35th Singapore International Film Festival Closes with Record-breaking Box Office, Celebrates Excellence in Asian Cinema at Silver Screen Awards

SINGAPORE, 9 December 2024 – The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) concluded its 35th edition on December 8 with another record-breaking year. The festival marked its highest-ever box office earnings, with total ticket sales seeing a 10% increase from the last edition. This year’s attendance also surpassed the previous edition’s record, cementing SGIFF’s place among audiences as a key platform for Asian cinema.

The final night of the festival culminated in the prestigious Silver Screen Awards, where 14 awards and 3 Special Mentions were presented to exceptional films and talents from Singapore, the region, and around the world. A total of 9 feature films and 20 shorts were nominated for two categories, the

Asian Feature Film Competition and the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition.

Mongrel, directed by Singapore’s Chiang Wei Liang and co-directed by Yin You Qiao, clinched the award for Best Asian Feature Film for its stark portrayal of disenfranchised migrant workers in Taiwan, while the newly-formatted Audience Choice Award saw audiences collectively vote for 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, a poetic exploration of how an individual’s life is connected to the roots of nature and history. Meanwhile, Singaporean animation filmmaker Calleen Koh won the Best Singapore Short Film award for 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 14 December, giving audiences another opportunity to catch these remarkable films and shorts.

This year’s batch of winners highlight the diversity of voices from Asian creatives today. From societal reflections (Chiang Wei Liang’s Mongrel, Lou Ye’s An Unfinished Film), to stories that highlight the lived experiences of women across Asia (Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April, Calleen Koh’s My Wonderful Life, P.S. Vinothraj’s The Adamant Girl), coming-of-age tales that showcase the fears and dreams of Asia’s next generation (Liu Yaonan’s The Great Phuket, Wong Tuck Hon’s Spelling Test), these works capture the pulse of contemporary Asian cinema with creativity and authenticity.

Mongrel director Chiang Wei Liang said, “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. 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.”

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.”

Introduced in 1991, the Silver Screen Awards was the first international competition to feature a category dedicated to Asian cinema, with many of the awardees and nominees going on to establish themselves among the region’s most prominent filmmakers.

SGIFF has always championed the voices of Asian talents, and this year’s edition is no different. This year’s lineup featured 105 films from 45 countries, 80% of which came from Asia. This focus culminates in the Asian Feature Film Competition, which celebrates bold new cinematic visions from emerging Asian directors; for many filmmakers, the competition serves as an important platform before they are catapulted onto the world stage. 

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.”

The nine nominees for Best Asian Feature Film, diverse in genre and perspective, collectively reflect the evolving cultural landscape of the region. Mongrel stood out for its unflinching look at the struggles faced by migrant workers in Taiwan, caught between the need to earn overdue wages and the struggle to retain their integrity and humanity.

Trương Minh Quý won Best Director for ​​Việt and Nam, a queer love story of two coal miners facing imminent separation. For his moving portrayal of the turbulence of adolescence in a rapidly changing urban landscape, Li Rongkun was awarded the Best Performance Award for his debut appearance in The Great Phuket. Additionally, a Special Mention was given to the exceptional performances of the ensemble cast and the Nature from The Adamant Girl, which challenges the notion of women’s autonomy within contemporary Indian society.

Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili won the Best Screenplay award for her film April, which follows a seasoned obstetrician moonlighting as an abortionist; Liu Yaonan’s debut feature The Great Phuket received a Special Mention in the category for its blend of both fantasy and bittersweet realism. The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award, established to promote film and to encourage new and young cinema, went to Việt and Nam by Trương Minh Quý. In their citation, jurors said: “Like its migrant characters, its mysterious narrative and language expand our understanding of the human condition through the moving image.”

The Southeast Asian Short Film Competition celebrated the best short cinematic gems from the region, featuring 24 films across five programmes, with half making their world premiere at the festival. This year’s selection showcased the depth and creativity of Southeast Asian filmmakers, forming a vivid tableau that is as diverse as it is inspirational. 

The Best Southeast Asian Short Film prize was awarded to Spirits of the Black Leaves by Thaweechok Phasom, while local animation filmmaker Calleen Koh won the Best Singapore Short Film for My Wonderful Life.

Vietnamese filmmaker Đàm Quang Trung’s Elephants by the Roadside — a quiet yet powerful vignette on urban migration — picked up two awards: Best Director, as well as the inaugural ARRI Award For Best Cinematography, which was awarded to Director of Photography Vũ Hoàng Triều.

Best Performance went to movement artist and actor Sasa Cabalquinto for her performance in Vox Humana, one that is intricately woven into director Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan’s layered narrative of modernity, authority, and ecological collapse. Last but not least, 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. 

The newly-formatted Audience Choice Award, now open only to Singaporean films and co-productions, went to Lou Ye’s An Unfinished Film, a testament to its impact on viewers. The docufiction drama sees Lou fracture the boundary between real and fabricated, as he blends old footage and handheld camerawork, some from outtakes of Lou’s previous films, some from the film’s fictitious camera crew. An Unfinished Film tells the story of director Xiaorui, who is determined to complete a decade-old project after discovering old footage. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic complicates his plans, and he and his crew are forced to grapple between art and survival. 

SGIFF General Manager Jeremy Chua said: “After An Unfinished Film’s recent successes at the Golden Horse Film Awards, it’s clear that the film has struck a chord: Its win at the SGIFF Audience Choice Awards further underscores its universal appeal and power to connect with audiences. The film’s exploration of the pursuit of expression, especially in turbulent times, clearly resonates with many, and we are delighted to be able to showcase and award such a pivotal work by one of Asia’s most prominent filmmakers.”

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, an incisive film that explores self-sacrificial family dynamics and intergenerational trauma. Both were presented their awards by SGIFF’s inaugural Festival Ambassador, Mediacorp Artiste Rebecca Lim.

The two stars reunited for the first time in a decade for a special dialogue session on 30 November. There, they reflected on their shared history of collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang, their artistic journeys, and how they shaped both their own and each other’s creative paths. To celebrate the award, SGIFF also held two screenings of Vive L’Amour, the 1994 cult classic about three lonely people who unknowingly inhabit the same luxury apartment in Taipei that sees Lee and Yang starring alongside each other.

The Cinema Honorary Award was presented to the celebrated 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 incepted in 2014, recognises filmmakers who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema.

Panahi joins other visionary directors — such as Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan, Indonesia’s Garin Nugroho, Cambodia’s Rithy Panh, and Japan’s Takashi Miike — who have previously been honoured with the award. Panahi was previously awarded the Best Director and Special Jury award at the 11th edition of SGIFF in 1998.

This year, the festival also introduces a new award: The ARRI Award For Best Cinematography. Presented in collaboration with the famed German manufacturer of motion picture film equipment ARRI, the prize is the festival’s first-ever award to a cinematographer in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition, and looks to recognise the artistry and technical skill that takes place behind the lens. 

At the 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.

SGIFF will host a series of Encore Screenings at The Projector at Golden Mile Tower on December 14, offering audiences another opportunity to experience the winning films. The screenings are:

• Best Singapore Short Film winner My Wonderful Life and Audience Choice Award An Unfinished Film at 1pm
• Best Southeast Asian Short Film winner Spirits of the Black Leaves and Best Asian Feature Film winner Mongrel at 4pm

Tickets are now available. For more information, visit the SGIFF website here.

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