Film Picks: Oscar winner Chloe Zhao’s heart-rending Hamnet at S’pore International Film Festival

Singapore International Film Festival 2025

Singapore’s largest film event returns on Nov 26 with over 120 films from more than 45 countries. Public ticket sales open on Oct 31 at noon, with tickets for the most acclaimed films expected to sell quickly, so book early.

The period drama Hamnet (M18, 125 minutes, screens on Dec 3 and 7, various locations) is a hot pick as it marks China-born director Chloe Zhao’s return to the intimate format of her Oscar-winning Nomadland (2020). The film stars Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as his wife Agnes, a couple dealing with the death of their son Hamnet, an event that would colour the playwright’s later work.

For a family-friendly pick, try the heart-warming French animation Arco (PG, 82 minutes, screens on Nov 27 and 29, various locations). Film-maker Ugo Bienvenu’s debut feature is illustrated in a classic 2D style and tells the story of a boy who time-travels from the year 2932 to the past, 2075. He meets Iris, a lonely girl cared for by a robot and, together, they embark on an adventure. Animator Adam Sillard will be present for an in-person question-and-answer session on both dates.

Where: Various venues, including Oldham Theatre, National Archives of Singapore, 1 Canning Rise; Golden Village Bugis; Golden Village Cineleisure; Golden Village Suntec City; Golden Village VivoCity; Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Theatre; National Gallery Singapore’s Gallery Theatre

MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/Clarke Quay/Bras Basah (nearest to Oldham Theatre and central venues)
When: Nov 26 to Dec 7, various timings
Admission: $25 (festival opening film), $15 (general film ticket), $20 (special presentations); festival passes and concessions available for students, full-time national servicemen and others via Sistic.com
Info:

sgiff.com

41st Voilah! French Film Festival

The 2025 edition of one of Singapore’s longest-running film festivals features more than 30 contemporary French films across multiple venues.

One highlight is the political thriller 13 Days 13 Nights (PG13, 112 minutes, screens from Nov 14 to 30 at Shaw Theatres Lido and Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), and Alliance Francaise, various timings), adapted from the 2022 memoir by Mohamed Bida, a French police commander who led the 2021 evacuation of the French Embassy in Kabul as the Taliban took control of the city.

The film follows Commander Bida (Roschdy Zem) as hundreds of Afghans throng the French Embassy seeking refuge. The police officer is at a loss. With senior diplomats having already fled by helicopter, what is he to do with the crowds? He chooses to lead 2,800 people to the airport before it is too late.

The film screened at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, with a review on the Cineuropa film information site calling it “a hard-hitting thriller inspired by real events, transformed into an American-style action film”.

The festival is organised by the Embassy of France in Singapore with its partners Alliance Francaise de Singapour and Shaw Organisation.

Where: Shaw Theatres Lido and PLQ, Alliance Francaise de Singapour and selected community venues
MRT: Orchard (Shaw Lido)/Paya Lebar (Shaw PLQ)/Newton/Stevens (Alliance Francaise)
When: Nov 13 to 30, various timings
Admission: $16 (standard at Shaw Theatres and Alliance Francaise), $14.50 (Singapore Film Society and Alliance Francaise members), with community and open-air screenings at Palawan Beach on Sentosa free for the public
Info:

voilah.sg

Cartoons Underground 2025

South-east Asia’s leading indie animation festival returns with its largest programme to date – 16 international selections and four Singapore student works, representing a range of themes from memory to family to mental health.

Among the highlights is Mountain Mountain by Singaporean students Grace Cheu and Ben Tan, a whimsical story that follows two people searching for mountains on Mount Faber.

In S The Wolf by Egyptian film-maker Sameh Alaa, a middle-aged man looks at his thinning hair and muses about hair length during his growing-up years, while Pear Garden by Iranian animator Shadab Shayegan follows a six-year-old girl visiting her grandmother, who has just had a mastectomy. Worried by the woman’s changed appearance, the girl dreams about a healing pear tree.

There are two curated screening blocks – A and B. Programme A features eight international short films, while Programme B features a mix of 12 international shorts and four Singapore student works.

Where: *Scape The Ground Theatre, 04-05, 2 Orchard Link
MRT: Orchard/Somerset
When: Nov 1, 4 to 11pm
Admission: Festival Pass (Programmes A and B), $35; Programme A only (4pm), $15; Programme B only, with film-maker question-and-answer session and Golden Durian Awards (7pm), $25; Student Festival Pass, $25; 10 per cent off group buy available at $157.50 for five passes
Info:

cartoonsunderground.com