The 35th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) opened on the evening of 28 November, setting the stage for a vibrant celebration of Asian cinema. Held at the iconic Capitol Theatre, the evening saw the Southeast Asian premiere of Singaporean director Yeo Siew Hua‘s award-winning psychological thriller Stranger Eyes, marking the first of 105 films from over 48 countries — 80% of which are from Asia — to be showcased during the festival.
The evening’s red carpet was graced by Guest of Honour President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Distinguished Guest Minister Josephine Teo, as well as Stranger Eyes director Yeo Siew Hua and cast members Lee Kang-sheng, Wu Chien-ho, and Xenia Tan. Lee was also honoured with the festival’s Screen Icon Award, which pays homage to an actor’s exceptional contributions to bringing Asian stories to life on screen.
Other stars, including SGIFF’s inaugural festival ambassador Mediacorp Artiste Rebecca Lim, and the Small Hours of the Night team, also graced the red carpet.
Stranger Eyes sets the stage for lineup that celebrates Asian voices
Stranger Eyes, the first local film to be selected for the main competition at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, made its Southeast Asian premiere as SGIFF’s Opening Film. The feature delves into the anxieties of life under surveillance, and embodies one of the recurring themes at this year’s festival: The impact of AI and technology on the medium of film. A multinational co-production between Singapore, Taiwan, France, and the USA, Stranger Eyes embodies a cross-cultural collaboration that speaks to universal concerns about privacy, identity, and technological influence.
SGIFF Chairperson Boo Junfeng said: “Beyond the glamour on the red carpet is a cause that we care deeply about. Film continues to thrive on various platforms outside of the cinema, but at this festival, we care about coming together to watch films together — in a darkened hall, with our full attention, where we experience and respect these works of art, their storytelling, their visual poetry undisturbed, just as the filmmakers have intended for them to be seen. We believe in holding space for different types of films, so that it remains a festival for discovery.”
Stranger Eyes director Yeo Siew Hua said: “Over and above the voyeurism, Stranger Eyes is really about the relationship between seeing and also wanting to be seen. This is an unprecedented time when everyone is watching each other more closely than ever before, and yet one gets the feeling that we are understanding each other a little less, as though we have replaced seeing with the act of scrolling. I hope to invite audiences back into the cinemas to relish in the act of watching once again and to relook at each other and the world we live in with patience and openness.”
Taiwanese actor, director and screenwriter Lee Kang-sheng, who stars in Stranger Eyes as a supermarket worker who becomes the prime suspect when a girl goes mysteriously missing, was also honoured opening night with the Screen Icon Award. Previously known as the Cinema Icon Award, the Screen Icon Award celebrates the talents of exceptional Asian creatives from around the region. Past recipients include luminaries such as Michelle Yeoh (Malaysia), Koji Yakusho (Japan), and Fan Bingbing (China).
Taiwanese actress Yang Kuei-mei was also awarded the Screen Icon Award on 1 December at the Southeast Asian premiere of Yen and Ai-Lee, marking the first double award in the festival’s history. Yang also holds the record for the most performance awards at SGIFF, having won the festival’s highest acting accolade four times in her career. Both Lee and Yang are the first Taiwanese actors to win the award.
Stranger Eyes is also one of 24 films made in Singapore or with Singaporean co-production that are in the running for the Audience Choice Award. The newly-revamped award, determined entirely by audience vote, looks to boost support for the local filmmaking industry by boosting the winning film’s chances of securing local distribution deals, expanding their reach to broader audiences. The winning film will be re-screened on 14 December as part of the Festival’s Encore Screenings.
Star-studded special presentations at SGIFF 2024
Beyond the opening night, SGIFF is pleased to present a series of special screenings for three films making their Southeast Asian premiere: The Fable, Spirit World, and The Unseen Sister. Each special presentation will be accompanied by a gala reception that features the films’ talents in attendance.
The first is The Fable, directed by Raam Reddy and starring Bollywood star Manoj Bajpayee, both of whom were present for the special screening on 30 November at Shaw Lido. Bajpayee plays Dev, a soft-spoken patriarch whose tranquil existence in the Himalayan orchards of 1980s India is threatened by a series of mysterious fires, transforming his picturesque estate into a microcosm of larger systematic inequalities.
The next gala presentation is for Singaporean director Eric Khoo’s Spirit World, which stars Catherine Deneuve, Masaaki Sakai, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Jun Fubuki. The fantasy-drama follows legendary singer Claire Emery (Deneuve), who arrives in Tokyo for what she thinks will be her final concert, only to find herself unexpectedly crossing into a different realm. Eric Khoo, Masaaki Sakai, and Jun Fubuki were in attendance at the gala presentation of Spirit World on 30 November at Shaw Lido.
Lastly, The Unseen Sister, directed by Midi Z and starring Zhao Liying and Xin Zhilei, will see both Midi Z and Zhao Liying attend the special presentation on 6 December at Golden Village Vivocity. The Unseen Sister is a psychological drama adapted from Zhang Yueran’s novel Qiao Sisters, and features Zhao Liying as a star actress who is haunted by the sudden appearance of her estranged sister, played by Xin Zhilei.
