# 35th Singapore International Film Festival

The 35th annual Singapore International Film Festival was held from 28 November to 8 December 2024 in Singapore. A total of 105 films from 45 countries were screened during the festival. The festival opened with Yeo Siew Hua's Stranger Eyes.
Drama film Mongrel won the festival's main award Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Film.

## Juries

The following juries were named for the festival.

### Silver Screen Award for Asian Feature Film

* Ossama Mohammed, Syrian film director, Jury President
* Mariana Gaivão, Portuguese filmmaker
* Lou Ye, Chinese director
* Santosh Sivan, Indian cinematographer
* Sofia Jane, Malaysian actress

### FIPRESCI Award

* Daniela Urzola, film critic
* Jason Tan Liwag, scientist and curator
* Timmy Chih-Ting Chen, assistant professor

### Silver Screen Award for Southeast Asian Short Film

* May Adadol Ingawanij, writer and professor
* Sung Moon, film programmer
* Yosep Anggi Noen, film director

## Official selection
### Opening film

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| Stranger Eyes | 默視錄 | Yeo Siew Hua | Singapore, Taiwan, France, United States |

### Asian Feature Film Competition

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| The Adamant Girl | கொட்டுக்காளி | PS Vinothraj | India |
| April | აპრილი | Dea Kulumbegashvili | Georgia, France, Italy |
| Crocodile Tears | Air Mata Buaya | Tumpal Tampubolon | Indonesia, France, Singapore, Germany |
| Edge of Night | Gecenin Kıyısı | Türker Süer | Germany, Turkey |
| The Great Phuket | 小半截 | Liu Yaonan | France, Hong Kong, China, Germany, Belgium |
| Happyend | Happyend | Neo Sora | Japan, United States |
| Mongrel | 白衣蒼狗 | Chiang Wei-liang, Yin You-qiao | France, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Time to Be Strong | 힘을 낼 시간 | Namkoong Sun | South Korea |
| Việt and Nam | Trong lòng đất | Minh Quý Trương | Philippines, Singapore, France, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Vietnam |

### Standpoint

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| After the Snowmelt | 雪水消融的季節 | Lo Yi-shan | Taiwan, Japan |
| Al Awda | Al Awda | Jason Soo | Singapore |
| All Shall Be Well | 從今以後 | Ray Yeung | Hong Kong |
| Antidote | Antidote | James Jones | United Kingdom |
| At Averroès & Rosa Parks | Averroès & Rosa Parks | Nicolas Philibert | France |
| No Other Land | No Other Land | Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor | Palestine, Norway |
| A Stone's Throw | على مرمى حجر | Razan AlSalah | Palestine, Lebanon, Canada |
| Until the Orchid Blooms (opening film) | Until the Orchid Blooms (opening film) | Polen Ly | France, Cambodia |
| Xoftex | Xoftex | Noaz Deshe | Germany, France |
| Youth (Hard Times) | 青春：苦 | Wang Bing | France, Luxembourg, Netherlands |

### Horizon

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| An Unfinished Film | 一部未完成的电影 | Lou Ye | Germany, Singapore |
| By the Stream | 수유천 | Hong Sang-soo | South Korea |
| City of Small Blessings | City of Small Blessings | Wong Chen-hsi | Singapore |
| Cu Li Never Cries | Cu Li Không Bao Giờ Khóc | Phạm Ngọc Lân | Vietnam, Singapore, France, Philippines, Norway |
| Don't You Let Me Go | Agarrame fuerte | Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge | Uruguay |
| Familiar Touch | Familiar Touch | Sarah Friedland | United States |
| Grand Tour | Grand Tour | Miguel Gomes | Portugal, Italy, France |
| Living In Two Worlds | ぼくが生きてる、ふたつの世界 | O Mipo | Japan |
| Olivia & the Clouds | Olivia & Las Nubes | Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat | Dominican Republic |
| One of Those Days When Hemme Dies | Hemme'nin Öldüğü Günlerden Biri | Murat Fıratoğlu | Turkey |
| Spirit World (opening film) | Yōkai - le monde des esprits | Eric Khoo | France, Singapore, Japan |
| When the Phone Rang | Kada je zazvonio telefon | Iva Radivojević | Serbia, United States |
| Yen and Ai-Lee | 小雁與吳愛麗 | Tom Lin Shu-yu | Taiwan |
| Special Presentation ||||
| The Fable | The Fable | Raam Reddy | India, United States |

### Foreground

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| Brief History of a Family | 家庭简史 | Lin Jianjie | China, France, Denmark, Qatar |
| Don't Cry, Butterfly (opening film) | Mưa trên cánh bướm | Dương Diệu Linh | Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia |
| I Saw the TV Glow | I Saw the TV Glow | Jane Schoenbrun | United States |
| The Killers | 더 킬러스 | Kim Jong-kwan, Roh Deok, Chang Hang-jun, Lee Myung-se | South Korea |
| La cocina | La cocina | Alonso Ruizpalacios | Mexico, United States |
| Nightbitch | Nightbitch | Marielle Heller | United States |
| Orang Ikan | Orang Ikan | Mike Wiluan | Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, United Kingdom |
| The Room Next Door | The Room Next Door | Pedro Almodóvar | Spain |
| The Shrouds | The Shrouds | David Cronenberg | France, Canada |
| Some Nights I Feel Like Walking | Some Nights I Feel Like Walking | Petersen Vargas | Philippines, Singapore, Italy |
| Universal Language | Universal Language | Matthew Rankin | Canada |
| Special Presentation ||||
| The Unseen Sister | 乔妍的心事 | Midi Z | China |

### Landmark

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production countrie(s) |
| Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) | 플란다스의 개 | Bong Joon-ho | South Korea |
| Bona (1980) | Bona (1980) | Lino Brocka | Philippines |
| Crimson Gold (2003) | طلای سرخ | Jafar Panahi | Iran |
| The Circle (2000) | دایره | Jafar Panahi | Iran, Italy |
| The Dupes (1972) | Al Makhdu'un | Tewfik Saleh | Syria |
| The Man Who Left His Will on Film (1970) | 東京戦争戦後秘話 | Nagisa Ōshima | Japan |
| Sambizanga (1972) | Sambizanga (1972) | Sarah Maldoror | Angola |
| Stars in Broad Daylight (1988) (opening film) | Nujim An-Nahar | Ossama Mohammed | Syria |
| This Is Not a Film (2011) | این فیلم نیست | Jafar Panahi, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb | Iran |
| Vive l'amour (1994) | 爱情万岁 | Tsai Ming-liang | Taiwan |
| Short films ||||
| The Accordion (2010) | The Accordion (2010) | Jafar Panahi | Iran |
| Hidden (2020) | Hidden (2020) | Jafar Panahi | Iran |
| Where Are You, Jafar Panahi? (2016) | Où en êtes-vous Jafar Panahi? | Jafar Panahi | Iran |

## Awards

The following awards were presented during the festival:
Asian Feature Film Competition
* Best Asian Feature Film: Mongrel by Chiang Wei-liang and Yin You-qiao
* Best Director: Minh Quý Trương for Việt and Nam
* Best Screenplay: Dea Kulumbegashvili for April
** Special Mention for Best Screenplay: Liu Yaonan for The Great Phuket
* Best Performance: Li Rongkun for The Great Phuket
** Special Mention for Best Performance: Ensemble cast and the nature for The Adamant Girl
* FIPRESCI Award: Việt and Nam by Minh Quý Trương
Southeast Asian Short Film Competition
* Best Southeast Asian Short Film: Spirits of the Black Leaves by Thaweechok Phasom
* Best Singapore Short Film: My Wonderful Life by Calleen Koh
* Best Director: Đàm Quang Trung for Elephants by the Roadside
* Best Screenplay: Pom Bunsermvicha and Nicha Ratana-Apiromyakij for The Nature of Dogs
* Best Performance: Sasa Cabalquinto for Vox Humana
* Arri Award for Best Cinematography: Vũ Hoàng Triều for Elephants by the Roadside
Audience Choice Award: An Unfinished Film by Lou Ye

### Cinema Honorary Award

* Jafar Panahi

### Screen Icon Award

* Lee Kang-sheng
* Yang Kuei-mei

### Outstanding Contribution to Southeast Asian Cinema Award

* OBJECTIFS Centre for Photography and Film