268 - Paul Sng

Paul Sng is a bi-racial British Chinese filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland whose work focuses on people who challenge the status quo. He has directed six feature documentaries, including Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliche (winner of BIFA 2021 Best Documentary, BIFA 2021 Raindance Discovery Award), Tish (Sheffield DocFest 2023 Opening Gala film) and Reality Is Not Enough (Edinburgh International Film Festival 2025 Closing Gala film). Paul strives to make bold and creatively ambitious films that connect emotionally with audiences, working collaboratively with great teams to tell stories about outsiders and amplify rebellious voices. In 2022 he was named as a BAFTA Breakthrough Artist and directed Folding, his first short drama film, funded by Screen Scotland and BFI Network.

In episode 268, Paul discusses, among other things:

• Growing up in London with a single mum
• Having outsider syndrome… and imposter syndrome, and using that to your advantage
• His educational history, including a couple of false starts
• Making a feature as his first ever film with the ‘confidence of ignorance’
• The importance of finding a good Producer (and what their job involves)
• The important questions he asks himself in considering whether to make a film
• Structure and working with an editor
• Applying the same narrative principles to documentary as are prevalent in fiction
• The creative treatment of actuality
• Finding an audience
• Currently in production, Little Warrior

Referenced:

• Trainspotting
• Symposium, Plato
• Bruce Lee
• Jackie Chan
• David Yip
• John Woo
• Wong Kar-Wai
• Colin McArthur
• Sleaford Mods
• Nathan Hannawin
• Bruce Robinson
• Orson Welles
• Rebecca Mark-Lawson
• Jennifer Corcoran
• Moonage Daydream
• The Atrocity Exhibition, JG Ballard
• The Man In The White Suit
• Emma Butt

Website | IMDB page | Instagram

Episode sponsor:

Aftershoot. Your complete AI workflow: Streamline photo culling, editing, and retouching so you can create stunning images, grow your business, and save 18+ hours every month. Try it completely free for a 30 day trial and get a 15% discount at checkout once you sign up with the code SMALLVOICEPOD.

Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month.
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides.
Follow me on Instagram here.
Build Yourself a Squarespace Website video course here.