Artist Spotlight: An Interview with Xu Bing, Director of Dragonfly Eyes (SGIFF 2017)

Chinese visual artist Xu Bing is primarily an installation based artist. But in 2017, he made his film directorial debut with Dragonfly Eyes, snagging the FIPRESCI Prize and Special Mention: Ecumenical Jury at the Locarno International Film Festival 2017. Dragonfly Eyes continues Xu’s ongoing exploration of communication and the way we interact, carefully editing down over 11,000 hours of footage obtained from surveillance cameras to create a completely unstaged, … Continue reading Artist Spotlight: An Interview with Xu Bing, Director of Dragonfly Eyes (SGIFF 2017)

SGIFF 2017: Spooks and Thrills at Midnight Mayhem

Now in its 28th edition, the Singapore International Film Festival returns to bring the best international and regional cinema to our shores for 11 days. Today, we’re highlighting an all new section introduced this year specially for the night owls – Midnight Mayhem, a selection of four thrilling horror films to be played at – you guessed it – midnight on each Friday and Saturday of the … Continue reading SGIFF 2017: Spooks and Thrills at Midnight Mayhem

Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Khwaab-Sa – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Company Theatre (Review)

Khwaab-Sa opens with a spotlight on lithe, petite dancer Ronita Mookerji as the iconic spirit Puck. In the background, a musician clad in a unicorn mask assaults our ears with loud electronic music, as Mookerji writhes and vibrates. Grinning madly, she laughs silently before impishly back-flipping across the stage, a moon projection making her lunacy obvious. This is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as you’ve never seen … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Khwaab-Sa – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Company Theatre (Review)

Singapore Writers Festival 2017 Closing Debate: This House believes that Kiasuism is a Good Singaporean Trait

In its traditional stand-up comedy routine form, the closing debate of the Singapore Writers Festival had audiences falling off their chairs laughing through the 90 minute show. Ironically, this only proved that the ‘kiasu-ism’ displayed by over 600 people queuing over six hours for free entry tickets to the debate was worth it after all. The debate closed the 20th Singapore Writers festival last Sunday … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2017 Closing Debate: This House believes that Kiasuism is a Good Singaporean Trait

Mosaic Music Series 2017: An Interview with Canvas Conversations

The Esplanade’s regular Mosaic Music Series returned last night as the season kicked off with local band Canvas Conversations in collaboration with fellow local musician FERRY (of Giants Must Fall), as they performed a dreamy electronic music set at the Esplanade Annexe Studio. Consisting of four members, namely Vick Low, Jeff Hue, Namie Rasman and Bings Lee, the band first came to attention at Noise 2015, before … Continue reading Mosaic Music Series 2017: An Interview with Canvas Conversations

Preview: Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2017 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Rounding off the year in cultural festivals is the Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of the Arts. Since its humble beginnings in 2002, the festival has grown to a sprawling 10 day event showcasing an exciting mix of classical and contemporary arts performances from local and international Indian artists. Starting on 17th November, the festival opens with an explosive tale told through bharatanatyam and Javanese dance … Continue reading Preview: Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2017 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Golden Village Horror Film Festival 2017

Happy Halloween! Golden Village promises a spooktacular experience at cinemas this October with their first ever Horror Film Festival! Expect ghosts and ghouls from 27th – 31st October as GV brings in a specially curated set of horror films to cinemas. On opening night on 27th October, Paranormal Investigators will descend upon GV Plaza to deliver some spooky tales from their experiences at the most … Continue reading Preview: Golden Village Horror Film Festival 2017

Preview: French Film Festival 2017

The annual French Film Festival makes a return this November with only the best new French films, some of which will be making their Singaporean premieres! Organised by the French Embassy, Institut Français Singapour and Alliance Française, the 2017 edition of the annual festival runs from 9th – 19th November across various venues. For the first time ever, the festival will be partnering up with … Continue reading Preview: French Film Festival 2017

Preview: Perspectives Film Festival 2017

Singapore’s only student-run festival returns for its 10th edition this October! Having opened last Friday with the Singaporean premiere of award winning director Matthew Heineman’s City of Ghosts (which will also be playing at the Singapore Writers Festival in November), the annual Perspectives Film Festival is organized by students from the Nanayang Technological University’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information from start to end, … Continue reading Preview: Perspectives Film Festival 2017

Preview: Wuzhen Theatre Festival 2017

Nestled in the heart of the Yangtze River Delta, just west of Shanghai, is the historic water town of Wuzhen. A remnant of the Qing Dynasty and famed as the birthplace of the celebrated left-wing novelist Mao Dun, Wuzhen has been in the last decade revitalised through tourism and interestingly, as the home of China’s pre-eminent international theatre festival. In its fifth edition this year, … Continue reading Preview: Wuzhen Theatre Festival 2017