Singapore Film Fest Closes With Highest-Ever Box Office Earnings; ‘Mongrel’ Wins Best Asian Feature Film
The 35th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) concluded with its highest-ever box office earnings. Total ticket sales saw a 10% increase from last year’s edition, with attendance numbers also surpassing the previous edition’s record.
At the festival’s Silver Screen Awards, Mongrel, directed by Singapore’s Chiang Wei Liang and Yin You Qiao, clinched the award for Best Asian Feature Film, for its “stark portrayal of disenfranchised migrant workers in Taiwan.”
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The Audience Choice Award went to Lou Ye’s Covid docufiction drama An Unfinished Film.
The Southeast Asian Short Film award went to Thai director Thaweechok Phasom’s Spirits of the Black Leaves, for its “poetic exploration of how an individual’s life is connected to the roots of nature and history.”
Singaporean filmmaker Calleen Koh won the Best Singapore Short Film award for animated short My Wonderful Life, which follows a burnt-out mum who discovers a new sense of freedom.
Encore screenings of these four films will be held on December 14 in Singapore.
This year’s lineup featured 105 films from 45 countries, 80% of which came from Asia.
“Over the last 15 years, SGIFF has been very supportive and receptive of my works, from my shorts to my first feature, so it’s a pleasure to be back with our cast and crew,” said Mongrel director Chiang Wei Liang. “This wouldn’t have been possible without so many people and agencies supporting us, from Singapore, to Taiwan, to France. To filmgoers, I would like to say: ‘Give our film a chance.’ I think this is what the festival is about: Showing audiences films they might not be accustomed to, and bringing them new perspectives by drawing them into different worlds on screen.”
Tr??ng Minh Quy won Best Director for Vi?t and Nam, a queer love story of two coal miners facing imminent separation.
Li Rongkun was awarded the Best Performance Award for his debut appearance in The Great Phuket.
The jury also gave a Special Mention to the performances of the ensemble cast from The Adamant Girl.
Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili won Best Screenplay for her film April, which follows a seasoned obstetrician moonlighting as an abortionist. Liu Yaonan’s debut feature The Great Phuket also received a Special Mention in the screenplay category.
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award went to Vi?t and Nam by Tr??ng Minh Quy.
Syrian filmmaker Ossama Mohammed, the jury head of the Asian Feature Film Competition, said: “After watching all nine films in this competition, our first and vital impression is one of deep respect for the programming vision and choices that shaped this selection.
“Individually and collectively, through more narrative-driven or visually audacious language, these nine works form a harmonious proposal — one that elevates the shared values of humanity and human rights in the face of the many injustices confronting our world today. Not unrelated to this spirit, we arrived at all of our decisions unanimously, guided by consensus rather than numerical voting, unified in the selected following awards,” added Mohammed.
The Southeast Asian Short Film Competition featured 24 films across five programmes, with half making their world premiere at the festival.
Vietnamese filmmaker ?àm Quang Trung’s Elephants by the Roadside picked up two awards: Best Director, as well as the inaugural ARRI Award For Best Cinematography, which was awarded to Director of Photography V? Hoàng Tri?u.
Best Performance went to movement artist and actor Sasa Cabalquinto for her performance in Vox Humana.
Pom Bunsermvicha’s The Nature of Dogs took home the prize for Best Screenplay for its “deft portrayal of unspoken familial tensions.”
The festival also presented Objectifs with the Outstanding Contribution to Southeast Asian Cinema award, recognising the non-profit visual arts centre’s long-standing efforts in fostering the appreciation of photography and film across the region.
SGIFF Programme Director Thong Kay Wee said: “The Silver Screen Awards not only celebrates the exceptional talent within Asia, but also highlights the diverse voices that shape contemporary cinema in the region. These awards are not only an acknowledgement of excellence, but another step toward expanding the global reach of Asian cinema, recognising films that are not just artistically exceptional, but also culturally resonant. SGIFF is proud to be a platform to honour these talents.”
The Screen Icon Award, which honours trailblazing Asian talents, was presented to Taiwanese actors Lee Kang-sheng and Yang Kuei-mei, marking the first double award in the festival’s history.
Lee received his award on the festival’s opening night at the screening of SGIFF’s opening film, Stranger Eyes, where he stars as a supermarket worker who becomes the prime suspect when a girl goes mysteriously missing.
Yang received her award at the Southeast Asian premiere of her latest film, Yen and Ai-Lee.
Both were presented their awards by SGIFF’s inaugural Festival Ambassador, actress Rebecca Lim.
The Cinema Honorary Award was presented to Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who attended the festival in person for the first time since the recent lifting of his 14-year travel ban. The Award, which was created in 2014, recognizes filmmakers who have made “exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema.”
At the Silver Screen Awards ceremony, local film equipment rental house True Colour Media Group announced a new sponsorship prize of S$2,000 to all 15 Singapore short filmmakers in this year’s lineup to help them pursue their next projects.
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