Meng Ong () is a Singapore born filmmaker. He directed A Fantastic Ghost Wedding (2014) and Miss Wonton (2001).
Career He began making movies at 16http://www.filmfestivals.com/servlet/JSCRun?obj=ShowNewsSundance&CfgPath=ffs/filinfo&Cfg=news.cfg&news=general&text_id=16276 Interview with Meng Ong and graduated from New York University Film School. Miss Wonton is his first feature-length film, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival 2001 in the American spectrum section. He has also been selected as one of the “Directors to Watch” by filmfestivals.com. It also won the prestigious PRIX FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at the Locarno Film Festival and showcased at other festivals like Busan International Film Festival and as the opening night film at the Bite the Mango film festival in UK. The film has been released by United International Pictures in Singapore (2001) and at the Cinema Village in New York City (2002). It has been released on video by Comstar. In 2019, it was selected by Asian Film Archive for Korean Film Archive’s Asian Digitalization Project which awards films of cultural and historical significance.
Ong’s second feature, A Fantastic Ghost Wedding (aka A Chinese Ghost Wedding) was selected for the Sundance Institute June Screenwriter's Lab and the Taipei Golden Horse Promotion Project. The film stars Hong Kong veteran actress Sandra Ng and Singapore's comedian/actor Mark Lee. Ong was nominated Best New Asian Talent at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2014.
For television, he directed and produced television for Channel 5 at Mediacorp Studios, Singapore. He also executive produced "Police and Thief", one of the most successful English comedies on channel 5, which ran for six seasons. He also directed the National Day telemovie, “This is My Home”. In 2019, he directed "Fried Rice Paradise", a television adaptation of Dick Lee's musical for MM2 and Mediacorp, Channel 5. In 2020, he directed "Titoudao", a TV adaptation of Goh Boon Teck's play for Oak3 films and Mediacorp channel 5.
In 2014, he was commissioned by Ministry of Defence, Singapore to direct a short film, "Hands" to commemorate Total Defence 30th anniversary.
His award winning short films and videos including, Waves of a Distant Shore, Chinadoll and Buddha’s Garden, have been shown at the Asian American Film Festival, Clermont Ferrand Short Film Festival, Philadelphia International Film Festival, the MIX Festival in New York, the Young ASEAN filmmakers Festival in Japan and more. He is a multiple winner at the Silver Screen Awards at the Singapore International Film Festival including winner of two Best Director Awards.
He is currently an adjunct lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, teaching digital film and television.
Filmography
YearTitleFormatPosition1991 Chinadoll Documentary Shortdirector/writer1992Waves of a Distant ShoreShort Filmdirector/writer1993Buddha’s GardenShort Filmdirector/writer1995The Wooden ClogsVideo Shortdirector/writer2001Miss WontonFeature Filmdirector/writer2001–2007Chinese Ghost WeddingFeature Screenplaydirector/writer2002/2003First Touch Season 2Television seriesdirector2004Family BusinessTelevision pilotdirector/writer/Executive Producer2004Police and ThiefTelevision seriesdirector2004/2005White SnakeTelevision Pilotdirector/writer/Executive Producer2005Police and Thief 2TV seriesdirector/Executive Producer2006Police and Thief 3TV seriesdirector/Executive Producer2007Police and Thief 4TV seriesdirector/writer/Executive Producer2007"As the Bell Rings" Disney Channel Pilotdirector2008'Police and Thief 5""TV Seriesdirector/writer/ExecutiveProducer2008"Yang Sisters 2"TV seriesdirector2009/2010"Police and Thief 6"TV seriesdirector/Executive Producer2009"This is my Home"TV moviedirector2014"Hands"Total Defence 30th anniversary short filmdirector2014"A Fantastic Ghost Wedding"Feature Filmwriter/director2017"Seabreeze"Short for Channel News Asiawriter/director2019"Fried Rice Paradise"TV seriesdirector2019"Love by Numbers"TV seriesdirector2020"Titoudao"TV seriesdirector
References
External links
NY Times review of Miss Wonton