After more than a decade without a dedicated closing event, the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is bringing back one final big-screen gathering to round off its 37th edition with a film that promises crime, dark comedy and a distinctly modern kind of chaos.
The festival will close on 1 November with the Asian premiere of Vintage Violence, the latest feature from Ukrainian-American filmmaker Eugene Kotlyarenko, starring Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara. Following its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of the Toronto International Film Festival, the film will make its regional debut at Capitol Theatre, giving Singapore audiences the first chance in Asia to experience its collision of action, romance and social-media-fuelled mayhem.
Kotlyarenko, Sprouse and Mizuhara will also be in Singapore for an “In Conversation With” session on 31 October, offering audiences a closer look at the ideas behind the film and the creative choices that bring its screen-saturated world to life.
In Vintage Violence, technology is more than a backdrop. Messages, livestreams, gaming and digital spectatorship shape how the characters see the world, interact with one another and experience the action unfolding around them.
The film embraces the excesses of contemporary screen culture, blending a frenetic visual style with yakuza-fuelled crime, romance, action and dark comedy. Its deliberately chaotic approach reflects a world in which the boundaries between private experience and public spectacle have become increasingly blurred.
That makes it a fitting choice for SGIFF’s closing night, arriving over Halloween weekend with an energetic mix of genre filmmaking and commentary on the ways technology has changed our relationship with the world — and with one another.
“After more than a decade, we are excited to bring back the Festival Closing as a moment for audiences to come together for one final film on the big screen,” said SGIFF Executive Director Jeremy Chua. “Vintage Violence felt like the right film to close this edition — unruly, contemporary and deeply attuned to the ways technology has changed how we see, share and experience the world around us.”
Chua added that the film’s combination of crime, action and dark comedy would bring energy and unpredictability to the final night, while inviting audiences to reflect on the screen culture that increasingly shapes everyday life.
Before the closing screening, audiences can hear directly from Kotlyarenko, Sprouse and Mizuhara during an “In Conversation With” session on 31 October at 11am at the National Museum of Singapore.
The discussion will explore Kotlyarenko’s interest in contemporary screen culture and how it informs his filmmaking, with the director sharing insights into the creative process behind Vintage Violence. The conversation will also look at the collaboration between the two lead actors and how they have approached screen performances across their careers.
The session is part of SGIFF’s wider programme of conversations with filmmakers and performers from across Asian cinema. Aamir Khan, Peter Chan and Shim Eun-kyung are scheduled to appear on 22 October, followed by Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda on 24 October and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong on 29 October.
Together, these conversations offer audiences opportunities to look beyond the finished film and hear from the people shaping cinema across different industries, generations and creative traditions.
The return of a dedicated Festival Closing marks a significant moment for SGIFF, which has long brought Singapore audiences into contact with films and filmmakers from around the world. With Vintage Violence, the festival is ending its 37th edition with a work that engages directly with the digital present while embracing the shared experience of watching cinema in a theatre.
Photo Credit: SGIFF
The 37th SGIFF runs from 21st October to 1st November 2026. Tickets for the Festival Closing screening of Vintage Violence and the film’s “In Conversation With” session will go on sale from 11 October at 12pm. More information and lineup available via their website here
