2014
Founders Karen Tan, Blaise Trigg-Smith, and Tan’s sister Sharon – who steps down in 2019 – conceive the idea of a cinema screening indie films in Golden Mile Tower on Beach Road.
In an interview with The Straits Times, Karen, a former investment banker, says she was inspired by the energy and sense of “unexpected community” she experienced in Shoreditch, London, which she had frequented while working in the UK.
The vintage cinema opens its doors to the public with two halls that formerly belonged to Golden Theatre cinema – a 1970s picture house that was, at different points in time, known for screening Mandarin films, adult movies and Bollywood pictures.
2017
The cinema expands to include an additional hall.
APR 30, 2021
During Covid-19, The Projector launches its first pop-up cinema, Projector X: Riverside, at Riverside Point in Clarke Quay, as part of a series of planned pop-up theatres.
With seating that adheres to social distancing guidelines, the experimental cinema occupies the space of a defunct Chinese nightclub that was refashioned into a 48-seater cinema and bar. It operates until late 2022.
JUN 2023
The indie cinema announces the opening of its second permanent branch at Cineleisure on Grange Road, in collaboration with Golden Village.
Known as Golden Village x The Projector, it replaces Cathay Cineplexes, which exits the venue at the end of the month.
Aug 7, 2024
Golden Mile Tower’s collective sale committee seeks approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to redevelop the complex into a 46,253-square-metre (sq m) mixed-use development, hoping that this would signal the property’s redevelopment potential to prospective buyers.
The proposal entails developing Golden Mile Tower into a 35-storey office and residential tower, a 32-storey office and hotel tower, and a five-storey retail podium.
Dec 2023
Movie screenings commence under the collaboration, which offers mainstream hits alongside alternative films. The Projector and Golden Village each run three theatres at the former Cathay Cineplexes premises.
DEC 23, 2024
URA rejects the proposal, but puts forward two options.
One allows Golden Mile Tower to be entirely redeveloped, but caps the building height at 145 m and the gross floor area at the complex’s existing 38,953.72 sq m.
The alternative grants more leeway for the property to be redeveloped, with a maximum gross floor area of 48,871.2 sq m and a 164 m height limit, provided the cinema block is conserved.
Golden Mile Tower currently comprises an 18-storey office tower on top of a six-storey retail and car park podium containing the cinema block – which houses The Projector and Carnival Cinemas, a theatre that focuses on South Asian and Bollywood films.
Jan 25, 2025
The Projector marks its 10th year of business.
aug 3, 2025
The Projector holds its final screenings at Cineleisure.
Aug 19, 2022
Pop-up outlet Projector X: Pop-up outlet Projector X: Picturehouse opens at The Cathay building, taking over the space formerly occupied by Cathay Cineplexes, which closed at the Handy Road complex in June 2022.
The pop-up cinema’s name pays homage to the 1990s art house theatre The Picturehouse, which once occupied an extension beside the historic Cathay building.
Projector X: Picturehouse ends its run after 11 months, when the mall closes for renovations.
MAY 5, 2025
It stops daily screenings at Golden Mile Tower to focus on special events and curated experiences there, while screening movies daily at Cineleisure.
The move is described as a strategic pivot to help the indie cinema plan for its future, as talks of a Golden Mile Tower en bloc sale continue.
2014
aug 1, 2025
The Projector announces its exit from its tie-up with Golden Village at Cineleisure mall and its return to its original Golden Mile space – a move that co-founder Karen describes as a “return to (its) roots”.
This comes as the latest en bloc sale exercise for Golden Mile Tower closes with no transaction.
Golden Village, which jointly manages the Cineleisure outlet with The Projector, says it will fully manage operations of the space from Aug 4.
aug 19, 2025
The Projector announces its immediate closure and enters voluntary liquidation, citing industry challenges that make “sustaining an independent model in Singapore especially challenging”.
aug 6, 2025
Screenings resume at Golden Mile Tower.
Cinema hall at The Projector. PHOTO: BT FILE
The Cathay. PHOTO: BT FILE
Golden Mile Tower after redevelopment. PHOTO: FAR EAST ORGANIZATION AND PERENNIAL HOLDINGS
The Projector at Golden Mile Tower. PHOTO: BT FILE
GRAPHICS: TEOH YI CHIE, BT
Karen Tan, the co-founder of The Projector. PHOTO: BT FILE
The Projector’s first pop-up joint, Projector X: Riverside, opened during the pandemic and featured socially distanced seating. PHOTO: THE PROJECTOR
The No Spoilers bar at Projector X: Picturehouse, The Projector’s pop-up outlet at The Cathay. PHOTO: BT FILE
The entrance to The Majestic, one of the halls at the Golden Village x The Projector at Cineleisure. The cinema operators ran three halls each at the jointly managed space. PHOTO: BT FILE
2025