Eric Khoo (UWCSEA 1979 – 1983) Film Maker Eric Khoo is a noted Singaporean film maker, and owner of Zhao Wei Films, a production company based in Singapore which produces motion pictures, television commercials and other media content. Eric’s films have won numerous awards both locally and internationally, and have been invited to participate in numerous film festivals around the world. Eric’s mother introduced him to the movies at the age of 2, beginning his life-long love for the cinema. At the age of 8, he borrowed her camera and began making short animated films. After studying cinematography at the City Art Institute in Sydney, Australia, Eric returned to Singapore and began his career, making award winning short films, and then moving on to feature films. Most of his films are dramas set in urban Singapore, and portray human life struggles with characters that don’t function well within society’s rules and regulations. In 1994, Eric’s film Pain, won him the Best Director and Special Achievement awards at the 1994 Singapore International Film Festival. He was the first recipient of the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award for film in 1997. In 1999, he was named in Asiaweek Magazine as one of 25 exceptional trend-makers of Asia for his influence on film and television, and the following year he was included in Asiaweek’s ‘leaders for the millennium’ issue. In 1999, Eric also received the Singapore Youth Award for dedication to film making and contributions to society. In 2000, he produced Stories About Love, the first Asian, completely digital movie. Some of his most critically acclaimed films include Mee Pok Man, produced in 1995, which won prizes in Singapore, Fukuoka and Pusan; 12 Storeys, produced in 1997, a portrait of urban alienation, which was the first Singaporean film to be invited to the Cannes Film Festival; and Be With Me, produced in 2005, a tapestry of stories woven around the themes of love, hope and destiny, inspired by the life of a courageous deaf and blind woman, which was selected to open the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2007 Eric Khoo produced the musical, 881, which has been selected as Singapore’s entry for the Best Foreign Film category at the 2008 Academy Awards. Also in 2007, Mr Khoo became the first movie director to be invited to join the board of the Singapore Media Development Authority (MDA), where he will serve a two year term. Eric is married and has 4 sons. .