While Tom Holland’s portrayal of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Homecoming is the talk of the town, there’s still a continuous supply of indie films that’s screening right now in Singapore. They tackle difficult issues and heartfelt stories, combined with beautiful and captivating visuals. Here’s a list of must-catch film festivals and smaller events happening in our little red dot.
Singapore Open Air Cinema Club
Ever since co-working space The Hive Singapore introduced the Singapore Open Air Cinema Club back in Oct last year, they’ve been holding monthly sold-out screenings of films at their rooftop space. For the July edition, they will be screening cult classic The Breakfast Club, a story about five high school students from very different backgrounds sharing a day of detention under the supervision of a power-hungry principal. Their exchanges then make them realize new things about themselves.
When: Jul 14
Where: The Hive Singapore (59 New Bridge Rd.)
How much: $19 (public), $10 (members)
Asian Film Focus
The center for photography and film, Objectifs, presents the second edition of Asian Film Focus, a series that puts the spotlight on the creation and appreciation of the region’s short film genre. This year, 19 short films from India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore will be addressing the question, “What can film footage from the past say about our future?”, to coincide with the “notions of archival and found footage” in Asia’s contemporary filmmaking context.
When: Through Jul 15
Where: Objectifs (155 Middle Rd.)
How much: Free
The O.P.E.N. Film Showcase
If you’re overwhelmed by the huge variety of programs that the Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA) has to offer, start with the big film component of SIFA’s precursor festival, The O.P.E.N., with films like On The Beach At Night Alone, which tells the tale of a young actress who contemplates her affair with a married film director; Félicité, a story set in Kinshasa, Congo, where a woman goes all out to save her 14-year-old son who recently met with an accident; and many more.
When: Through Jul 15
Where: Various venues
How much: Details here
MINDS Film Festival
Singapore Film Society and MINDS are partnering up once again for the second edition of the MINDS Film Festival, featuring films that will help to promote social inclusion and “advocate the advancement of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities’ (PWID) contributions to society”. Six films from five countries take center stage this year, with highlights like My Feral Heart (last year saw two sold out screenings of this film), which tells the moving tale of a young man with Down Syndrome, who had to move into a care home after his mother passes away; and the HBO Original, Temple Grandin, which showcases the perseverance and determination of a young woman who struggles with the isolating challenges of autism.
When: Jul 29- Aug 5
Where: Golden Village Vivocity
How much: $6 each (admission for Temple Grandin is free)
Films At The Fort
Singapore’s annual open air cinema Films At The Fort returns to natural amphitheater Fort Canning Park next month, and like last year, they’ll be screening award-winning films and provide gourmet grub and vino for the entire duration of the screenings. The fifth edition will see a total of 15 awesome films, including the brilliant Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, the award-winning musical Moonlight, the recently released rom-com The Big Sick, fun cult classic Thelma & Louise, the psychological and shocking Get Out, among many others. You can find the full list here.
When: Aug 3-20
Where: Fort Canning Park
How much: $27.80 per film
