Content creator Annette Lee’s film-making debut: Sleepless nights over her ‘second baby’
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Annette Lee's feature film debut, Dream Stall, started production on Oct 8.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Follow topic:
- Anthony Chen inspired Annette Lee to create a Singaporean comedy, leading to her debut film, Dream Stall, set to release mid-2026.
- Dream Stall is a bilingual comedy written by and starring Lee, about a graduate who takes over her family's bak kut teh stall.
- Mark Lee supports the film as her father, while Xander Pang makes his debut, with filming in Singapore and Malaysia.
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SINGAPORE – It was a random conversation at a work event in 2022 with home-grown film-maker Anthony Chen that planted the seed for local content creator Annette Lee’s next big career leap.
The Cannes-winning writer-director of Ilo Ilo (2013) fame suggested she consider a comedy.
“When Anthony asks you to think about making a movie, you should do it,” Lee tells The Straits Times at the Singapore Oceanarium on Oct 8.
The 33-year-old social media personality was announcing the start of production of her debut feature film Dream Stall
Dream Stall is an English-Mandarin comedy about Enya (Lee), a university graduate who takes over her family’s bak kut teh stall that is managed by her father (Mark Lee).
Annette Lee (centre) with her Dream Stall actors (from left) Xixi Lim, Xander Pang, Ya Hui and Jaspers Lai.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
The unexpected encouragement from Chen, 41, three years ago made Annette Lee realise she had a story to tell. She had then taken time off from her day job after giving birth to her son, whom she shares with husband Raphael Foo, a 35-year-old hedge fund manager.
It was also the nudge Lee needed to revisit the dream she had harboured since her undergraduate days at Nanyang Technological University, when she was making short films. She graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art, Design and Media.
Dream Stall is inspired by her own creative journey and the struggles of young Singaporeans pursuing unconventional careers, such as running hawker stalls.
Lee is grateful to her co-star, local veteran comedian-actor Mark Lee, who was the first person to support her project.
“When I briefly mentioned to him that I may be working on a film, he volunteered to take on any role.”
She adds: “I took his word for it, so when I asked him if he could play my father, he readily agreed. I was very touched.”
From stage to screen
Xander Pang is making his feature film debut in Annette Lee's Dream Stall.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Lee is not the only newcomer to film-making in Dream Stall. Her co-star Pang, 25, is also making his movie debut.
The younger son of local actor Adrian Pang and Tracie Pang, artistic director of theatre company Pangdemonium, plays Preston, a popular food YouTuber.
While he has performed in stage plays, such as Pangdemonium’s production of Dear Evan Hansen in 2024, being in front of the camera can be quite intimidating.
“Theatre is scary in its own way, but film is a different beast,” says Pang. “It is quite daunting because of the sheer scale of the film, and while you can retake a bad shot unlike in a live performance, you have no control over the final take.”
The young actor also stresses he sees no need to seek acting advice from his famous parents.
“Annette has a clear idea of what she wants from me,” says Pang, adding that Lee passed him a list of food- and cooking-related movies, like Ratatouille (2007), to watch for his preparation.
He adds that he has also watched the popular South Korean cooking competition series Culinary Class Wars (2024) to see how real chefs cook, and next on his to-watch list is another Netflix hit – K-drama Bon Appetit, Your Majesty (2025).
“My character is deeply enthusiastic about food, and every time he tastes something, it becomes a personal and immersive experience.”
