It seems like the 4th quarter of 2015 is a great time for film festivals! Apart from the highly-anticipated Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) which will take place in November, here are six more film festivals you should definitely not miss!
Singapore International Film Festival
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is the largest and longest-running film event in Singapore. Focusing on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for the best of Singapore cinema, this year’s prestigious SGIFF continues to be a platform for both established and aspiring filmmakers to showcase their films to an audience of local and international film buffs.
26th Singapore International Film Festival
Date: 26 Nov - 6 Dec 2015
Venue: Various
(Find out more about the film festival, here!)
The full lineup is not out at this moment, but there are some films you can look forward to, such as the opening film ‘Panay’ a Taiwanese film about Taiwan’s indigenous community. Ticket sales for SGIFF will begin end October 2015.
In addition, SGIFF 2015 brings back 2 iconic Singaporean Classics - Eric Khoo's Mee Pok Man and Yonfan’s Bugis Street Redux. You don’t get to catch these classic Singaporean films very often, so grab the chance to watch some of the best from our local filmmakers!
Stay tuned to InCinemas (@InCinemasSG) on Twitter & Instagram for updates on SGIFF 2015!
Korean Film Festival
The annual Korean Film Festival in Singapore (“KFF”) returns this October with 10 specially-selected films, released in 2014 and 2015. In addition, Korean star Kang Ha Neul (Twenty) will be attending the film festival, as well as to meet his fans in Singapore on 31st October!
We will be covering his meet-and-greet, so stay tuned to our Instagram (@InCinemasSG) for updates!
Korean Film Festival
Date: 23 Oct 2015 - 1 Nov 2015
Venue: Shaw Theatres Lido
Ticket Price: $10 (except for ‘Twenty’)
(Find out more about Korean Film Festival)
InC-Recommends
Assassination
With a budget of approximately US$16 million, Assassination broke the Korean box-office records by becoming the highest-earning local film in 2015 on its opening day, and the first South Korean film to surpass 10 million ticket sales in 2015.
Directed by film auteur Choi Dong-Hun (The Thieves), Assassination is an espionage action film that stars Gianna Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-Jae and Ha Jung-Woo. It is the perfect movie for the action-thriller fans.
(Watch the trailer here!)
Northern Limit Line
Northern Limit Line is a 2015 South Korean naval thriller film written and directed by Kim Hak-soon based on the real-life events of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong.
The Second Battle of Yoenpyeong is a confrontation at sea between North Korean and South Korean patrol boats along a disputed maritime boundary near Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea in 2002. A North Korean patrol boat crossed into South Korean waters and launched a surprise attack on a South Korean patrol boat named Chamsuri 357. The incident took place on the eve of the final 2002 World Cup, killing six seamen aboard the Chamsuri 357, wounding 18 others, and destroying the patrol boat.
The film opened in South Korea in June 2015, grossing ₩8.7 billion, topping its box-office records on its opening day. Starring Kim Mu-yeol, Jin Goo, and Lee Hyun-woo, this is one movie where historical-war film buffs should not miss!
Israel Film Festival
Into its 23rd edition, the Israel Film Festival in Singapore celebrates films that are woman-centric, examining the struggles of women from different aspects of life in Israel and around the world. These films highlight a woman’s role in various facets of life be it in the army, relationships or just empowering herself in today’s world.
Israel Film Festival 2015
Date: 21 - 27 October 2015
Venue: GV VivoCity (Nearest MRT station: Harbourfront)
Ticket Pricing: $9
(Purchase your tickets, here!)
InC-Recommends
Zero Motivation
Zero Motivation is a dark comedy portraying the power struggles of three female secretaries at a remote army base in the Israeli desert during the course of one year. Through the story of these young women soldiers, the film provides a comic-tragic glimpse into the Israeli militaristic society, depicting a real and surreal, humorous and gloomy journey inside a maze of military bureaucracy.
The film bagged a total of 6 awards and was nominated for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Screenplay at the Israeli Film Academy in 2014. In addition, 2 wins and 2 nominations at the Tribeca Film Festival and World Film Critics Circle Awards 2014 respectively.
Zero Motivation has been selected as the opening film of the festival and director Ms Tayla Lavie will be there to open the festival, as well as to chat with the audience for a post-discussion after the screening.
Perspective Film Festival
The Perspectives Film Festival is an annual practicum course run by the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI), and organised by undergraduates from Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Perspectives Film Festival 2015
Date: 15 - 18 October 2015
Venue: National Museum of Singapore
Ticket Pricing:
- Individual Ticket Prices:
- $12 - Standard
- $11 - Student/Seniors/NSF/Singapore Film Society (SFS) members
- $10 - PAssion Card Members
- Festival Pass (All 7 film screenings)
- $48 - Standard
- $45 - PAssion Card Members
(More on the offical website!)
This year’s festival brings the theme of “Transition” — taking a step into the unknown and going on an adventure. From child refugees at the Iraqi-Turkish border to the drag queens in the great Australian Outback, the characters of this year’s films will trigger something in you, even if their worlds are nothing like yours.
Apart from film screenings, there will be masterclasses and workshops for you to learn from industry professionals!
InCinemas will be giving away tickets to the festival very soon! Stay tuned.
InC-Recommends
Watership Down
Watership Down is an award-winning animation by Martin Rosen, adapted from Richard Adams’ eponymous dystopian novel about a rabbit’s fight for freedom.
The film, regarded as a landmark in British animation, is notable for its fearless and skillful handling of darker themes. Firm in his pursuit of an unsullied visual translation of the novel, Rosen does not shy away from depicting the more graphic scenes, breaking away from conventional expectations of the children’s animation genre.
Watership Down was in competition for Best Feature at the Chicago International Film Festival, and was also named the 47th greatest British film of all time by Total Film magazine in 2004.
Love & Pride Film Festival
Into its 7th year, Golden Village holds its annual 'Love & Pride Film Festival' where it features some of the best English, Chinese and foreign language titles in contemporary cinema. Some of the films will only be screened at this festival, so don’t miss the chance to catch it on the big screen!
The theme of the festival celebrates ‘Universal Love’, where films talk about loving each other in every other ways - AKA films with a homosexual subject matter. Therefore all of the films screening at the Love & Pride festival comes with a R21-rating.
7th Love & Pride Film Festival
Date: 9 - 18 Oct 2015
Venue: GV Grand/Great World City/GV Suntec City
Ticketing Prices: $10 - $15 (Except for Opening & Closing films)
(Purchase your tickets, here!)
InC-Recommends
Baby Steps
Baby Steps is a comedy-drama that talks about a gay couple who goes on a journey to fulfil their wish of having a baby. Apart from the various obstacles they faced as a homosexual couple, letting Danny’s mother accept the truth can also be a problem. To her, hiring a surrogate mother is not what she planned for.
Directer Barney Cheng will be making an appearance at the gala premiere where he will share a personal account on what inspired him to write, direct and play the role of the leading actor, Danny in the film.
The Imitation Game
One of the most talked-about film during the 2015 Oscar season, The Imitation Game stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, the mathematician who cracked the Germany’s World War II Enigama machine, saving thousands of lives.
This intense and nail-biting film received rave reviews from critics and won the Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2015 Academy Awards, along with seven nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.
Singapore Writers Festival
While the Singapore Writers Festival mainly features literary works and workshops, don’t miss exclusive film screenings of ‘Adaptation’ and ‘Snowpiercer’. These films were adapted from some of the best-selling books and novels.
Singapore Writers Festival
Date: 30 October - 8 November 2015
Venue: Various
Ticket Pricing: $20 (Festival Pass)
(Find out more at the official website, here!)
For these two screenings, author Susan Orlean and illustrator Jean-Marc Rochette will talk about their experience and thoughts seeing their books turned to feature films.
Fail Film Festival
A film festival with a title like this doesn’t seem to be legit, or maybe you would expect that films screened at this festival are going to be terrible, right? But Fail Film Festival wants you to think just that.
Fail Film Festival
Date: 17 - 24 October
Venue: The Projector
Ticket Pricing: $12
(Head over to the website for the latest updates on the festival!)
Fail Film Festival is all about celebrating what some might deem as a failure but may be shear enjoyment to others. "Bad" films in this case. If you enjoy cheesy scripts or bad acting that just make the "So Bad, It's Good" mark.
The 1st-ever Fail Film Festival will be showcasing the 'Sharknado' trilogy.
Which film festival are you most looking forward to?
Tell us in the comments section!