Singapore Film Society takes over Golden Village Cineleisure Hall 6 with SFS Somerset – a new home for indie film lovers

If your idea of a perfect night out involves thoughtful cinema, intimate screenings and conversations that linger long after the credits roll, there’s a new space in town to add to your list. On 1 January 2026, the Singapore Film Society (SFS) opens SFS Somerset, a dedicated screening venue tucked inside Hall 6 of Golden Village Cineleisure. Designed for both members and curious newcomers, the … Continue reading Singapore Film Society takes over Golden Village Cineleisure Hall 6 with SFS Somerset – a new home for indie film lovers

Arts of Hong Kong: An Interview with Hong Kong film and theatre power couple Rosa Maria Velasco and German Cheung Ming Yiu

Rosa Maria Velasco has been to Singapore many times, but always in a hurry. The city, for her, has long been a place of arrival and departure; rehearsals folded into performance schedules, nights measured in curtain calls rather than conversations. But this visit feels different. She is here not to perform, but to meet audiences, to talk, to listen, and to understand what it means … Continue reading Arts of Hong Kong: An Interview with Hong Kong film and theatre power couple Rosa Maria Velasco and German Cheung Ming Yiu

SGIFF 2025 draws to a close with 44 sold-out screenings and 33% increase in tickets sold

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), part of the Singapore Media Festival 2025 hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), closed its 36th edition on a historic high on 7 December, setting a new festival record with 44 sold-out screenings. For the third consecutive year, SGIFF achieved a new box office record, with ticket sales rising 33% from 2024. This year, the festival also saw its strongest turnout with a 28.7% increase in participation compared to last year, marking the festival’s strongest … Continue reading SGIFF 2025 draws to a close with 44 sold-out screenings and 33% increase in tickets sold

SGIFF 2025: SGIFilmFeud and #SaveOurCinemas bring up urgent conversation on the state and future of cinema

In the era of the streaming wars and the grief from closure of major cinemas, this year’s Singapore International Film Festival raised the pertinent question of the now and future state of communal film culture in Singapore across two panel discussions. Though framed differently, one gamified and playful, the other urgent and elegiac, SGIFilmFeud and #SaveOurCinemas, converged and circled the anxieties, structural challenges, and diminishing … Continue reading SGIFF 2025: SGIFilmFeud and #SaveOurCinemas bring up urgent conversation on the state and future of cinema

SGIFF announces winners of the 2025 Silver Screen Awards, honouring excellence across Asian cinema

In a night shimmering with cinematic daring, the 36th Singapore International Film Festival unveiled the winners of its 2025 Silver Screen Awards, an event that once again affirmed Southeast Asia as one of the world’s most vibrant storytelling regions brimming with potential. First introduced in 1991 as the pioneering international competition devoted to Asian cinema, the Silver Screen Awards have long stood as a beacon … Continue reading SGIFF announces winners of the 2025 Silver Screen Awards, honouring excellence across Asian cinema

SGIFF 2025: An Interview with ‘Silent Friend’ director ldikó Enyedi and star Tony Leung

For Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, her new work Silent Friend began as an instinct, an idea circling her for decades about how humans seek connection with the natural world. “I wrote this script very instinctively,” she says. “These topics were interesting to me for decades.” The film moves across three vastly different eras—1908, 1972, and 2020—each anchored by a centuries-old ginkgo tree and characters whose … Continue reading SGIFF 2025: An Interview with ‘Silent Friend’ director ldikó Enyedi and star Tony Leung

SGIFF 2025: An Interview with Girl 女孩 director Shu Qi, and stars Bai Xiao-Ying and 9m88

When Girl opened the 2025 Singapore International Film Festival at Marina Bay Sands, the theatre was filled to its edges, with filmmakers, industry regulars, influencers, and longtime fans gathered to witness one of Asia’s most beloved stars step into a bold new role. For Shu Qi, who has spent decades defining onscreen charisma, the packed house represented both the reputation she’d built up over the … Continue reading SGIFF 2025: An Interview with Girl 女孩 director Shu Qi, and stars Bai Xiao-Ying and 9m88

★★★★☆ Film Review: Girl 女孩 dir. Shu Qi

Shu Qi’s directorial debut is deeply personal, and teases out the pain and potential of girlhood in ’80s Taiwan. Adolescence is rarely tidy. It’s unruly, bewildering, and often defined by the kind of pain we only learn how to name years later. In Girl, her semi-autobiographical directorial debut, Taiwanese star Shu Qi turns that ache into cinema. Known primarily for her collaborations with Hou Hsiao-hsien … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Film Review: Girl 女孩 dir. Shu Qi

Film: An Interview with SGIFF General Manager Jeremy Chua and Programme Director Thong Kay Wee on the power and future of film

In a cultural landscape obsessed with certainties, guarantees, and KPIs, the Singapore International Film Festival is, in many ways, an act of defiance. Not loud, not rebellious, but simply the act of being utterly committed to the art of cinema and its continuity. As the festival prepares for its 36th edition, running for two weeks from 26th November to 7th December, the people behind it … Continue reading Film: An Interview with SGIFF General Manager Jeremy Chua and Programme Director Thong Kay Wee on the power and future of film

Film Fanatic: Celebrate the magic of French cinema as the French Film Festival returns this November

As November arrives, so does a touch of Parisian sparkle. The 41st vOilah! French Film Festival is returning to Singapore, ready to brighten everyday life with big-screen magic from 13 to 30 November 2025. It’s the perfect excuse to trade familiar routines for a little wonder, a little delight, and a whole lot of French flair. This beloved celebration of cinema feels like an annual … Continue reading Film Fanatic: Celebrate the magic of French cinema as the French Film Festival returns this November