That Girl in a Pinafore is a coming-of-age tale centred on a group of teenage boys and their love of xinyao—homegrown Mandarin music of the 1990s. There are two narratives: a fight to bring business back to a struggling music pub owned by one of the boy’s parents, and a blossoming adolescent love story.

School drop out Jia Ming works hard to sustain a folk music cafe managed by his parents. The cafe is on the verge of breaking down but Jia Ming has one chance to revive it with his friends who are suspended from school because of their porn magazine business. These boys who are full of pop star dreams and aspirations meet three girls, one of which changes their lives forever.

The film features a great soundtrack, particularly the infectious theme song The Sparrow with a Bamboo Twig.

Think of films like Stand by Me and The Breakfast Club mixed with 90s Singapore pop culture and you’ve got That Girl in a Pinafore.