Born in Singapore in 1976, Royston Tan has been heralded as Singapore's most promising young filmmaker and its latest cult icon. Stemming from a music video-making background, Tan has collected over 26 international and local awards for his shorts, documentaries and two feature-length films, 15 and 4:30. In 2001, he was named ASEAN Director of the Year and, in 2003, the Singapore National Arts Council tagged him Young Artist of the Year. Despite this national acclaim, Tan has consistently wrangled with Singaporean censors over the content of his films, his boldness earning him a place in ‘Top 20 Asian Heroes' in Time Magazine, 2004.