Colour us shocked. In a bit of depressing news, beloved indie cinema The Projector has announced that it’s closing for good – with immediate effect, no less. The news comes less than a month after it said it was returning to its original home at Golden Mile Tower, just in time for its 11th anniversary.

The Projector announced its closure in an emotional post on Instagram today (August 19). There, it said that The Projector was entering “voluntary liquidation”, citing “rising operational costs, shifting audience habits, and the global decline in cinema attendance”. Challenging headwinds for any independent art and film venue, perhaps all the more so in Singapore.

With its exit, The Projector leaves a huge hole in the local art and culture scene. Besides regular programming of award-winning indie and alternative flicks that you’d be hard-pressed to find in mainstream cinemas, the venue has organised and played host to a myriad of inclusive, sometimes off-beat, events. Adding colour to the local events calendar include film festivals like the Singapore International Film Festival, Animation Nation, Pink Screen, drag shows, vintage markets, and charity fundraisers.

“The Projector was also built and shaped in all forms by our fans and collaborators, and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve created together – a home for the creatives, misfits, and dreamers,” says Karen Tan, founder of The Projector. “The Projector may be closing, but we hope its spirit will live on in the conversations, ideas, and communities we’ve nurtured.”

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