Singapore lifts cap on dialect film screenings from September
What's new: Films will need a Mandarin-dubbed version and Chinese subtitles, while pay-TV dialect limits will also be removed.
Singapore will remove its cap on dialect film screenings starting in September 2026, as long as a Mandarin-dubbed version and Chinese subtitles are available. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set out the change during his National Day Rally speech, framing it as a way to give dialects more space while keeping Mandarin central to Singapore's bilingual policy. The Ministry of Digital Development and Information said the rule covers films entirely in dialect or with mostly dialect content. Restrictions on dialect content for subscription TV will also be scrapped. The move follows debate over the Teochew-language film "Dear You," which was initially limited before the Infocomm Media Development Authority later approved more than 1,000 screenings.