SINGAPORE - Home-grown movie Money No Enough (1998) did a lot more than just make audiences laugh and cry - it is significant because it opened the doors for other commercial Singaporean films to follow.

Screening to packed cinema halls for five months upon its release - believed to be the longest theatrical run for a local film - the movie about three Singaporeans facing financial difficulties was proof that there could be immense audience interest in a local production. In other words, it was possible for a Singaporean film to make money.