Toronto Singapore Film Festival (16 – 17 July)2 min read

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The Toronto Singapore Film Festival (TSFF) is returning for the 5th season in 2010. The two-day film festival is being held at Revue Cinema July 16th and Innis College on the 17th. They have selected a variety of features, shorts, and documentaries made by some of the most inspiring independent Singaporean film-makers. The films are in several languages including Cantonese, French, Mandarin, and Tamil.

TSFF will be presenting 881 as their opening feature. A Royston Tan directed movie, it will be the North American premiere for this Singapore box office success. Royston Tan’s films often tell stories of the Singapore heartland. 881 is a flamboyant musical about two women’s journey to fulfill their dreams as successful getai singers in Singapore’s unique world of temporary staged performances held annually in the month of the Hungry Ghosts.

Other selections include Anthony Chen’s Haze which will make its Toronto premiere. His films have screened at various prestigious film festivals. His second short film, Ah Ma (Grandma), was nominated for the Palme d’Or for Short Film at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, and secured a Special Mention, the first time a Singapore filmmaker was awarded in Cannes.

Haze marks his third short film effort and was nominated for the Golden Bear for Short Film at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival. Haze is a 15 minute film capturing a day in the life of a Singaporean teenager on a hazy day. Haze is caused by smoke from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.

Special Pass is a 24 minute Tamil documentary about a group of foreign workers in Singapore who attempt to seek shelter and support themselves financially despite being jobless. Directed by Vicknesh Varan, it will make its Canadian premiere at TSFF 2010.

Click here for a full list of films screening at the Toronto Singapore Film Festival.

About TSFF:

TSFF is a non-profit organization registered in Ontario. It is the first film festival in Canada exclusively devoted to featuring Singaporean films. TSFF aims to create a greater awareness of and raise the cultural profile of Singapore by showcasing some of its film industry’s best work.

Through this annual film festival TSFF aims to foster opportunities for professional, creative, and social interaction between Canadians and Singaporeans, as well as the broader Asian community living in Canada. The ultimate goal is to build bonds between the two dynamic, multicultural cities via the medium of film.