideology can be a dangerous thing' - thus the theme, 'be afraid of what you fight for'.
WINNER of "Best Original Story" / Official Selection at 2015 FLIXX Festival, USA
"A Cinematic Universe... bleak, exciting, surprising!" - Twitch
"Original and uber-hip... brimming with spunk, intensity and sassy
ideas!" - Hollywoodscript.com
"An impressive blend of story, politics and stunning visuals!" - FLIXX Festival
World Premiere / The LA Downtown Independent Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
Closing Night Film / Official Selection at 2015 Brisbane Festival, Australia
"A Cinematic Universe... bleak, exciting, surprising!" - Twitch
★★★★ "A Brave & Remarkable Vision." - Power of Pop
"We're proud to be a part of Tzang Merwyn Tong’s journey – building a new kind of Singapore cinema for a new generation of film lovers." - F*** magazine
After a world premiere, a festival run and limited theatrical release, underground dystopian film, Hear what the first audiences in LA has to say when FAERYVILLE made its World Premiere a year ago.
We are proud to announce that Faeryville has won an award in the 'mythical' 51st State of Jefferson in Scott Valley, USA - a film festival committed to showcase films that capture Jefferson State’s iconic values: rebellion, beauty, irreverence, vision and independence.
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