[SINGAPORE] Home-grown independent cinema Filmgarde Cineplexes has shut down its last remaining outlet at Leisure Park Kallang, marking its official exit from the cinema business here.
Filmgarde announced the closure on Instagram on Mar 25.
It uploaded a picture that read: “It has been a wonderful 18 years and it is finally time to dim the lights. Thank you for having been part of our cinematic journey. We will see you again.”
The same message is also on its website, which no longer has information about its movies or screenings. It did not specify its last day of operation.
In the caption of the post, the cinema, first established in 2007, added: “It has been an absolute journey marked by non-stop learning, countless memorable occasions and even little moments of pride that helped keep us going over the years.
“PS. We are still super proud that we were the only cinema in Singapore to screen the critically acclaimed Oscar-winning film Roma with director Alfonso Cuaron in attendance because of our cinematic sound and projection standards.”
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When Oscar-winning Mexican film-maker Cuaron visited Singapore in 2018 to attend a cinema screening of his drama Roma (2018), Filmgarde Bugis+ was selected for the event.
Previous Filmgarde outlets at Bugis+ and Century Square were shut in 2022. In a press statement at the time, Filmgarde head of cinema operations Sherman Ong said the closure came amid a general decline in cinema attendance and the rise of streaming platforms that were changing consumer habits.
With its last outlet closed, the cinema will “embark on a new chapter of development and adventure, with film and culture still rooted firmly at the centre of our personal mission”.
It did not specify what its upcoming plans are, but urged Singaporeans to continue visiting movie theatres and encouraged Singaporean talent to make movies.
“The cinematic experience at its best, can be cathartic and magical, and it is our hope that future generations of Singaporeans will continue to walk into the cinemas to feel this for themselves, and to encourage Singapore talent to keep making films, one step at a time,” it said.
Over the years, the cinema has partnered players such as the Singapore International Film Festival to host screenings and events.
With Filmgarde bidding farewell, only a few indie cinemas remain in Singapore.
They include The Projector, which screens festival and art-house films alongside commercial movies; Carnival Cinemas, which has a niche in Bollywood flicks; and EagleWings Cinematics, which focuses on Christian faith-based films. THE STRAITS TIMES
