The best of Singapore International Film Festival 2016

By Megan Koh

Hailed as the leading international film platform in Southeast Asia, the 27th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will be screening more than 160 curated films from all around the world from 23 Nov to 4 Dec.

The festival is typically greeted with a 12,000-strong audience, and it is with good reason that it remains the largest and longest-running film event in Singapore, comparable to its established Asian counterparts like the Hong Kong International Film Festival and Busan International Film Festival.

Following the landscapes of cinema from its nostalgic 35mm reels to its present digital convenience, the festival reflects Singaporeans’ growing interest with film throughout the years.

“How Singapore has actually evolved as a country really ties in very much with the festival,” said Ms Chrystal Ng, 25, a SGIFF Youth Jury Facilitator.

From its beginnings in 1987, the festival has since developed a reputation for presenting Southeast Asian works — reiterated with the screenings of Bhutanese and Nepali short films this year.

“Many of us only watch what’s showing in theatres. And all of those films are very specific and only provide one perspective,” said Ms Leck Choon Ling, 23, a SGIFF Hospitality Executive.

“But with this festival, we really get a whole scope of perspectives and a whole scope of cultures.”

While the idea of independent films may be too foreign for a mass audience, here are some film recommendations that may appeal to you — comforting in their familiar genres, but refreshing in their stylised film-making techniques and rich cultural perspectives.

My Life as a Courgette. PHOTO: 27TH SGIFF

For the animation lover:
My Life as a Courgette
3 Dec, Saturday, 7pm
Filmgarde Bugis+

Leave the realms of Pixar and DreamWorks, and catch Swiss director Claude Barras’ first animated feature — a deeply moving story for all ages.

Following the tale of nine-year-old Courgette who is suddenly orphaned by the death of his alcoholic mother and taken into a foster home, this adaptation of French novelist Gilles Paris’ Autobiography of a Courgette reveals Barras’ talent in unflinching honesty delivered with a light-handed touch.

The narrative of troubled parents and the effect on their children is understood universally, but when told through the innocence of Courgette, it manages to garner greater empathy.

My Life as a Courgette has won the Audience Award and the Cristal for Best Feature Film at the renowned Annecy International Animated Film Festival this year. It was also selected as the Swiss entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.

Psycho Raman. PHOTO: 27TH SGIFF

For the thriller enthusiast:
Psycho Raman
2 Dec, Friday, 11.45pm
Filmgarde Bugis+

Directed by Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Psycho Raman is a film that terrifies and shocks its viewers. Inspired by Raman Raghav, the infamous serial killer from the 1960s, Kashyap’s Hindi serial killer thriller is set in present day Mumbai and tells the tale of Ramanna, a deranged murderer in his slew of crimes.

Ramanna develops an obsession towards Raghavan, convinced that the drug-abusing, corrupt cop is his alter ego.

Fate sets them at odds when the latter is put in charge of Ramanna’s criminal investigations.
Actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui (as Ramanna) and Vicky Kaushal’s (as Raghavan) relentless performances of their shockingly charged personas complement Kashyap’s tasteful direction that breaks the expectations of the genre.

The film premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in May with Siddiqui receiving a standing ovation after the screening.

For the local fan:
SEA Short Film Competition
2 Dec, Friday, 7pm and 9.30pm
3 Dec, Saturday, 11am
National Gallery of Singapore

The Southeast Asian Short Film Competition is a delightful way to gain insights into the region’s different film-making locales just under 90 minutes.

As part of the Silver Screen Awards, an initiative introduced in 1991 to highlight the works of Asian and Southeast Asian filmmakers, each showcase spotlights five to six short films from all over Southeast Asia.

Scheduled into three different programmes, films are divided into themes and genres from social realism to experimental, promising something for everyone.

Enjoy an emotive personal documentary, Sugar & Spice, by Mi Mi Lwin that tells the story of her parents making a living from selling sugar balls in Myanmar.

The couple’s banter and way of life subtly reflects Myanmar’s social problems, and this documentary seeks to engage the emotional and sentimental side of viewers.

Alternatively, immerse yourself in the bold narrative of Le Bao’s short film, Taste — a story of a Nigerian football player who is dismissed from the Vietnamese football league after breaking his leg. It is a heart-breaking and contentious journey where the protagonist eventually turns to the sex trade to provide for his family.