Eugene Kotlyarenko’s Vintage Violence is set to close the 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), making it the festival’s first closing feature in more than a decade.
Following its world premiere in the Midnight Madness section of Toronto, the film will make its Asian premiere at SGIFF on November 1 at the historic Capitol Theatre.
The story follows a disgraced livestreamer who faces off with the Yakuza and a past that refuses to stay buried. When the man discovers a trove of valuable vintage denim in a Colorado mine, he follows the thread to Tokyo and becomes involved with a woman who could be manipulating him.
Local audiences get to meet Ukrainian-US filmmaker Kotlyarenko as well as stars Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara at an In Conversation session on October 31 where they will discuss the making of the film.
”After more than a decade, we are excited to bring back the Festival Closing as a moment for audiences to come together for one final film on the big screen,” said SGIFF executive director Jeremy Chua. ”Vintage Violence felt like the right film to close this edition — unruly, contemporary and deeply attuned to the ways technology has changed how we see, share and experience the world around us
“Its blend of crime, action and dark comedy also makes it a fitting choice for a festival closing over the Halloween weekend, bringing a sense of energy and unpredictability to the final night. At the same time, it invites us to think about the culture of screens that increasingly shapes our lives.”
As previously announced, the In Conversation With sessions will include leading Asian filmmakers and actors such as Aamir Khan, Peter Chan, Shim Eun-kyung, Hirokazu Koreeda and Anthony Wong.
South Korean thriller The Assassin(s), also from Toronto, will open SGIFF on October 21, with director Hur Jin-ho and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon in attendance. The festival has stood by its decision to screen the film, despite calls from South Korea’s conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) to withdraw it over allegations of historical inaccuracies.
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