Lee Thean-jeen

Lee Thean-jeen (李天仁) is an award-winning[1] director, screenwriter and television showrunner best known for the Singapore television drama series AlterAsians, The Singapore Short Story Project, The Pupil, Code Of Law, and Zero Calling.

He has also written or co-written, and directed, the feature films, Homecoming (笑着回家), Love...And Other Bad Habits (玩味爱情), Everybody's Business (人人有粪), Bring Back the Dead (招魂) and The Big Day(简单的婚礼). He was also a writer, director and executive producer on the Southeast Asian adaptation of the award-winning Scandinavian noir series, The Bridge for Viu and HBO Asia. In 2019, he was responsible for Singapore's first multilingual drama, 128 Circle.

Career

Born in Penang, Malaysia, Lee attended Penang Free School, then graduated with a summa cum laude in Broadcasting And Film from Boston University's College of Communication. He went to work for the then-Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, producing corporate videos,[2] before leaving to become one of the founding members of Film Formations, a Singapore-based production company.[3]

He is currently the Managing Director of Weiyu Films, a content-creation and production company founded by him.[4]

His first drama series, AlterAsians[5] (2000), an adaptation of short stories by Singaporean novelists into telemovies and shot on 16mm film, won several awards, including Best Single Drama or Telemovie at the Asian Television Awards 2000.[6][7]

A follow-up series of short story adaptations, The Singapore Short Story Project, won the Asian Television Award in 2003 for Best Drama Series[8] and again, in 2008, for Best Single Drama or Telemovie.[9]

The Pupil, a legal drama which he co-created, executive-produced, wrote, and directed was well-received by local audiences and critics alike, winning two major awards at the 2010 Asian Television Awards: Best Actress In A Leading Role for Rebecca Lim and Best Actor In A Supporting Role for Lim Kay Tong.[10]

Code Of Law, a drama series on the criminal justice system in Singapore, has entered its fifth season, and spawned a universe of spin-off shows: Derek, its sequel Derek II and Forensik. All these shows have crossover characters and continuing storylines that culminate in 2020's Code Of Law: Final.

Zero Calling, a vigilante thriller based on an award-winning script by Lee, has entered its second season, after picking up a Best Actor award for its leading actor, Pierre Png, and a Silver Remi for Best TV Miniseries at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival.[11]

Lee was the first director to occupy Discovery Networks Asia's Documentary Director's Chair, a crossover programme for film and television filmmakers who have built a reputation for innovative, high-quality filmmaking to produce documentary work for Discovery Channel’s global network.[12]

His first feature film, Homecoming (笑着回家), starring Jack Neo, Ah Niu, Afdlin Shauki and Rebecca Lim was one of the top-grossing local films in Singapore and Malaysia in 2011.[13]

More recently, he was co-executive producer and director on "The Bridge," an Asian adaptation of the award-winning Scandinavian noir of the same name.[14]

He has appeared on The Straits Times' Power List in Entertainment, a barometer of the top ten most influential people in the local media industry.[15] and was most recently named in Variety as one of Singapore's 10 TV players to look out for.[16]

Filmography

Feature Credits
  • The Big Day (简单的婚礼) (2018)
  • Bring Back the Dead (招魂) (2015)
  • Everybody's Business (人人有粪) (2013)
  • Love...and Other Bad Habits (玩味爱情) (2013)
  • Homecoming (笑着回家) (2010)

TV Series
  • 128 Circle: Shaking Legs (2020) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Code Of Law: Final (2020) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • The Bridge 2 (2020) Co-executive Producer-Director
  • Forensik (2020) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • 128 Circle (2019) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • The Bridge (2018) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Snoops (2018) Executive Producer
  • Code Of Law (2012-2018) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • The Hush (2016) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Zero Calling (2014-2015) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • The School Bell Rings (2013-2015) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • The Pupil (2010-2011) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Calefare (2008) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Sense Of Home (2008) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • After Hours (2007) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Déjà vu (French TV Series) (2007) Director, 4 episodes
  • The Singapore Short Story Project (2003-2007) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Chase (2003) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Restless (2002) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • AlterAsians (2000-2001) Executive Producer-Director-Writer

Web Drama
  • Derek II (2019) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • I See You 看见看不见的你 (2019) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Derek (2019) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Divided 分裂 (2018) Executive Producer-Director-Writer

Telemovies
  • Rise (2016) Director-Writer
  • Wa-cheew! Rise Of A Kung Fu Chef (2016) Executive Producer
  • Two Boys And A Mermaid (2015) Executive Producer
  • Gone Case (2014) Executive Producer-Screenwriter
  • The Million Dollar Job: Raffles' Gold (2013) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • The Million Dollar Job (2012) Executive Producer-Director-Writer
  • Love 50%(爱情折扣) (2010) Director
  • Stories Of Love: A New Best Friend (2006) Writer-Director
  • Spoilt (2005) Director-Screenwriter
  • Amnesia (2002) Director

Documentaries
  • The Tokyo Shock Boys' Guide To Japan (2005, National Geographic) Director-Writer
  • Gourmet China: A Living Legacy (2005, Discovery Asia) Director

Short Films
  • Timepieces(2017) Director-Writer

Awards

The Bridge

  • Nominee, Best Director Of A Scripted TV Programme, 2020 ContentAsia Awards

Derek II

  • Nominee, Best Short-Form Drama Series, 2020 ContentAsia Awards

Divided 分裂

  • Country Winner, Singapore, Best Original Programme by a Streamer/OTT, 2018 Asian Academy Creative Awards

The Hush

  • Nominee, Best Actor In A Leading Role (Tony Eusoff), Asian Television Awards 2017
  • Nominee, Best Actor In A Leading Role (Remesh Panicker), Asian Television Awards 2017
  • Nominee, Best Original Screenplay, Asian Television Awards 2017
  • Nominee, Best Drama Series, Asian Television Awards 2016
  • Nominee, Best Direction (Fiction), Asian Television Awards 2016
  • Nominee, Best Original Screenplay, Asian Television Awards 2016

Rise

  • Highly Commended, Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Pierre Png), Asian Television Awards 2016

Bring Back The Dead

  • Best Theatrical Feature, Platinum Remi, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival 2015

Zero Calling

  • Best TV Miniseries, Silver Remi, WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival 2014
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role, Asian Television Awards 2014 (Pierre Png) (also nominated in 2015)
  • Highly Commended, Best Original Screenplay, Asian Television Awards 2014
  • Nominee, Best Direction, Asian Television Awards 2014
  • Second Prize, Television Drama Category, National Scriptwriting Competition

Code Of Law

  • Nominee, Best Digital Fiction and Non-fiction Programme or Series, Asian Television Awards 2015
  • Nominee, Best Original Screenplay, Asian Television Awards 2013

The Pupil

  • Finalist Award, New York Festivals 2011
  • Best Direction Commendation, Asian Television Awards 2010
  • Best Actress in a Leading Role, Asian Television Awards 2010 (Rebecca Lim)
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Asian Television Awards 2010 (Lim Kay Tong)

Homecoming (笑着回家)

  • Best Actor, Golden Wau Awards 2013 (Jack Neo)

The Singapore Short Story Project

  • Best Single Drama or Telemovie, Asian Television Awards 2008 (The Other)
  • Best Drama Series, Asian Television Awards 2003
  • Best Cinematography, Asian Television Awards 2003
  • Best Editing Commendation, Asian Television Awards 2003

AlterAsians

  • Best Single Drama or Telemovie, Asian Television Awards 2000 (Iris’ Rice Bowl)
  • Finalist Award, New York Festivals 2000 (Or Else, The Lightning God)
  • Highly Commended, Best Single Drama or Telemovie, Asian Television Awards 2001 (The Man In The Cupboard)[17]

References
  1. "Singapore's Digital & English Formats Score At Asian Television Awards 2014 » Popspoken". Popspoken.
  2. "How to improve S'pore's film, TV production: Lee Thean-jeen". Yahoo Entertainment Singapore. 23 March 2012.
  3. "Speech by Dr Tan Chin Nam, Chairman of Media Development Authority at the Media Education Scheme Awards Ceremony". Ministry of Communications and Information.
  4. "But Is The Book Better? Special Event: Gone Case". TicketMash.
  5. "Alter Asians [videorecording] / Arts Central presents ; a Film Formations production ; Mediacorp TV12 ; produced by Yvonne Koh, Sharon Ho. - Version details - Trove". nla.gov.au.
  6. "Newspaper Article - Awards can wait, actors must come first, says director of Alter Asians". nlb.gov.sg.
  7. "2000 Winners". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-05-21.
  8. National Library Board, Singapore. "The Singapore short story project [videorecording] : based on the short stories of Gopal Baratham, Geraldine Kan, Ho Min Fong, David Leo, Alfian Sa'at / Film Formations [for] MediaCorp TV12 Arts Central ; directed by Lee Thean-Jeen ; produced by Goh Kar Seen". nl.sg.
  9. "2003 Winners". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-05-22.
  10. "2010 Winners". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
  11. SAMANTHA GOH. "Zero in on Pierre Png". The Straits Times.
  12. "Discovery launches $3m Singapore pact". C21media.
  13. List of Singaporean films
  14. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hbo-asia-boards-regional-remake-bridge-1137925
  15. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Issue/straitstimes20081211-1.aspx
  16. https://variety.com/2018/tv/global/singapore-top-tv-players-1202979705/
  17. "2001 Winners". Asian Television Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13.
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