Singapore International Film Festival Explained

Singapore International Film Festival
Location:Singapore
Awards:Silver Screen Awards
Date:28 November to 8 December 2024

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) (Chinese: 新加坡国际电影节) is the longest-running film festival in Singapore, founded in 1987.[1] [2]

The 35th edition of SGIFF will take place from 28 November to 8 December 2024.

History

Originally launched to give local audiences an opportunity to watch independent and non-commercial films, the festival is now recognized worldwide by film critics for its focus on Asian filmmakers and promotion of Southeast Asian films.

The SGIFF was founded by Geoff Malone and Mill Valley Film Festival board member L. Leland Whitney in 1987.[3]

The 24th edition of SGIFF hekd in 2011 faced issues such as poor organisation and financial woes due to lack of sponsorships.[4] Founder Geoffrey Malone also resigned as the chairman of the Board of Directors with Shaw Soo Wei, former Executive Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, taking over as the chairman.

The SGIFF went on a hiatus for the next two years and in 2013, Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim announced the 25th edition of the SGIFF will be held in 2014 in combination with the Asia TV Forum and Market, Screen Singapore and the Asian Television Awards in a two-week event.

For the 33rd edition in 2022, the film

  1. LookAtMe
, directed by Ken Kwek, was originally scheduled to be screened at the SGIFF but was refused classification by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which effectively barred the film from being screened in Singapore for "its potential to cause enmity and social division".[5] IMDA, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Home Affairs also stated that the pastor in the film engages "in an act prohibited by his professed religious faiths"; that the depictions of the pastor in the film are "suggestive of a real pastor in Singapore", and the allegations may be "perceived to be offensive, defamatory and contrary to the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act".[6] However, even with the ban, SGIFF decided to include the film in its advertised line-up, though the film was marked as unavailable for screening.[7] [8]

For the 35th edition in 2024, the SGIFF was managed by a new general manager, Jeremy Chua.[9] Local actress Rebecca Lim was named as SGIFF's first ambassador for the festival. Daniel Hui's film, Small Hours Of The Night, an official selection for the SGIFF was submitted for classification by IMDA for the festival but was refused classification by IMDA in November.[10] The lack of classification for the film resulted it being unable to screen at the SGIFF.[11] SGIFF programme director Thong Kay Wee continued to support the film and list it as an official selection.

Edition YearOpening film Closing film
1st 1987 The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques AnnaudThe Mission by Roland Joffé[12]
2nd1989 The Glass Menagerie by Paul NewmanTestimony by Tony Palmer[13]
3rd1990 The Children by Tony PalmerBlue Steel by Kathryn Bigelow[14]
4th1991 Cyrano de Bergerac by Jean-Paul RappeneauDreams by Akira Kurosawa[15]
5th1992 Raise the Red Lantern by Zhang YimouA Brighter Summer Day by Edward Yang[16]
6th1993 The Trial by David JonesStrictly Ballroom by Baz Luhrmann[17]
7th1994 The Blue Kite by Tian ZhuangzhuangThe Scent of Green Papaya by Tran Anh Hung[18]
8th1995 The Red Lotus Society by Stan LaiAmateur by Hal Hartley[19]
9th1996 The Confessional by Robert LepageMemories by Kōji Morimoto, Tensai Okamura and Katsuhiro Otomo[20]
10th1997 Gabbeh by Mohsen MakhmalbafBreaking the Waves by Lars von Trier[21]
11th1998 Hana-bi by Takeshi KitanoHappy Together by Wong Kar-wai[22]
12th1999 Ordinary Heroes by Ann HuiThe Hole by Tsai Ming-liang[23]
13th2000 Monday by SabuThe Wind Will Carry Us by Abbas Kiarostami[24]
14th2001 Yi Yi by Edward YangEureka by Shinji Aoyama[25]
15th2002 Kandahar by Mohsen MakhmalbafWhat Time Is It There? by Tsai Ming-liang[26]
16th2003 Chi-hwa-seon by Im Kwon-taekDivine Intervention by Elia Suleiman[27]
17th2004 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring by Kim Ki-dukGoodbye, Dragon Inn by Tsai Ming-liang[28]
18th2005 Steamboy by Katsuhiro Otomo by Mamoru Oshii[29]
19th2006 Dunia by Jocelyne Saab by Royston Tan[30]
20th2007 Sankara by Prasanna JayakodyOpera Jawa by Garin Nugroho[31]
21st2008 The Princess of Nebraska by Wayne WangRoad to Dawn by Derek Chiu[32]
22nd2009 Sincerely Yours by Rich LeeMilk by Semih Kaplanoğlu[33]
23rd2010 Mao's Last Dancer by Bruce BeresfordDear Doctor by Miwa Nishikawa[34]
24th2011 Red Light Revolution by Sam VoutasSenna by Asif Kapadia[35]
25th2014 Unlucky Plaza by Ken KwekIn the Absence of the Sun by Lucky Kuswandi[36]
26th2015 Panay by Cheng Yu-chieh [37]
27th2016 [38]
28th2017 Angels Wear White by Vivian Qu[39]
29th2018 Cities of Last Things by Ho Wi Ding[40]
30th2019 Wet Season by Anthony ChenThe Truth by Hirokazu Kore-eda[41]
31st2020 Tiong Bahru Social Club by Tan Bee Thiam[42]
32nd2021 Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash by Edwin[43]
33rd2022 Assault by Adilkhan Yerzhanov[44]
34th2023 Tiger Stripes by Amanda Nell Eu[45]
35th2024Stranger Eyes by Yeo Siew Hua

Awards

See main article: List of Singapore International Film Festival awards.

The Silver Screen Awards Competition was introduced in 1991 to encourage advances in Asian film-making standards.[46] Every year, a selection of Asian feature and short films take part in the competition. In 2014, the Southeast Asian Short Film category was introduced, replacing the Singapore Short Film category. The first Southeast Asian Film Lab was introduced in 2015.[47]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Angels Wear White' to Open Singapore Film Festival. Patrick. Frater. 17 October 2017.
  2. Web site: Golden Horse-nominated thriller Angels Wear White to open the Singapore International Film Festival. hermesauto. 17 October 2017.
  3. News: Lui . John . 21 February 2022 . Geoff Malone, architect and co-founder of Singapore International Film Festival, dies after long illness . 24 December 2022 . . Singapore.
  4. Web site: Loh . Genevieve Sarah . 5 December 2013 . S’pore film festival to return after 2 years . 3 December 2024 . . en.
  5. Web site: Chew . Hui Min . 17 October 2022 . Local film #LookAtMe barred from screening in Singapore over potential to cause social division . 17 October 2022 . . en.
  6. Web site: IMDA refuses classification for local film #LookAtMe for denigrating religious community . 17 October 2022 . TODAY . en.
  7. News: Lui . John . 26 October 2022 . SGIFF 2022 to open with Kazakh film, Ken Kwek's banned #LookAtMe still part of festival programme . 28 October 2022 . . en.
  8. Web site: Wong . Silvia . 26 October 2022 . Singapore film festival stands by banned film '#LookAtMe' (exclusive) . 28 October 2022 . Screen . en.
  9. Web site: 4 October 2024 . Singapore International Film Festival 2024 to open with Stranger Eyes, Rebecca Lim named first-ever ambassador . 2 December 2024 . CNA Lifestyle . en.
  10. Web site: Singapore film about censorship refused classification by IMDA, remains in SGIFF lineup . 8 November 2024 . CNA Lifestyle . en.
  11. Web site: Singapore film about censorship refused classification by IMDA, remains in SGIFF lineup . 8 November 2024 . CNA Lifestyle . en.
  12. News: 6 February 1987 . It's a multinational feast . 3 December 2024 . . 28 . NewspaperSG.
  13. Web site: 1989: SGIFF 2 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  14. Web site: 1990: SGIFF 3 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  15. Web site: 1991: SGIFF 4 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  16. Web site: 1992: SGIFF 5 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  17. Web site: 1993: SGIFF 6 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  18. Web site: 1994: SGIFF 7 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  19. Web site: 1995: SGIFF 8 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  20. Web site: 1996: SGIFF 9 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  21. Web site: 1997: SGIFF 10 - Singapore International Film Festival. 17 October 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20150519011939/http://sgiff.com/explore-past-festivals/1997-sgiff-10/. 19 May 2015. dead.
  22. Web site: 1998: SGIFF 11 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  23. Web site: 1999: SGIFF 12 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  24. Web site: 2000: SGIFF 13 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  25. Web site: 2001: SGIFF 14 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  26. Web site: 2002: SGIFF 15 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  27. Web site: 2003: SGIFF 16 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  28. Web site: 2004: SGIFF 17 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  29. Web site: 2005: SGIFF 18 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  30. Web site: 2006: SGIFF 19 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  31. Web site: 2007: SGIFF 20 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  32. Web site: 2008: SGIFF 21 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  33. Web site: 2009: SGIFF 22 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  34. Web site: 2010: SGIFF 23 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  35. Web site: 2011: SGIFF 24 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  36. Web site: 2014: SGIFF 25 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  37. Web site: 2015: SGIFF 26 . Singapore International Film Festival . 26 October 2023 . 26 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231026101403/https://sgiff.com/past-edition/2015-26/ . live.
    Web site: India's 'The Fourth Direction' takes top award at Singapore fest . Silvia . Wong . . 7 December 2015 . 26 October 2023 . 26 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231026101854/https://www.screendaily.com/indias-the-fourth-direction-takes-top-award-at-singapore-fest/5097669.article . live.
  38. Web site: 2016: SGIFF 27 - Singapore International Film Festival.
  39. Web site: 2017: SGIFF 28 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20231013181552/https://sgiff.com/past-edition/2017-28/ . 13 October 2023 . 13 October 2023 . Singapore International Film Festival.
  40. Web site: Festival 2018 - Singapore International Film Festival .
  41. Web site: Frater . Patrick . Singapore Festival to Focus on Asian Excellence for 30th Edition . Variety . 24 October 2019 . en . 22 October 2019.
  42. Web site: Frater . Patrick . Singapore Festival Unveils Lineup for Hybrid Edition . Variety . 5 November 2020 . en . 5 November 2020.
  43. Web site: 13 November 2022 . Past Edition – 2021 - SGIFF 2022 . 4 January 2023 . sgiff.com.
  44. News: Lui . John . SGIFF 2022 to open with Kazakh film, Ken Kwek’s banned #LookAtMe still part of festival programme . 4 January 2023 . The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings . 26 October 2022 . en.
  45. Web site: Singapore film festival unveils 2023 lineup, honorary award for Fan Bingbing. Michael . Rosser . 26 October 2023 . 11 December 2023 . ScreenDaily. en.
  46. Web site: Singapore International Film Festival’s Silver Screen Award for Best Film (Singapore Short Film) . 22 December 2023 . www.roots.gov.sg.
  47. Web site: Brzeski . Patrick . 15 July 2014 . Singapore Film Fest to Launch Southeast Asian Film Lab . 22 December 2023 . The Hollywood Reporter . en-US.

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