Film: SGIFF 2026 Brings Back Its Festival Closing with Asian Premiere of ‘Vintage Violence’

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 … Continue reading Film: SGIFF 2026 Brings Back Its Festival Closing with Asian Premiere of ‘Vintage Violence’

Film: SGIFF 2026 returns this October with opening film ‘The Assassin(s)’; more Singapore films in the global spotlight than ever

Singapore’s cinema scene is having a moment, and this year, the Singapore International Film Festival is bringing that momentum home. Returning from 21 October to 1 November 2026 for its 37th edition, SGIFF will open with South Korean thriller The Assassin(s), directed by Hur Jin-ho and starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho. Hur, alongside supporting cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon, will … Continue reading Film: SGIFF 2026 returns this October with opening film ‘The Assassin(s)’; more Singapore films in the global spotlight than ever

Film: SGIFF 2026 to honour Hirokazu Kore-eda and screen Southeast Asian premiere of ‘Look Back’ this October

For film lovers in Singapore, this October comes with a particularly special date to circle on the calendar. The 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will honour acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda with its Cinema Honorary Award, the festival’s highest accolade recognising filmmakers who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema. Kore-eda will be in Singapore on 24 October, when he will attend … Continue reading Film: SGIFF 2026 to honour Hirokazu Kore-eda and screen Southeast Asian premiere of ‘Look Back’ this October

SGIFF 2025: An Interview with the director and cast of ‘This City Is A Battlefield’ (Perang Kota)

In Indonesian director Mouly Surya’s latest film, This City Is a Battlefield reminds us that revolution is never a clean or heroic act. Set in Jakarta in 1946, in the uneasy year following Indonesia’s declaration of independence, the film plunges into a city caught between collapsing empires and fragile new ideals. Amid the charged streets and covert operations, Isa, a former freedom fighter turned schoolteacher, … Continue reading SGIFF 2025: An Interview with the director and cast of ‘This City Is A Battlefield’ (Perang Kota)

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

IMDA Launches Talent Accelerator Programme to Develop Singapore’s Media Industry Talent, Grow Original IPs and Expand Global Partnerships

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has launched a new development programme, the Talent Accelerator Programme (TAP), to support Singapore’s media industry. This is an approximately S$200 million programme that will run for three years and is a major commitment to develop our creative talent, strengthen co-production partnerships, and build a more resilient media industry. Through TAP, IMDA aims to bring a sharper focus on … Continue reading IMDA Launches Talent Accelerator Programme to Develop Singapore’s Media Industry Talent, Grow Original IPs and Expand Global Partnerships

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