After completing his GCE ‘N’ levels in 2012, Kevin William found himself captivated by a fleeting desire: to make movies.
Despite being only a teenager and lacking experience and equipment, the Singaporean, armed with just his passion for filmmaking – and an Android HTC One V phone – took his first step into the unknown and created a short film.
“It was my friend’s encouragement that propelled me. I thought, why not give it a shot?” Kevin, 28, recalled.
Residing in Ang Mo Kio at the time, Kevin, with the help of his friends, made a 45-minute Tamil film shot primarily in his neighbourhood. It tackled themes such as gangsterism and substance abuse.
Two years later, he took the ambitious step of setting up Filmoholic Pictures, a boutique production house dedicated to nurturing the local film landscape.
In 2016, again with the help of his friends who doubled up as cast members and production crew, the independent studio unveiled its maiden Tamil short film, Yogi.
“I drew inspiration from movies like Vaanam and Ayutha Ezhuthu, and wanted to create a similar narrative style. Yogi explores the interconnected lives of three characters and has a compelling conclusion,” Kevin said.
Yogi premiered at GV Yishun cinemas that year, marking a significant milestone for Filmoholic Pictures.
With the relative success of Yogi, Kevin then set his sights on making his first full-length feature.
Initially titled Thalli Pogathey, the project ran into financial and logistical issues before getting scrapped. Later on, with encouragement from his producer, Kevin revived the project, renaming it Enthan Uyir Thozhi.
The film’s premiere at Rex cinemas in November 2017 fell short of expectations, with only about 300 attendees.
“I had exhausted all my finances and even told my producer that we might not break even. He was extremely understanding. I wasn’t disheartened… I chose to learn from the experience,” Kevin said.
In 2018, while in national service, Kevin began scripting Yogi 2: The Prequel, the plot revolving around three sets of characters; a group of aspiring filmmakers, a man bent on revenge and a gang of drug traffickers, whose stories converge at the climax.
With a larger and more skilled cast and crew, Kevin was better prepared for the task at hand.
“I realised the power of social media as a platform for branding. That’s exactly what Yogi 2 needed,” Kevin said. “Before filming began, we intensified our promotional efforts through social media, realising that our voice was the missing ingredient for visibility.”
Yogi 2 premiered to a packed audience and received a positive response from the community, including local celebrities and industry veterans.
“Filmmaking in Singapore is manageable with the right guidance,” Kevin said. “Never hesitate to pursue your passions. Better yet, take charge and make your voice heard.”
