A Celebration of Global and Local Cinema
The 36th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) has announced its full lineup, marking a significant milestone in the world of cinema. The festival will open with Shu Qi's award-winning directorial debut "Girl," which received critical acclaim and won her the best director award at the Busan International Film Festival. This film sets the tone for an event that promises to showcase a diverse array of cinematic achievements from around the globe.
In addition to the opening film, the festival is set to honor Deepa Mehta, who will become the first-ever female recipient of the Cinema Honorary Award. This prestigious award recognizes filmmakers who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema. Past recipients include notable names such as Takashi Miike, Garin Nugroho, and Jafar Panahi.
Expanding the Scope of the Festival
This year’s SGIFF will feature over 120 films from more than 45 countries, highlighting the growing international appeal of the festival. The event is part of the Singapore Media Festival hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority. One of the most anticipated honors this year is the Screen Icon Award, which will be presented to Youn Yuh-jung, making her the first South Korean recipient of this accolade.
Shu Qi, known for her collaborations with renowned Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, will attend the opening alongside lead actor Bai Xiao-Ying and actor-singer 9m88. In addition to "Girl," she will also appear in Bi Gan's "Resurrection," which will screen in the Undercurrent section dedicated to experimental filmmaking. She will also participate in an In Conversation session with returning festival ambassador Rebecca Lim.
A Focus on Local Talent
The festival has significantly expanded its local programming, featuring more than 30 feature and short films by Singaporean filmmakers and co-producers. This is double the number of local short films compared to last year. These works will be showcased across the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition and the Singapore Panorama, a section dedicated to features and shorts that reflect the nation's evolving social and cultural landscape.
Several world premieres will highlight the Singaporean slate. "Sandbox," directed by James Thoo, is a mockumentary featuring Peps Goh, Benjamin Kheng, Estelle Fly, Nathan Hartono, Fauzi Azzhar, and Oon Shu An. Other notable films in the Singapore Panorama include "At Home with Work" by Adar Ng and Dave Lim, "The Old Man and His Car" by Michael Kam, and "Coda" by Jac Min, a Singapore-Japan co-production. Veteran actor Qi Yuwu makes his directorial debut with the short film "Cendol," starring Sharon Au.
A Diverse Lineup of International Films
The Asian Feature Film Competition has seen a significant evolution, expanding beyond emerging directors to include filmmakers at every stage of their careers. Lucrecia Martel, an Argentine filmmaker, will serve as the jury head. The competition lineup presents a vibrant cross-section of regional cinema featuring 10 titles.
From Japan, Yuriyan Retriever's "Mag Mag" played at Beyond Fest, Sitges Film Festival, and the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma de Montréal. Tan Siyou's "Amoeba," a Singapore co-production, played at Toronto, while Thailand's Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke brings "A Useful Ghost," which won the Grand Prize at Cannes Critics' Week.
India's Rohan Parashuram Kanawade competes with "Cactus Pears," which won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance – the first Indian fiction film to achieve this honor. Compatriot Tribeny Rai's Indo-Korean co-production "Shape of Momo" played at Busan, where it won the Taipei Film Commission Award and Songwon Vision Award, and also played at San Sebastián's New Directors section.
Thai filmmaker Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit's "Human Resource" played at Venice's Horizons section, Busan, Vancouver, and the BFI London Film Festival. Japan's Sho Miyake presents "Two Seasons, Two Strangers," which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno and played in competition at Busan. Sri Lanka's Lalith Rathnayake competes with "Riverstone," which won best script and best cinematography at the Shanghai International Film Festival's Asian New Talent section.
From China, Chen Deming's documentary "Always" played at CPH:DOX, where it won the main prize, and also received the best film award at Jeonju. Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri's "Black Rabbit, White Rabbit," a Tajikistan-UAE co-production, played at Busan and won the inaugural IFFI Vision Asia Award. The film also played at the BFI London Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival, and has been selected as Tajikistan's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Honoring Legacy and Innovation
Deepa Mehta will receive the Cinema Honorary Award and participate in an In Conversation session. The festival will also showcase her acclaimed Elements trilogy – "Fire" (1996), "Earth" (1998), and "Water" (2005) – alongside "Funny Boy" (2020) in the Deepa Mehta in Focus retrospective as part of the festival's Landmark section dedicated to newly restored classics.
Introduced in 2014, the Cinema Honorary Award celebrates filmmakers who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema. Past recipients include Japan's Takashi Miike, Indonesia's Garin Nugroho, and Iran's Jafar Panahi in 2024.
Youn Yuh-jung will receive the Screen Icon Award and also take part in an In Conversation session.
Expanding the Festival's Reach
The festival's Foreground section will feature a special presentation of "This City Is A Battlefield (Perang Kota)," welcoming Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya and lead actors Chicco Jerikho, Ariel Tatum, and Jerome Kurnia. The seven-country co-production includes Singapore. The section opens with "Arco," a hand-drawn animated feature co-presented with the vOilah! French Film Festival, with animator Adam Sillard in attendance.
The female-driven Landmark section expands from the Deepa Mehta showcase to include restored classics that trace a cinematic lineage of women who transformed Asian cinema. "The Arch" (1968) by T'ang Shushuen, Hong Kong's first female film director, had its 4K restoration premiere at Cannes Classics earlier this year. "Gehenu Lamai (The Girls)" (1978) by Sumitra Peries, Sri Lanka's first female filmmaker, also received a 4K restoration that premiered at Cannes Classics. "The Razor's Edge" (1985) by Jocelyne Saab, Lebanon's pioneering female filmmaker, rounds out the showcase.
"At its heart, the film offers an intimate, autobiographical perspective, capturing the teenage struggles of living and surviving in a hostile adult world, while examining questions of identity, resilience and self-discovery," said SGIFF Programme Director Thong Kay Wee about the opening film. "As a powerful gateway into the festival's wider slate, ‘Girl' invites audiences to connect personally with films that do not shy away from difficult, challenging topics, while reaffirming the festival's commitment to programming works that embrace raw, human and authentic storytelling."
Looking Ahead
SGIFF is in active discussions with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth to include eligible local film programs under the SG Culture Pass, a nation-wide scheme to enhance Singaporeans' access to local arts and heritage experiences. The festival's industry platform, SGIFF Industry Days, will also return following its successful inaugural edition in 2024.
The Singapore International Film Festival runs from Nov. 26-Dec. 7.
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