SING STREET (PG13)

106 minutes/5 stars

Dublin in the 1980s is a hard place for Conor (played with a winning swagger by first-time actor Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, third from left).The Irish economy is tanking and money woes are tearing apart his parents' marriage.

Bit by bit, Conor grows up, mainly by falling in love - with the unattainable Raphina (Lucy Boynton), the music of Hall and Oates, A-Ha, Duran Duran and Joe Jackson, and also the lads in his rock band (who, like Walsh-Peelo, are mainly instrumentalists acting for the first time).

Writer-director John Carney made two other films in which pop and rock do the job of dialogue and action: The Oscar-winning Once (2007) and Begin Again (2013), but this is the most autobiographical of the three and the most entertaining.

DHEEPAN (NC16)

114 minutes

Sri Lankan refugees - a former soldier, a woman who claims to be his wife and a girl who says she is their daughter - are resettled into a tough part of Paris. They have to cope with culture shock, while dealing with secrets and lies carried over from the old country.

The French production, directed and co-written by Jacques Audiard, maker of the critically acclaimed Rust And Bone (2012) and A Prophet (2009), won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last year. Stars Kalieaswari Srinivasan (above) and Jesuthasan Antonythasan.

WHERE: The Projector, 6001 Beach Road, Golden Mile Tower, 05-00 MRT: Nicoll Highway WHEN: From today, various timings ADMISSION: $13 INFO: For bookings and schedule, go to theprojector.sg

REDHA (PG)

115 minutes

A couple discover that their son is autistic. The news that their child might have special needs for the rest of his life provokes grief, anger and denial, pushing the marriage close to breaking point.

Made in Malaysia, this Malay-language film is based on real stories and is among the first from the region to tackle the topic of autism in a realistic manner. It stars Harith Haziq (above).

The screenings are organised by the Singapore Malay Film Society and backed by the Autism Association (Singapore), with part of the proceeds going to the association.

WHERE: The Projector MRT: Nicoll Highway WHEN: Till Sunday, various timings ADMISSION: $20 (part of the proceeds goes to the Autism Association) INFO: For bookings and schedule, go to www.eventbrite.com and search "redha"

MINDS FILM FESTIVAL

The first festival here dealing with issues around intellectual disabilities features the award-winning British film, My Feral Heart (NC16, 83 minutes), a bittersweet drama starring Steven Brandon (above), an actor with Down syndrome.

He is Luke who, after the death of his mother, is taken into state care. Co-organised by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds) and the Singapore Film Society, the screening will include a question session with director Jane Gull.

WHERE: GV Plaza, 68 Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura, 07-01 MRT: Dhoby Ghaut WHEN: Tomorrow, 1.30pm, with a question session with director Jane Gull ADMISSION: $6 INFO: For bookings and schedule, go to www.gv.com.sg