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36th Singapore International Film Festival
The 36th annual Singapore International Film Festival took place from 26 November to 7 December 2025 in Singapore. A total of 121 films from 45 countries were screened during the festival. The festival opened with Shu Qi's directorial debut Girl.
| Opening film |
|---|
| Singapore |
| 121 |
| 26 November–7 December 2025 |
| sgiff.com |
The 36th annual Singapore International Film Festival took place from 26 November to 7 December 2025 in Singapore. A total of 121 films from 45 countries were screened during the festival. The festival opened with Shu Qi's directorial debut Girl.
The Best Asian Feature award was presented to documentary film, Always.
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Lucrecia Martel, Argentine filmmaker, Jury President
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Chin Han, Singaporean actor
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Lim Giong, Taiwanese musician
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Nicholas Saputra, Indonesian actor and producer
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Yason Banal, Filipino artist
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Koyo Yamashita, Japanese curator and filmmaker
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Phan Dang Di, Vietnamese filmmaker
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Tan Pin Pin, Singaporean filmmaker
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Amarsanaa Battulga, Mongolian journalist
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Nguyen Le, Vietnamese journalist
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Rita Dutta, Indian journalist
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girl | 女孩 | Shu Qi | Taiwan |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Useful Ghost | ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ | Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke | Thailand, Singapore, France, Germany |
| Always | 从来 | Deming Chen | United States, China, France, Taiwan |
| Amoeba | Tan Siyou | Singapore, France, Netherlands, Spain, South Korea | |
| Black Rabbit, White Rabbit | Харгӯши сиёҳ, харгӯши сафед | Shahram Mokri | Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates |
| Cactus Pears | Sabar Bonda | Rohan Parashuram Kanawade | India, United Kingdom, Canada |
| Human Resource | Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit | Thailand | |
| MAG MAG | 禍禍女 | Yuriyan Retriever | Japan |
| Riverstone | රිවස්ටර්න් | Lalith Rathnayake | Sri Lanka |
| Shape of Momo | Chhora Jastai | Tribeny Rai | India, South Korea |
| Two Seasons, Two Strangers | 旅と日々 | Sho Miyake | Japan |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 4PLY Clandestine System | Natalie Sin | Singapore | |
| a flower not a flower | เดี๋ยวด๋าวประประ | Tanakit Kitsanayunyong | Thailand |
| A Metamorphosis | အသွင်ပြောင်းလဲခြင်းတစ်ခု | Lin Htet Aung | Myanmar |
| ARI-ARI (The Storyteller) | Ari-Ari | Taufiqurrahman Kifu | Indonesia |
| Before the Sea Forgets | Lê Ngọc Duy | Singapore | |
| Bleat! | கத்து! | Ananth Subramaniam | Malaysia, Philippines, France |
| Children's Day | Giselle Lin | Singapore | |
| Elenita Elena Elaine | Gabriela Serrano | Philippines | |
| Fresh as Daisy | ស្រស់ដូចផ្កា | Socheata Van | Cambodia |
| Fruit | Buah | Lim Jen Nee | Singapore |
| Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites | ចៅសំណព្វចិត្ | Chheangkea | Cambodia, France, United States |
| Hour of the Flower | Grace Song | Singapore | |
| In the Valley | 鳥,飛行中 | Lim Han Loong | Malaysia |
| The Last Swimming Reunion Before Life Happens | Yung Huling Swimming Reunion Before Life Happens | Glenn Barit | Philippines |
| Memory Replica | Ký Ức Ký Ức | Đặng Thảo Nguyên | Vietnam |
| Monkey | Aries C. Ferrer | Philippines | |
| More Than Happy | Tan Wei Keong | Singapore | |
| My Plastic Mother | Anak Macan | Amar Haikal | Indonesia |
| Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From The Sky | Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit | Maria Estela Paiso | Philippines |
| Play | Ga Zar Bwal | Myo Aung | Myanmar, Taiwan |
| Ponay (or You Are Not F***ing Welcome) | Hesome Chemamah | Thailand | |
| Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts | Rein Maychaelson | Indonesia | |
| Through Your Eyes | Nelson Yeo | Singapore | |
| True Love | Chân Tình | Huỳnh Công Nhớ | Vietnam |
| When the Blues Goes Marching In | Pengais Mimpi | Beny Kristia | Indonesia |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| At Home with Work | Dave Lim, Adar Ng | Singapore | |
| Coda | コーダ | Jac Min | Singapore, Japan |
| The Old Man and His Car (opening film) | 老破車 | Michael Kam | Singapore |
| Sandbox | James Thoo |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| It Was Just an Accident | یک تصادف ساده | Jafar Panahi | Iran, France, Luxembourg |
| Landmarks | Nuestra Tierra | Lucrecia Martel | Argentina, United States, Mexico, France, Netherlands, Denmark |
| Life After | Reid Davenport | United States | |
| Lost Land | Harà Watan | Akio Fujimoto | Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany |
| Queer as Punk | Chen Yihwen | Malaysia, Indonesia | |
| Rashid, the Boy from Sinjar (opening film) | Rashid, L'enfant De Sinjar | Jasna Krajinovic | Belgium, France |
| Waking Hours | Federico Cammarata, Filippo Foscarini | Italy | |
| When Lightning Flashes Over the Sea | Коли над морем спалахує блискавка | Eva Neymann | Ukraine, Germany |
| Writing Life – Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students | Écrire la vie: Annie Ernaux racontée par des lycéennes et des lycéens | Claire Simon | France |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bouchra | Meriem Bennani, Orian Barki | Italy, Morocco, United States | |
| Dry Leaf | ხმელი ფოთოლი | Alexandre Koberidze | Germany, Georgia |
| Resurrection | 狂野时代 | Bi Gan | China, France |
| Underground | アンダーグラウンド | Kaori Oda | Japan |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10s Across the Borders | Chan Sze-Wei | Philippines, Singapore, Germany | |
| Becoming Human | ជាតិជាមនុស្សា | Polen Ly | Cambodia |
| Bring Him Down to a Portable Size | 兄を持ち運べるサイズに | Ryōta Nakano | Japan, France, China |
| Diamonds in the Sand | Janus Victoria | Philippines, Japan, Malaysia | |
| The Fox King | Woo Ming Jin | Malaysia, Indonesia | |
| Hen (opening film) | Kota | György Pálfi | Greece, Germany, Hungary |
| I Only Rest in the Storm | O Riso e a Faca | Pedro Pinho | Portugal, France, Brazil, Romania |
| Kokuho | 国宝 | Lee Sang-il | Japan |
| La grazia | Paolo Sorrentino | Italy | |
| Memory of Princess Mumbi | Damien Hauser | Kenya, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia | |
| My Father's Shadow | Akinola Davies Jr. | United Kingdom, Nigeria | |
| The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo | La Misteriosa Mirada Del Flamenco | Diego Cespedes | Chile, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium |
| Sound of Falling | In die Sonne schauen | Mascha Schilinski | Germany |
| Vanilla | Vainilla | Mayra Hermosillo | Mexico |
| What Does That Nature Say to You | 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 | Hong Sang-soo | South Korea |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arco (opening film) | Ugo Bienvenu | France | |
| Father Mother Sister Brother | Jim Jarmusch | United States, Ireland, France | |
| Hamnet | Chloé Zhao | United Kingdom | |
| How Dare You? | ふつうの子ども | Mipo O | Japan |
| Late Fame | Kent Jones | United States | |
| Lesbian Space Princess | Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese | Australia | |
| Rabbit Trap | Bryn Chainey | United Kingdom, United States | |
| Rental Family | Hikari | United States, Japan | |
| The Secret Agent | O Agente Secreto | Kleber Mendonça Filho | Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands |
| Sentimental Value | Joachim Trier | Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom | |
| She's Got No Name | 酱园弄•悬案 | Peter Chan | China |
| This City Is a Battlefield | Perang Kota | Mouly Surya | Indonesia, Singapore, the Netherlands, France, Norway, Philippines, Cambodia |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Arch (1968) | 董夫人 | Tang Shu Shuen | Hong Kong |
| Bye Bye Love (1974) (opening film) | バイバイ・ラブ | Isao Fujisawa | Japan |
| Dream of the Red Chamber (1977) | 新潮紅樓夢 | Chiu Kang-chien | Singapore |
| The Girls (1978) | ගැහැණු ළමයි | Sumitra Peries | Sri Lanka |
| Matador (1986) | Pedro Almodóvar | Spain | |
| The Razor's Edge (1985) | غزل البنات | Jocelyne Saab | France, Lebanon |
| Earth (1998) | पृथ्वी | Deepa Mehta | India, Canada |
| Fire (1996) | आग | Canada | |
| Funny Boy (2020) | Sri Lanka, Canada | ||
| Water (2005) | जल | Sri Lanka, Canada |
The following awards were presented at the festival:
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Best Asian Feature Film: Always by Deming Chen
- Special Mention: A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
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Best Director: Lalith Rathnayake for Riverstone
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FIPRESCI Award: Human Resource by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
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Best Southeast Asian Short Film: Through Your Eyes by Nelson Yeo
- Special Mention: True Love by Huỳnh Công Nhớ
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Best Singapore Short Film: Children's Day by Giselle Lin
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Best Director: Ananth Subramaniam for Bleat!
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Best Cinematography: Batara Goempar for Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts
The nominations for Best Performance were announced on November 4 and 5.
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Best Performance for Asian Feature Film Competition | |
| Mahendra Perera – Riverstone | |
| Apasiri Nitibhon – A Useful Ghost | |
| Bhushaan Manoj – Cactus Pears | |
| Davika Hoorne – A Useful Ghost | |
| Gaumaya Gurung – Shape of Momo | |
| Hasti Mohammai – Black Rabbit, White Rabbit | |
| Prapamonton Eiamchan – Human Resource | |
| Randika Gunathilaka – Riverstone | |
| Ranice Tay – Amoeba | |
| Sara Minami – MAG MAG | |
| Shim Eun-kyung – Two Seasons, Two Strangers | |
| Suraaj Suman – Cactus Pears | Best Performance for Southeast Asian Short Film Competition |
| Tysha Khan – Fruit | |
| Agot Isidro – Elenita Elena Elaine | |
| Bonrotanak Rith – Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites | |
| Emma Lim – Children's Day | |
| Hana Nadira – Fruit | |
| Katelynn Foo – Hour of the Flower | |
| Muhammad Alfat Apriansyah – My Plastic Mother | |
| Nai Djenar Maesa Ayu – Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts | |
| Pathavee Thepkraiwan – Ponay (or You Are Not F***ing Welcome) | |
| Sopheanith Thong – Fresh as Daisy |
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Coda by Jac Min
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