Singapore International Film Festival closes with record-high numbers

SINGAPORE – The 35th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) concluded on a high note. It notched up its highest-ever box-office numbers, with a 13 per cent growth in revenue and a 10 per cent increase in ticket sales compared with 2023.

The festival, which started on Nov 28, showcased 105 films from 45 countries, with 80 per cent of the selections originating from Asia. It culminated in the Silver Screen Awards ceremony, held on Dec 8 at Swissotel The Stamford hotel.

Singaporean director Chiang Wei Liang’s Mongrel, co-directed with Taiwanese film-maker Yin You Qiao, emerged as the festival’s top honouree, winning Best Asian Feature Film.

In its citation, the jury praised the film’s portrayal of migrant workers in Taiwan, noting its “innovative and wounding proposal for the aesthetics of cinematic knowledge”.

The festival’s newly revised Audience Choice Award, now open only to Singaporean films and co-productions, went to Chinese film-maker Lou Ye’s docu-fiction drama An Unfinished Film.

The German-Singapore production’s success at SGIFF follows its recent acclaim at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Awards, where it won the Best Director and Best Narrative Feature prizes. It follows a director intent on completing a decade-old project after discovering old footage, but his attempts at filming in China are complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a press statement, SGIFF general manager Jeremy Chua said: “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 film-makers.”

In the South-east Asian Short Film Competition, Thai director Thaweechok Phasom’s Spirits Of The Black Leaves won Best Southeast Asian Short Film, while Singaporean animator Calleen Koh’s My Wonderful Life secured the Best Singapore Short Film award.

The festival presented its Screen Icon Award to two recipients for the first time – Taiwanese actors Lee Kang-sheng and Yang Kuei-mei.

Lee stars in SGIFF’s opening film Stranger Eyes, a thriller by Singaporean film-maker Yeo Siew Hua. Yang was at SGIFF for the South-east Asian premiere of her latest film, the family drama Yen And Ai-Lee.

Additionally, celebrated Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi received the Cinema Honorary Award, marking his first festival appearance since the lifting of his 14-year travel ban.

Encore screenings of the winning films will be held on Dec 14 at The Projector at Golden Mile Tower, featuring My Wonderful Life, An Unfinished Film, Spirits Of The Black Leaves and Mongrel.

Schedules and ticketing information for the encore screenings are available at

sgiff.com