The 33rd edition of the Singapore International Film Festival adds two new sections to its richly varied catalogue of independent films, opening with a Central Asian film for the first time.
It is no sudden realisation that Asian auteurs now thrive in creating within their narratives, and in recent years have started to glow under the gaze of the very same communities that these independent films depict. For Singapore, a large reason for this is Singapore International Film Festival or SGIFF, now helmed by film programmer Thong Kay Wee, and the festival’s longstanding commitment to celebrating local and regional creations — a relentless and rewarding pursuit that has given our little red dot access to works with arresting breadth and depth.
After two pandemic-stricken editions, SGIFF returns with no less than 131 independent pictures from 55 countries. Their 33rd rendition focuses on finding works that negotiate humanity and inclusivity, as these are in the festival’s view, a means of progress — crucial to define in our return to a new kind of normal. It introduces the sections Altitude and Horizon on top of the five current pillars (Foreground, Milestone, Standpoint, Domain, Undercurrent) such that audiences can better consider the different positions when enjoying the screenings and so that the festival can continue to grow in a more comprehensive and inclusive direction.
The Novelist’s Film
From these two sections, look forward to The Novelist’s Film from Altitude, a feature of startling intimacy from South Korean filmmaker Hong Sang-soon where a novelist’s affinity with a younger actress leads to a film collaboration, as well as Horizon’s Stone Turtle, a spellbinding island folk horror from Malaysian director Woo Ming Jin.
Opening this year’s festival is also the festival’s first Central Asian headliner Assault (seen above). A darkly comic, absorbing thriller, it depicts the farce and fault lines in a society ruled by the insecurities of men. Directed by Adilkhan Yerzhanov, a major figure in Kazakh cinema, Assault premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and won the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Yerzhanov first gained prominence following his breakout feature The Owners (2014), which premiered at Cannes and was nominated for Best Asian Feature at SGIFF.
SGIFF will also be hosting an exclusive In Conversation session under the Forum programme with Yerzhanov himself and his long-time producer, Olga Khlasheva. Goliath, Yerzhanov’s other acclaimed film of the year will also be presented at the festival this year.
Foragers
Under Domain this time, SGIFF invites guest programmer Róisín Tapponi to present a special programme that approaches themes of rurality, labour and land in South West Asia & North Africa (SWANA), celebrating those who continue to care, nurture and hold their community, without letting go. The founder & CEO of Shasha Movies, the first independent streaming service for South-West Asian and North African cinema, invites the audience to consider land and the places we call home on a conceptual and spiritual level.
Other notable works to keep an eye out for include; Foreground’s Nocebo by Irish filmmaker Lorcan Finnegan, an Irish-Filipino psychological thriller starring Eva Green, Mark Strong and Filipino actress Chai Fonacier; Undercurrent’s Unidentified, a hilarious, moving, and whimsical speculative fiction piece that tackles the idea of belonging by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Jude Chun; We Don’t Dance For Nothing from the section Standpoint — Chinese-Greek director and producer Stefanos Tai’s feature debut inspired by the memories of Filipino domestic workers in Hong Kong.
We Don’t Dance For Nothing
Closer to home, the Singapore Panorama section spans 26 films including three feature films that will make their World Premiere at SGIFF. This includes works like crime thriller Geylang, produced by Jack Neo and directed by Boi Kwong, as well as a unique virtual reality double bill that features The Seven Step Verse by documentary filmmaker Ella Raidel and In times like these… by multidisciplinary creatives Jevon Chandra, Chen Yanyun, Corentin Derbre and Alex Scollay.
Geylang
For the Silver Screen Awards, which takes place this year on 4 December, the Asian Feature Film Competition and the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition the filmmakers who have made exceptional contributions to that shape regional cinema. This year, the former category consists of 9 new films by directors making their first to third features, while the latter category presents 17 new films across four programmes.
Find out more about the 33rd Singapore International Film Festival here. Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our November 2022 issue!
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