Singapore Int. Film Festival

November | December 2024

35^th Edition

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is the largest and longest-running ﬁlm event in Singapore.
Founded in 1987 by Geoffrey Malone and co-founded by L. Leland Whitney, the Festival focuses on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for the best of Singapore cinema.
Over the decades, it has grown to become an iconic date in the Singapore arts calendar. With its focus on groundbreaking Asian cinema, this prestigious event is known for its dynamic programming and commitment to the development of a vibrant local film culture.
The festivities bring to this city a vibrant film experience and a deeper appreciation of its cinematic culture. SGIFF aims to open new perspectives and make new connections. Audiences will enjoy many activities including film screenings, master classes, fringe events, industry discussions and awards ceremonies.
The Festival means to inspire the widest public interest in the arts, and give thousands of film lovers around the region direct access to a wide range of World and Asian cinema.
Always at the forefront of independent filmmaking, SGIFF continues to be a platform for both established and aspiring filmmakers to showcase their films to an audience of local and international film buffs.
SGIFF is committed to nurturing and championing homegrown talents, and to making new discoveries in the art of ﬁlmmaking. The promise of creative synergies between the film industry and other disciplines is what defines the Singapore International Film Festival.
With the Silver Screen Awards as an awards component, the Festival also recognizes excellence in Asian cinema in two main categories – the Asian Feature Film Competition, and the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) welcomes Asian and Southeast Asian films to be part of its Official Selection and Competition section. The Festival will only consider films that are at least a Singapore premiere, have not been broadcast on TV nor made available on the Internet, or screened publicly in Singapore in any way prior to the Festival. In addition, films must not have premiered earlier than 1 November 2022.
Only Southeast Asian short films, Asian feature-length and mid-length films may be submitted for Festival consideration.
Films in competition will be previewed by an international jury and screened to the public throughout the Festival period, culminating in the Silver Screen Awards ceremony. First introduced in 1991, the Silver Screen Awards was the first international competition with a specific Asian film category; thus charting the rise of Asian Cinema and recognising the talents of new and upcoming filmmakers, many of whom have become some of the most prominent filmmakers of our time.

ENTRY FEES
11 May – 9 July 2023: Early Bird Submission No entry fees are charged during this period.
10 July – 13 August 2023: Late Phase Submission. The Festival will charge a submission fee of USD$25.
This fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

DEADLINE
All film submissions must complete the Online Submission Form no later than Sunday, 13 August 2023, 6.00pm (GMT+8). Any submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted.

ELIGIBILITY DEFINITIONS
Feature film entries must be from Asia.
Short film entries must be from Southeast Asia.
Films must not have premiered earlier than 1 November 2022.
Films must at least be a Singapore premiere, meaning entries must not have been broadcasted on TV, made available on the Internet or screened publicly in Singapore in any way prior to the Festival. Priority will be given to World, International and Asian premieres.

CATEGORIES
Submitted entries may be selected for the following categories:
Out-of-Competition: Mid-length and Feature Films must be from Asia; and short films must be from Singapore.
In-Competition (Silver Screen Awards): First to third feature films directed by a filmmaker of Asian nationality or origin for the Asian Feature Film Competition; and short films directed by a filmmaker of Southeast Asian nationality or origin, for the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition.
The Festival reserves the right to decide which section the selected films will participate in.
The Silver Screen Awards was introduced in 1991 with the aim of recognising and creating awareness of remarkable filmmaking talents throughout Asia.
The 34th SGIFF Silver Screen Awards will be held during the Festival.
The winning films will be announced during the awards ceremony.
Films within the Asian Feature Films Competition will be eligible for the following awards: Best Asian Feature Film, Best Director, Best Performance.
Short Films within the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition will be eligible for the following awards: Best Southeast Asian Short Film, Best Director, Best Performance, Best Singapore Short Film.
SGIFF is a qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards of the Academy Awards®. The recipient of SGIFF’s Best Southeast Asian Short Film will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/Live Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD

All selected feature films and feature documentaries are eligible for the Audience Choice Award.
Audiences will be able to cast their vote at the end of each screening. The film with the highest audience votes will receive the Audience Choice Award and will be re-screened at the end of the Festival