Friends of AFA members may bring a friend for free by choosing the “General + Friends of AFA” option that covers one pair of tickets. 

4K RESTORATION
Director: Mat Sentol and John Calvert
Runtime: 96 minutes
Country: Singapore
Language: Malay with English subtitles
Rating: PG13

Courtesy of Cathay-Keris Films

Full Synopsis

Mat lives on Ghost Island and practices as an amateur magician who constantly makes mistakes during his performances. One day at sea, he encounters a troupe led by a famous American magician, John Calvert, and invites them to perform at the birthday party for the King of Ghost Island.

The film is the only title in the Cathay-Keris catalogue jointly directed by Mat Sentol, and American magician and film actor John Calvert. It marked an early creative collaboration between Singapore and Hollywood and was the concluding film of the Mat series produced by Cathay-Keris.This restored version of Mat Magic screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in 2021.

Restoration Notes

The restoration of Mat Magic (1971) was made possible using a sole-surviving 16mm release print from the Asian Film Archive: Cathay-Keris Malay Classics Collection.

The print was affected with vinegar syndrome and contained numerous deep scratches on the emulsion and base. A lot of the splices made with tape and cement had deteriorated and had to be repaired to enable the process of digitisation. Damage from broken perforations, shrinkage and tears were uncovered, requiring extensive manual repair and reconstruction of many frames.

To digitally restore the film, 2,650 hours were spent on restoration work that included scratch removal, stabilising, deflickering, and colour correction. Additional audio processing such as noise, clicks, and hum removal had to be carried out to ensure a better auditory experience.

The film was scanned at 4K and restored in 2K resolution by L’Immagine Ritrovata in 2019 and completed in 2020.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

The full Retrospective: Mat Sentol programme can be found here. Tickets will go on sale Friday, 29 March 2022.

Friends of AFA members may select the “Friends of AFA” option and enter your membership number if you wish to redeem your remaining complimentary tickets.

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre does not play ads and screenings will start promptly. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime. Arrive early so as not to disrupt the screenings. All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online to be able to secure a seat. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred. Mask-wearing is required at all times for both staff and patrons.

T&Cs
Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.

Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.

Upon confirmation of your order for Tickets, no exchange of Tickets will be made under any circumstances and Tickets are not transferable. No refund on Tickets will be made under any circumstances except due to cancellation of the event. The resale of Tickets at any price is prohibited.