SINGAPORE, June 23 -- The Singapore government will adopt a more "flexible approach" toward the screening of dialect films in cinemas, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) announced on Monday.

The shift comes amid a surge of public interest in Chinese dialects, sparked by the massive box-office success of Dear You. While the film is screened commercially in Mandarin, its original Teochew version has become a cultural lightning rod, triggering a wider conversation about identity and heritage in the city-state, CNA reported.

Under the current framework, distributors must apply for permission to screen films in dialects. However, the ministry confirmed that the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will now be m...