The 35th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is set to open with Stranger Eyes, a psychological thriller directed by Singaporean filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua.
It’s a fitting marquee for the annual film festival, considering that the movie – which centres around a couple whose desperation to find their missing child turns to fear when they discover they are the subject of intense surveillance – was the first ever local film to premiere in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival.
In other words, Stranger Eyes cements the growing prominence of Singaporean cinema, a fact laid bare by the jam-packed line-up of over 30 Singaporean feature-length and short films during the festival’s run from Nov 28 to Dec 8.
Films to look out for include Spirit World, a supernatural drama by local filmmaker Eric Khoo, along with City of Small Blessings directed by Wong Chen-Hsi, which adapts a local book by Simon Tay depicting the struggles of finding one’s identity in a crowded urbanscape.
But it is not just the Lion City that will be celebrated at SGIFF 2024, but also the lion-hearted. Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi will be attending SGIFF in-person for the first time since the lifting of his 14-year travel ban, where he will receive the festival’s highest accolade, the Cinema Honorary Award, for his contributions to Asian Cinema.
Panahi’s award-winning filmography will be put on showcase with The Circle (2000), Crimson Gold (2003) and This Is Not A Film (2011). Those interested in learning more about the embattled director can look forward to his exclusive dialogue session, where he will go over the adversities he’s faced in and the power of cinema as a tool for social change.
SGIFF 2024 also marks a revamp for the festival, which now features a reworked Audience Choice Award open only to Singapore or made-with-Singapore productions. The festival’s first ambassador, Mediacorp actress Rebecca Lim, was also named to deepen the connection between the public and local filmmakers.
Singapore International Film Festival 2024 will run from Nov 28 to Dec 8. For more information about SGIFF, visit sgiff.com.
