It’s safe to say that homegrown film director Anthony Chen is Singapore’s man of the moment. You simply cannot open a newspaper, log in on your various social media platforms or surf the Internet without coming across the 29-year-old and his feature film, the semi-autobiographical Ilo Ilo.

Which is why you probably already know that Chen became the first Singaporean to win the coveted Camera d’Or prize for best feature film debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May. That he had a standing ovation during the festival screening despite three blackouts due to technical glitches. That he got a congratulatory note on Facebook from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who cited him as “a great encouragement to our budding directors”.

That Ilo Ilo got him and his brother Chris reunited with “Aunty Terry”, the 57-year-old Teresita Sajonia, their Filipino domestic helper from 16 years ago, whose relationship with the Chen family inspired the film.

The buzz has been building. The premier was held last Saturday at Marina Bay Sands with President Tony Tan — and Auntie Terry herself — as the guests of honour. Its recent weekend sneaks clocked an impressive S$40,000 at the box office, setting the stage for when it officially opens this week.

As you’re reading this, Chen is now off doing a whirlwind promotional tour for Ilo Ilo. First up is Paris, France, where it’s slated to open on Sept 4. This will be followed by Geneva, Switzerland, then the film goes to the Milano Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival. Yes, it’s going to be quite the year.

So what does this all mean for Anthony Chen—and for our local film scene as well?

The man himself is as refreshingly authentic and honest as his films.

Q: Do you think Singaporeans are more receptive of a local film only when it has won a prestigious award abroad?

A: I’m not sure about that because what was really special was the great atmosphere during the gala screening on Saturday. People were laughing throughout and at the end, they cried. We had a standing ovation which was amazing! What was interesting was that because it won the award, a lot of people went in with very high expectations. There were people who were very sceptical going into it, people who were like, “Really so good meh? I want to go and find out for myself.” So far, I think a lot of people really connected with the film.

Q: What about audiences beyond those usually interested in local films?

A: I have to definitely say that because the film won an award, that’s the reason why you’re writing about it. That is why there is so much media coverage. That’s the reason why people even know about the film way before it came home (to Singapore). We have had 150,000 or more hits now for our trailer on YouTube. So definitely, for audiences that will not normally watch a film like that, then yes I think it has created and piqued a lot of curiosity.

Q: Do you feel an added weight of responsibility? To be that representative Singaporean film-maker?

A: I am not sure. I decided at 15 that I wanted to go to film school. But it wasn’t so much of “Oh I wanted to make films in a local context.” I think I just always wanted to make films and hopefully at some point become an international filmmaker. I had those ambitions. I wanted my films to go places. I wanted my films to be seen by as many people as possible. I think cinema is the most universal language ever. It transcends cultures, borders, languages, so it’s definitely possible to make something that could connect with audiences everywhere. This film started from a very personal and genuine place. I just wanted to make a very honest, very sensitive film about what I knew and felt.

Q: So it was never about making the ultimate local film that can travel?

A: I didn’t start out thinking about wanting to make a film for Cannes or for awards. I didn’t make film so that it can be marketable. The only films that so far work in terms of packaging are those that have a the huge Hollywood machine behind it. When you don’t, you just need to have real heart. My graduation film (Lighthouse) was a very English film about a family going on a road trip which was a disaster. And you know, that film got me signed on to United Agents, which is one of the top three agents in the UK.

Q: So you’re living proof that all you should go on is “heart”.

A: Of course I am not going to say, “Oh yeah just do what you want and certainly don’t care!” I think it’s very important as well to understand what you’re making. I think that’s one of the reasons why we can’t predict the success of Ilo Ilo in terms of winning the award. I’m always wary of trying to wrap something in a different way from what it really is.

Q: Your thoughts on the current local film scene?

A: My aspiration for Singapore cinema is for a more diverse palette of films. I think for the longest time, we’ve only had one or two genres in Singapore. I think it’s about giving audiences choice. I think it’s also giving opportunities for different types of film-makers to let their voices be heard. To be honest, up till the gala premiere, I was so worried about how Singaporeans would take to the film. Because I had no sense of it at all. There is no other film that I can really benchmark this film against. But when I saw the atmosphere that we had, I felt like, “Oh my! It worked”.

Q: What are you most proud of making Ilo Ilo?

A: There were a lot of hiccups and a lot of obstacles, a lot of naysayers when we were making the film. And I am just proud of everyone who put in the effort — my actors, the crew, everyone worked so hard. People were asking me why would anyone want to make a film about a Filipino maid and a Singapore family. So that led to a lot of self-doubt. Can’t you choose a better subject? Something more controversial? Something more dramatic? Something more interesting? It was a leap of faith.

Ilo Ilo opens in cinemas tomorrow.

For more on Anthony Chen visit Rated G (http://tdy.sg/blogratedg).