The growth and potential of independent cinema in Asia has been steadily rising over the years. Extending an open invitation to be engaged in the future of cinema, the 28th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) has announced its full Festival line-up at the National Museum of Singapore.
As the leading international film platform in Southeast Asia and part of the annual Singapore Media Festival (SMF), SGIFF is set to showcase a diverse spread of films that stood out in the past one year.
From a melodramatic story edited down from 10,000 hours of surveillance videos (Dragonfly Eyes by Chinese filmmaker Xu Bing); to a high-wire sociological suspense (The Square by Swedish director Ruben Östlund which won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival), and a female-driven journey of vengeance and justice (Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts by Indonesian director Mouly Surya), the Festival promises to be an immersive journey of unconventional storytelling and striking cinematography, with something for everyone.
In addition to the recently announced opening film, Angels Wear White by Vivian Qu, film-goers can also look forward to 112 films across various genres and presentations during the 11-day Festival. An example is one of SGIFF’s three Special Presentation films – Oh Lucy! by Japanese first-time features filmmaker Atsuko Hirayanagi and stars award-winning Japanese actress Shinobu Terajima and Black Hawk Down leading actor Josh Hartnett.
A quirky portrait of a lonely Tokyo woman who follows her English teacher to California, the feature film was expanded from Hirayanagi’s award-winning short of the same title, and evokes genuine emotional poignancy as it explores identity and isolation in this age of decreasing human interaction.
Another finely-crafted debut feature is Malaysian filmmaker Tan Seng Kiat’s Shuttle Life which stars Taiwanese actress-director Sylvia Chang and pop singer and actor Jack Tan will compete in this year’s Silver Screen Awards’ Asian Feature Film Competition. The hard-hitting social drama stands out with its uncompromising realism.
The 28th SGIFF, which runs from 23 November to 3 December 2017, will take place across various venues, including Marina Bay Sands, Shaw Theatres Lido, National Museum of Singapore, National Gallery Singapore, The Arts House, Filmgarde Bugis+, Objectifs and *SCAPE. Ticket sales will begin on 25 October 2017.
