‘Paying forward’: NTU undergrad who runs Chinatown film hub at own expense to build community

Mr Daryl Cheong loves talking about films. Whether it’s the often neglected early works of Singaporean director Jack Neo or the intricate world-building of the Marvel movies, no cinematic topic is beyond his enthusiasm. 
Yet, for the 25-year-old, the true magic of cinema is not so much what’s on the silver screen, but the people behind the scenes and the community forged when one ventures into the world of filmmaking.
The budding filmmaker is so committed to building Singapore’s film community that he pays S$2,000 (US$1,530) a month to rent a space at Pearl’s Hill Terrace in Chinatown for creatives to screen their films and as a space for film and arts-related events.
Against the odds, Mr Cheong has kept paying rent for the space despite his family’s financial challenges, including a move to Johor Bahru in Malaysia to cut expenses after his mother was diagnosed with cancer.
And through it all, the fourth-year student has kept up a full course of studies at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), majoring in English and serving as president of NTU’s Film Society, which includes helping to run a Film Criticism Lab.
I met Mr Cheong for the inaugural session of the lab for the semester at NTU on a sweltering Thursday afternoon in September.
During these sessions, held every two weeks, students learn how to critique a film — whether it is Christopher Nolan’s science fiction classic Interstellar or Greta Gerwig’s 2023 hit Barbie — as well as how to make a case for whether they love or hate it. 
Mr Cheong exudes warmth and confidence during the session, nodding inquisitively at each answer and pushing participants further to share their views.
Soon enough, the initial polite nods and nervous laughter among the participants became excitable chatter. A few friendly debates even ensued.
Wearing round black glasses and a simple shirt, Mr Cheong had met me just before the session in one of the rooms of NTU’s famous “dim sum building”.
It didn’t take long for our conversation to flow effortlessly as we discussed why fostering and nurturing the film community holds such significance for him.
He said that many outsiders see the film community as competitive and he acknowledged that some corners of the industry are indeed quite cut-throat.
However, he added that overall, the film world here is more collaborative and democratic than it seems, and he backed this up with a touching personal anecdote.
When he was a volunteer programmer at the Singapore International Festival in 2017, the head programmer readily introduced Mr Cheong, then a junior college student, to other filmmakers as both a colleague and peer.
“Through her, I felt this sense that there was an effort at building a community — something the casual film viewer doesn’t experience. It showed just how close, democratic and warm people are in the industry.”  
It was a small gesture but one that he continually pays forward through his contributions to the film community here.
“There are very few resources and even fewer grants; we are all competing for the same thing,” he said.
“That’s what got me into community-building activities so that we don’t see each other as competitors, but as collaborators and to have fun.” 
In addition to his role at the NTU Film Society, he curates screenings at The Coup, a bar and restaurant, as part of his programming work. 
As you might expect from a film aficionado, he is also a part-time producer at a Singapore film company, honing his film-making chops and building his network. 
To top off his love for the silver screen, Mr Cheong rents and manages the shared space in the Chinatown area for film buffs.
He funded the monthly rent through a small nest egg he built up while working as a tutor after National Service.
“Art doesn’t really pay,” he quipped.
Two weeks after our first meeting at NTU, I met Mr Cheong at the rental unit. Posters adorned the walls of the cosy room — they were from indie cinema operator The Projector, saved for him by a cleaner there he knows well. 
As I was led towards another corner of the room, he said that the film projector was another gift, this time from Ms Nicole Midori Woodford, a filmmaker here who teaches at the School of Art, Design and Media at NTU.  
When Ms Woodford came to the apartment to teach a film masterclass and saw Mr Cheong’s “really bad” S$200 projector, she said: “I can give you a better projector.”
Her gift was worth S$1,500.
“She just gave it for free,” he said. “I think things come (to this space) because of other people’s kindness and they come together quite beautifully.”
Mr Cheong has much to do for a 25-year-old, but he sees his many activities as building the foundation for his filmmaking career in Singapore, where the industry is small, resources are scarce and the strength of your relationships can provide a significant advantage. 
“I think even though that sounds selfless, it’s a very selfish thing. If I want to make films, I can’t do it in an ecosystem that is unfriendly and competitive,” he said with a guffaw.
Surely, all these community-building activities and the course load at school have taken a toll?
Yes, he answers candidly and almost too good-naturedly. “The one thing I sacrificed was my health. I wasn’t like this before university; I gained 40kg to 50kg (because of all the stress).”
He recalled how things came to a head last year when his mother was diagnosed with stage-four ovarian cancer and his family had to move across the border as a way to cope with the cost of living and expenses.
He even thought about whether he should continue with his degree course or stop entirely. He ultimately chose to continue.
“It was difficult … because I know that a university education is not important to my pursuits, (but) my parents were against (a break or dropping out) because I’d be the first in the family to graduate with a university degree.”
Amid the chaos of moving and caring for his mother, the overdue payments for the Pearl’s Hill Terrace flat were piling up as well. 
Thankfully, the landlords were understanding about the late payments, he said. 
I joked that I felt a sense of vicarious pressure just from listening to his ordeal last year and he promptly apologised — for my stress. 
Explaining what kept him going, he said: “I know that eventually, there will come a time when either I make it easier for myself, or people will help me to make it easier.”
He added that he has “a lot of faith” in people helping one another out within a community.
Now that his mother has gone through two rounds of chemotherapy, she is doing better and she has even started to return to work. 
Mr Cheong now has “more control” over what is on his plate and can fit in a weekly swim as exercise and a way to unwind. 
Even now, he is still slightly behind on his rental payment for the Pearl’s Hill Terrace flat. “Let me just do what I have to do, and I’ll figure it out eventually.”
The NTU Film Society where Mr Cheong is involved actively recruits students from non-art majors to encourage them to engage with films more critically. 
I remember drawing a blank at the start of the Film Criticism Lab session earlier, where participants were asked to each name a movie they love and a movie that everyone loves but they hate. 
My knee-jerk response for a movie I love was to say Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday (2006) or The Bridget Jones series, which paled in comparison to the laundry list of critically acclaimed “serious” films the other participants had named. 
Mr Cheong said that there are no “wrong” answers as long as I could substantiate my choices. 
“No shame though, Bridget Jones is a great film,” he said. 
During the session, he proposed that the 2004 movie Mean Girls is “a cinematic masterpiece”. 
“That scene in Mean Girls where the camera pans and Regina George (played by Rachel McAdams) is looking at all the chaos she created?” he said.
“Cinema,” the rest of us replied almost in unison.
“See, you get it,” he continued.
Ms Suchittra Rao, a 20-year-old mechanical engineering major in her second year, shared some of my initial nervousness when she first joined the session.
She is a member of the Film Society and is the workshop manager of the Film Criticism Lab. 
She reflected on her experience last semester as a participant and recalled feeling welcome despite her initial apprehension.
“I thought I’d feel out of place with all the art majors, especially since I wasn’t sure how to articulate my thoughts about films. But everyone was so friendly and open-minded. They helped me express what I wanted to say more clearly.”
To see people getting enthusiastic about discussing and evaluating films is part of what drives Mr Cheong’s dedication. 
“Knowing that my work benefits others keeps me going,” he said, especially when participants approach him after events to tell him how meaningful the experience has been for them.
“Some of the participants even end up collaborating on projects after meeting at these events,” he added. 
“That’s exciting for me because it means that I’m helping to build bridges for others in the film community.” 
Looking ahead, his plans for the space at Pearl’s Hill Terrace are uncertain. The building is scheduled to close in March 2026 and his lease expires in June 2025 — coinciding with his graduation.
“There’s a possibility I’ll extend my lease or find another space to meet the community’s needs,” he said. “But that depends on my financial situation.”
In the meantime, he is looking forward to continue creating films with his friends. 
“It’s a very small thing, but it’s really the purest thing out there. If (the film) goes somewhere, it’s great. And if it doesn’t, we’ll find our own spaces to screen it.”