Singapore film festival reveals Asian competition lineup, Lucrecia Martel as jury head

Argentinian filmmaker Lucrecia Martel will serve as the jury head of the upcoming Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which has revealed that its 10-strong Asian competition will be widened to include filmmakers from every stage of their careers.

Tan Siyou’s Singapore-set Amoeba, Japanese comedian-turned-director Yuriyan Retriever’s Mag Mag and Chinese director Chen Deming’s CPH:DOX-winning documentary Always are among those selected for the Asian Feature Film (AFF) competition.

The competition is broadening its scope, having previously only selected emerging filmmakers who have directed no more than three features only.

The competition lineup also consists of two from Thailand: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s A Useful Ghost, grand prize winner at Cannes Critics’ Week; and Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Human Resource, which premiered at Venice’s Horizons. A further two from India include Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s Cactus Pears, winner of Sundance’s world cinema grand jury prize, and Tribeny Rai’s Shape Of Momo, which recently premiered at Busan and San Sebastian.

Rounding out the selection are Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri’s Black Rabbit, White Rabbit, which also premiered at Busan; Sri Lankan director Lalith Rathnayake’s Riverstone, winner of best script and best cinematography at Shanghai’s Asian New Talent awards; and Sho Miyake’s Two Seasons, Two Strangers, winner of Locarno’s Golden Leopard.

Martel, who will head the jury panel of AFF competition, will also present her first non-fiction work Nuestra Tierra at SGIFF.

This year, the festival will showcase more than 110 films from over 45 countries, with Singapore talents taking centre stage, accounting for 30 feature and short film titles. The 36^th edition of the festival is set to take place from November 26 to December 7.

Opening the Singapore Panorama section is Michael Kam’s The Old Man And His Car, which stars veteran actors Lim Kay Tong and Richard Low in a sensitive portrait of a retired widower who finds unexpected connection in the face of bereavement. The film will world premiere in Tokyo’s Asian Future competition.

Local titles making world premieres at SGIFF include author-playwright James Thoo’s comedy Sandbox, documentary At Home With Work by Adar Ng and Dave Lim, and actor Qi Yuwu’s directorial short film debut Cendol, starring Sharon Au.

The festival has doubled its local short film selection from last year, showcasing a total of 28 works across the Southeast Asian short film competition and Singapore Panorama.

SGIFF is part of the Singapore Media Festival hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

• Valeriu Andriuta’s ‘The Circle’ wins Screen International Award at Rome’s MIA market