SINGAPORE (November 24, 2022) — The film community gathered tonight to commemorate the launch of the 33rd Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), the country’s longest-running independent film festival and a hallmark event on the regional arts and culture calendar. Held at Projector X: Picturehouse, located within The Cathay—the original site of Singapore’s first air-conditioned cinema, and now a conserved national monument—nearly 600 film industry players and cinephiles rallied to celebrate the first post-pandemic edition of SGIFF and enjoy the first Central Asian opening film, ‘Assault’, with film director Adilkhan YERZHANOV and producer Olga KHLASHEVA in attendance.
SGIFF is also the first key event to kick off the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), organised by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). Over the next 10 days, the public can enjoy more than 100 films from 55 countries as well as talks and panels with international filmmakers and industry experts, many of whom have flown into Singapore for the occasion.
The Guest-of-Honour for SGIFF’s star-studded opening night, Josephine TEO, Minister for Communications and Information said, “I am glad that local films make up a quarter of this year’s overall line-up at the festival. It’s a strong showing and testament to the achievements of our homegrown talents. We welcome and appreciate good films from around the world. At the same time, we will always support local filmmakers through platforms like the Singapore Media Festival and SGIFF and help them shine brighter on the international stage.”
Opening this year’s Festival is ‘Assault’, a darkly comic, absorbing thriller that depicts the farce and fault lines in a society ruled by the insecurities of men. Directed by Adilkhan YERZHANOV, a major figure in Kazakh cinema, Assault premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and won the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Yerzhanov first gained prominence following his breakout feature ‘The Owners’ (2014), which premiered at Cannes and was nominated for Best Asian Feature at SGIFF; he went on to make acclaimed films like ‘The Plague at the Karatas Village’ (2016), ‘The Gentle Indifference of the World’ (2018) and ‘A Dark, Dark Man’ (2019), some of which screened at SGIFF. The first Central Asian film to open the festival, ‘Assault’ is testament to the festival’s commitment to bringing cinematic gems from across Asia to local audiences.
Singapore films accounted for over a quarter of this year’s line-up, and the Singapore film and media contingent showed up in full force. SGIFF Chairperson and award-winning filmmaker BOO Junfeng (‘Apprentice’, ‘Sandcastle’), director Boi KWONG (‘Geylang’, ‘Sui Yue: The Days’) walked the red carpet alongside local actors Carrie WONG, Priscelia CHAN, OON Shu An, James SEAH, Desmond TAN and Romeo TAN.
The 33rd SGIFF will be hosted across multiple festival venues, with screenings at Filmgarde Kallang, Carnival Cinema at Golden Mile Tower, Golden Village Plaza Singapura, Oldham Theatre, The Projector, Projector X: Picturehouse and 42 Waterloo. An exceptional line-up of filmmakers and industry heavyweights will also be participating in physical Q&A sessions and the Festival’s Forum programme, to be held at Oceanus Media Global, LASALLE College of the Arts and Oldham Theatre.
SGIFF is an event of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), hosted by Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). Tickets available on sgiff.com.
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About SGIFF
Founded in 1987, the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is the largest and longestrunning film event in Singapore. It has become an iconic event in the local arts calendar that is widely attended by international film critics; and known for its dynamic programming and focus on ground-breaking Asian cinema for Singapore and the region. Committed to nurturing and championing local and regional talent, its competition component, the Silver Screen Awards, brings together emerging filmmakers from Asia and Southeast Asia while paying tribute to acclaimed cinema legends.
With its mentorship programmes, masterclasses and dialogues with attending filmmakers, the Festival also serves as a catalyst for igniting public interest, artistic dialogue, and culture exchanges in the art of filming. The SGIFF is organised by the Singapore International Film Festival Ltd, a non-profit organisation with Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status.
The 33rd edition of SGIFF returns from 24 November to 4 December 2022. For more information, please visit www.sgiff.com.
About the Singapore Media Festival (SMF)
The Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, is one of Asia’s leading international media events, where the industry meets to discover the latest trends, talents and content in Asia. Taking place from 24 November to 11 December 2022, the Singapore Media Festival brings together the Asia TV Forum & Market and Screen Singapore (ATF|SS), Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Singapore Comic Con (SGCC) and CreatorWorld. For more information, please visit www.imda.gov.sg/sgmediafest
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