The film will make its Southeast Asian debut with a one-night-only showing and live drag performances by protagonist Opera Tang and fellow Queens
Tickets are going fast for the 33rd edition of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which runs from November 24 to December 4, 2022. Just added to the line-up is Baby Queen (rated R21) by Singaporean filmmaker LEI Yuan Bin, who is known for 03-FLATS (2014), which competed in Busan, and I Dream of Singapore (2019), which premiered at the Berlinale. Baby Queen is his fifth feature and premiered recently at the Busan International Film Festival 2022.
About Baby Queen: With her striking Teochew opera-inspired makeup, Opera Tang has been making waves on the local drag scene since her debut in 2020. Through intimate vignettes of Opera's personal life, the film chronicles her queer journey: from coming-out as a fledgling drag queen, falling in love, competing in drag pageants, to dressing up her supportive and charming 90-year-old grandma in drag. Baby Queen illuminates the struggles and joys of becoming who you want to be, and what it means to carve out a safe space in a society that is at times cruel to those who are different. Candid and clear-eyed in its portrait of queer life, the film celebrates radical self-acceptance as a personal yet deeply political act.
Baby Queen was selected to anchor this year's SGIFF Fundraiser, which will be held on November 30, 8pm, at Projector X: Picturehouse. Following this, a live drag show by the film's featured subjects – Opera Tang, Femme Fartale, Sapphire Blast, and Ada Heart – will take place.
Riotous fun awaits those who manage to snag seats: limited VIP seats are available for donations of S$150, which includes a pre-event reception with Prosecco and custom chocolates, priority seats to Baby Queen screening and live drag show as well as a meet and greet with performers. Regular seats with a S$30 donation will include an event snack bag.
Plenty of off-screen action also takes place at SGIFF, with this year's Forum section built to be more experimental and interactive. All Forum events are free of charge but registration is essential. Highlights include:
Future of Cinema: We All Paint Ourselves Green | 26 November | 11am |
Venue: Oceanus Media Global
This panel discusses the potentials and pitfalls of tech-driven production. For a local film industry that commonly faces limited resources, could these tools aid filmmaking?
Featured speakers: Jolinna ANG, Debbie DING, HUANG Jun Xiang, Benjamin KEE, Federico RUBERTO, Benjamin SEIDE.
Singapore Panorama: Mildly Offensive, Sometimes Accurate | 29 November | 7pm |
Venue: LASALLE College of the Arts, Creative Cube
“Singapore got no talent lah.” Ever heard this seasoned gripe? Common misnomer or unfortunate truth, it's time to tackle assumptions such as this about our local acting industry. In this interactive gameplay, witness actors, casting directors and filmmakers pit their views against one another. Dish out some of the most controversial statements you've heard and collectively decide if they are mildly offensive, or sometimes accurate.
Featuring Hossan LEONG as Host.
Featured Players: Jalyn HAN, HE Shuming, KOO Chia Meng, Kris ONG, Sivakumar PALAKRISHNAN, Cassandra SPYKERMAN, Wendy TOH.
Programming Now: Perspectives (Day 1) | 30 November |
Programming Now: Relations (Day 2) | 1 December | 7pm |
Venue: LASALLE College of the Arts, Creative Cube
Programming Now is a two-day roundtable discussion that explores the labour, challenges and love behind film programming. How do we build a more inclusive and sustainable way of encountering film in our hypermediated world? How can we maintain a balance between artistic integrity and accessibility? Join us as we dive deep into the nuts and bolts of film programming.
Day 1 Featured Speakers: Maggie LEE, Christian JEUNE, Dennis LIM, Nam Dong-chul, Elise JALLADEAU.
Day 2 Featured Speakers: Róisín TAPPONI, Ritu SARIN, KIM Soyoung, Zakiah
The 33rd SGIFF will be hosted across multiple festival venues, with screenings at Filmgarde Kallang, Carnival Cinema at Golden Mile Tower, Golden Village Plaza Singapura, Oldham Theatre, The Projector, Projector X: Picturehouse; and talks and panels will be held at Oceanus Media Global, LASALLE College of the Arts, Oldham Theatre and 42 Waterloo. All remaining tickets will be released on November 10, 12pm.
Tickets are on sale now via SGIFF.com.
