The Singapore International Film Festival will open its 37th edition with The Assassin(s), a South Korean political thriller starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho. The festival runs from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, showcasing a carefully curated selection of international and local productions that reflects Singapore's growing position as a regional cultural hub without heavy government subsidy dependency.
Director Hur Jin-ho and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon will attend the opening. The festival's ability to attract top-tier international talent demonstrates the private sector's appetite for quality cinema and Singapore's appeal as a destination for cultural exchange built on market-driven success rather than state-mandated quotas.
Star Power and Recognition
Bollywood star Aamir Khan is among this year's biggest guests and will receive SGIFF's Screen Icon Award. The Indian actor and filmmaker will also attend a special 25th-anniversary screening of his Oscar-nominated 2001 film Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India alongside its director Ashutosh Gowariker. Khan's participation underscores the festival's ability to draw internationally recognized figures through reputation and professional relationships.
Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda will receive the festival's Cinema Honorary Award. He's known for films including Nobody Knows, Like Father, Like Son, Monster and Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters. His latest film, Look Back, will make its Southeast Asian premiere at SGIFF. The live-action film, adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto's one-shot manga, follows two girls whose shared passion for drawing manga develops into a friendship as they grow up.
This year's speakers in SGIFF's In Conversation With series include Khan and Koreeda, along with South Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung, Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong. Other filmmakers and industry figures attending include South Korean filmmaker Yim Soon-rye, Japanese director Koji Fukada, cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa and Hong Kong filmmaker Jacob Cheung.
Singapore's Film Industry Success
The festival will spotlight more than 25 Singapore productions and co-productions that have travelled to major international film festivals. These films succeeded on merit in competitive global markets, demonstrating that Singapore's creative sector can compete without extensive government intervention. Among them is Singapore director Ang Geck Geck's Ah Girl. Ang won the Youth Jury Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, while nine-year-old lead actress Ong Xuan Jing subsequently won Best Actress in the Young Cinema Competition at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. The film also travelled to festivals in Toronto and Melbourne.
Nelson Yeo's genre-blending wuxia feature The House On The Moon premiered in the main competition at the Locarno Film Festival, while Singapore producer Tan Si En co-produced Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada's Nagi Notes, which premiered in competition at Cannes. Anthony Chen's Giraffe Pictures is also represented through Four Seasons In Java, directed by Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini. These achievements reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of Singapore's filmmakers who've built international reputations through quality and collaboration.
SGIFF programme director Thong Kay Wee said bringing such a wide range of international cinema to Singapore involves coordinating filmmakers, schedules and licensing across countries. He said, "We are driven by our ambition to bring as broad a spectrum of cinema as possible to Singapore so our local audience gets the rich exposure they deserve." He added, "Coordinating across time zones, tight schedules, and complex licensing isn't just a logistical puzzle – it's a labour of love."
Expanding Audiences and Industry Connections
The festival is introducing Junior Explorers, a section designed for younger audiences that includes relaxed, sensory-friendly screenings. It opens with the stop-motion animated film Brave Cat, directed by Oscar winner Gabriel Osorio and produced by Punkrobot Studio. Building tomorrow's audiences through early exposure to quality cinema creates sustainable demand without requiring ongoing subsidies.
SGIFF executive director Jeremy Chua said he was particularly looking forward to introducing younger viewers to the festival. He said, "I watched everything as a child, blockbusters, nature documentaries, cartoons, without knowing I was building a database of references and eventually a point of view." He added, "That's where self-expression and the confidence to defend your own opinions take shape. This is tomorrow's audience whom we wish to cultivate."
SGIFF's Undercurrent section will open with three live performances combining moving images with other art forms: Taiwanese puppetry in Corporeal Forms: Four Stories, live video gaming in The Compression Zone, and analogue film and live music in Imagination + The Rest Is My Ghost.
SGIFF Pro is expanding this year with Parallax, a free public programme of talks and demonstrations exploring filmmaking and immersive technology; Off Campus, which connects students with the film industry; and the Pitching Forum for Singapore and international co-productions. These initiatives create direct pathways between aspiring filmmakers and commercial opportunities, emphasizing skill development and professional networking over grant dependency.
The SGIFF Film Fund is returning after a hiatus, with two grants supporting Southeast Asian filmmakers. SEA-SHORTS will support emerging short-film filmmakers, while SEA-DOC will focus on feature documentaries that have reached the later stages of editing or post-production. Applications for both run from Nov. 5 to Dec. 5. The fund's focus on later-stage projects ensures taxpayer resources support works already demonstrating commercial viability.
Early-bird presales for SGIFF begin at noon today, with general ticket sales starting at noon on Sept. 28. Singaporeans can also use SG Culture Pass credits for eligible local film programmes during general ticket sales.
Why This Matters:
Singapore's film festival demonstrates how cultural institutions can thrive through market-driven excellence and international partnerships rather than heavy government subsidy. The festival's ability to attract global talent like Aamir Khan and Hirokazu Koreeda reflects Singapore's reputation as a well-managed, business-friendly environment that respects intellectual property and contractual obligations. The success of Singapore productions at major international festivals shows local filmmakers competing effectively on merit in global markets. The expansion of industry-focused programmes like SGIFF Pro creates sustainable career pathways that don't depend on perpetual government funding. By cultivating younger audiences and connecting students directly with industry professionals, the festival builds long-term market demand for quality cinema. The returning film fund's focus on later-stage projects ensures public resources support works that have already demonstrated commercial potential, balancing cultural development with fiscal responsibility.