Huang Junxiang pitches 'Build to Order' for gap financing in Taipei

Huang Junxiang is seeking gap financing and post-production partners for his debut feature, Build to Order, at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei this week. The dark comedy is currently in post-production and requires specific capital to complete audio work and color grading. The production is also looking for an international sales agent who aligns with the team's vision for the project.

The film follows Penny and Allan, two real estate agents who marry young to qualify for a public housing flat in Singapore. Despite their strategic decision, rising property prices leave the couple financially strained. They begin selling photographs of Penny’s feet online to supplement their income. This side business attracts a wealthy customer who makes an unusually large offer to suck her toes in person. The arrangement ends fatally when the customer suffers an allergic reaction and Allan fails to administer first aid. The couple hides the body in their freezer. Months later, the dead man’s widow asks them to sell her luxury mansion, creating a new financial opportunity that deepens their predicament of guilt and self-preservation.

Huang based the narrative on his own experience searching for a first home in Singapore. Property agents advised him to approach the purchase logically rather than emotionally to avoid lasting financial consequences. He notes that the high cost of living in Singapore often forces rational decisions that can erode personal relationships and identity. The film uses dark humor to explore how economic pressures shape personal choices.

Producer Macarius Chia states that housing costs and the expense of everyday life give the story relevance beyond Singapore. He was drawn to the script’s humor and its sustained attention to character. Executive producer Lim Teck views the production as a potential breakout Singaporean film. He cites the local importance of social advancement and considers the budget reasonable with promising commercial prospects.

The producers are using the festival to connect with contacts across the Asian film industry. Lim believes the film could find audiences in several Asian markets. The event, organized by the Taiwan Creative Content Agency, runs from November 6 to 9 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.