Singapore reviews film dialect rules after 272 Teochew screenings
What's next: Authorities said cinemas could get more dialect-language approvals even as Mandarin remains dominant on free-to-air TV and radio.
Singapore is reviewing its film-classification guidelines on dialect use after controversy over the Teochew-language movie “Dear You.” In Parliament on July 7, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said the Infocomm Media Development Authority had approved 100 more Teochew screenings, bringing the total to 272, and was open to more if the distributor requests them. Tan said the government sees room to expand space for dialects as Singapore’s language environment changes, while still preserving Mandarin’s role under the bilingual policy. He drew a distinction across platforms: arts performances, internet content and streaming services face no dialect limits, while free-to-air television and radio will continue to center Mandarin.