新客 Xin Ke (The Immigrant)

History
Silent film "New Friend (新客)" (1927) is thought to be the first film ever made in Singapore. Shot entirely on location on the island, it was made in the midst of the development of film production and was released a year after Runme Shaw arrived in Singapore to begin their then fledging film exhibition business. The film was targeted at the newly arrived Chinese immigrant community and touched on social issues of the local Chinese diaspora. It was the first and last Singapore film its producer, Liu Peh Jing, would make.

According to Thail scholar Nangaen Chearavanont's publishing, trial film (6 of 9 reels films) has shown at 8:00 p.m. on 4th March, 1927 (Friday), it was a free film trial show in Victoria Theatre at High Street, Singapore. On page 34 to 35, posted some photographs chips from film specials, stills, plots, cast tables, ..., etc.(Nangaen Chearavanont 2013); On chapter three, posted its film official special issue (1927 released) articles from the film producer, director and film heroine, seating paln of Singapore Victoria Theatre in 1927, ... (Nangaen Chearavanont 2014); and this film has been released in Hong Kong with another Chinese film name "(唐山來客)" from 29th April to 2nd May, 1927 (new clips appeared on youtube hkgalbert video, 14th May 2013).

The film enjoyed its premiere at the Marlborough Theatre but details of its director and actual news clippings of it cannot be found.

Significance
"New Friend (新客)" (1927) stands as an exception amongst the largely culturally and visually Malay films that would follow after. It was literally the only Chinese film to be made in decades to come. Using Chinese actors and dialogue, it was also produced by the Chinese. From here, a trend emerged with the local film producers mainly hailing from Chinese descent. They would go on to fund even Malay films, with Shaw and Cathay being two very prominent examples of Chinese-backed Malay film studios.