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Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi will receive an honorary award at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) this year.
The 35th edition of SGIFF will organize a special tribute and hold a dialogue session with Panahi, who will receive the festival’s highest honor, the Cinema Honorary Award. This also marks the first time that Panahi is attending SGIFF in-person after the lifting of his 14-year travel ban. Panahi’s films like The Circle, This Is Not A Film and Crimson Gold will be screened at the festival.
The festival’s Cinema Honorary Award was introduced in 2014 and has recognized filmmakers like Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan, Indonesia’s Garin Nugroho, Cambodia’s Rithy Panh, and Japan’s Takashi Miike.
“It’s an incredible honor to be selected as the recipient of the Cinema Honorary Award by SGIFF,” Panahi said. “Since my visit to the festival in 1998 with my film, The Mirror, I have been deeply impressed by the festival’s achievements in nurturing and encouraging emerging filmmakers and film critics, while promoting Asian filmmaking. I’m immensely thankful for the recognition, and I look forward to witnessing the next steps in SGIFF’s remarkable journey.”
Yeo Siew Hua‘s Stranger Eyes will open the festival; it was the first Singaporean film to compete for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.
Yeo’s A Land Imagined won Locarno’s Golden Leopard in 2018 and was also the first Singaporean film to win the Best Asian Feature Film at SGIFF in 2019.
Yeo said: “SGIFF has been really important for me throughout my career as a filmmaker, having shown all my films here since my very first. It is a real honor for me to have my film open for this edition of the festival. I’m so excited to finally share the fruits of our hard work and the love of cinema with the audience here at home.”
The festival’s new leadership team under managing director and veteran film producer Jeremy Chua has also introduced new initiatives, including a revamped Audience Choice Award, to boost support for local filmmakers. They have also named top local actress Rebecca Lim as the festival’s inaugural ambassador.
Rebecca Lim says: “As a huge supporter of Singaporean films, I’m thrilled to be part of SGIFF as its inaugural ambassador. Our local creatives possess a unique ability to capture the essence of not just our everyday reality, but also our dreams and aspirations. I’m honoured to be a part of SGIFF and to champion the incredible talents, and I encourage all Singaporeans to join me in supporting their work as well.”
Jeremy Chua, General Manager of SGIFF, says: “At SGIFF, our commitment to championing groundbreaking Southeast Asian cinema keeps us deeply connected to the local film and media industry. We’re excited to welcome Rebecca, a prominent figure who embodies the modern actor who seamlessly traverses between the silver screen and television. We envision her role as the festival’s ambassador to deepen the conversation between local and international audiences, and together we aim to shine a spotlight on our extraordinary homegrown talents.”
More than 30 Singaporean features, short films and co-productions will premiere at the festival.
The festival has also named Eric Khoo’s Spirit World in the lineup. The film stars French actress Catherine Deneuve alongside Yutaka Takenouchi and Masaaki Sakai. Spirit World was also the first Singaporean film to be picked as the Busan International Film Festival’s closing film.
Blending historical drama and the monster film genre, Orang Ikan draws from Southeast Asian folklore to tell the story of two stranded WWII prisoners from Britain and Japan forging an unlikely kinship as they attempt to survive the unknown. The film is directed by Mike Wiluan, who was a co-producer for Crazy Rich Asians and a producer for HBO Max’s Folklore.
Other films named as part of the festival’s lineup include Duong Dieu Linh’s Don’t Cry, Butterfly, which won two awards at the Venice Film Festival, as well as Wong Chen-Hsi’s City of Small Blessings.
Duong said: “As a Vietnamese who considers Singapore her second home and has built her entire filmmaking career while living here, I’m extremely proud and happy to share Don’t Cry, Butterfly with my friends and colleagues. With the film’s premiere in Singapore, I feel as if I have gone a full circle and my heart is filled with gratitude.”
Thong Kay Wee, Programme Director of SGIFF, says: “SGIFF has always taken great pride in showcasing Singaporean cinema, and in offering a platform for our local filmmakers to share their stories with both local and international audiences. This year’s selection of local films reflect the rich tapestry of experiences and perspectives that define our vibrant film industry, and we believe that they will resonate deeply with many within Singapore, and beyond.”
The festival has also revamped the Audience Choice Award this year. Previously open to all films in the festival programme, the award will now be open to Singaporean films and co-productions only, with the winner determined entirely by audience vote. SGIFF says that through this revamp, the festival hopes that local filmmakers will enjoy increased visibility for their films, potentially boosting their chances of securing distribution deals.
