27th Singapore International Film Festival to Cast a Spotlight on Three Singapore Filmmakers in its Silver Screen Awards Shortlist and Festival Line-Up7 min read
Reading Time: 6 minutesThe 27th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) will cast a spotlight on three Singaporean filmmakers as part of its line-up this year. K. Rajagopal’s first feature film, A Yellow Bird has been shortlisted as one of the Asian feature films in competition as part of the Silver Screen Awards; a tribute will be made to the late Abdul Nizam during the festival to celebrate his works and contribution to the industry; and SGIFF’s commissioned short film by Singapore filmmaker Gladys Ng will make its world premiere during the opening of the festival on 23 November 2016.
A co-production between Singapore and France, A Yellow Bird made its world premiere this year during the International Critics’ Week, a parallel section to the 69th Cannes Film Festival and a launch pad of auteurs such as Hong Kong’s Wong Kar Wai, Mexico’s Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and France’s Jacques Audiard.
A Yellow Bird tells the story of a Singaporean ex-convict who returns to his mother’s flat after his release to learn his ex-wife and daughter have left without a trace. Unable to find forgiveness from his mother, he begins a quest to locate his ex-wife and daughter in order to right the wrongs he committed against his family. In the process, he finds companionship with a Chinese woman, who shares his isolation in the harsh realities as she works illegally on a social visit to earn money for her debt-ridden family back in China. Just as he begins to experience solace and hope, he is faced with a heinous truth about his ex-wife and daughter. Audiences will find themselves confronting the edges of morality and questioning the difficult and sometimes corrupted decisions that the characters make in order to live.
A film that is three-years-in-the-making, A Yellow Bird stars veteran Singapore actor Sivakumar Palakrishnan, with Chinese independent film star Huang Lu, acclaimed Bollywood actress in Bandit Queen (1994) Seema Biswas, as well as emerging Singapore actresses Udaya Soundari, Nithiyia Rao and Indra Chandran in supporting roles. Following its Singapore premiere at SGIFF, the film will be theatrically released in local cinemas from 8 December 2016.
On its selection for the Asian Features Film Competition, SGIFF Programme Director Zhang Wenjie shared, “I vividly remember watching Rajagopal’s first short film I Can’t Sleep Tonight more than 20 years ago at the Singapore International Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize. I was struck by Rajagopal’s complete understanding and empathy for the characters of his film and the emotional and psychological wounds that they have suffered. It takes tremendous courage, honesty and someone who has truly experienced life to bring that to their films. A Yellow Bird plunges the depth of human emotions and looks unflinchingly into the soul of a man pushed to the very edge of his humanity. It is one of the most visceral and powerful Singapore feature films I have seen, and we couldn’t be more proud to welcome Rajagopal back in competition for our festival this year.”
Film lovers will be familiar with K. Rajagopal, who won the SGIFF Special Jury Prize for three consecutive years with his short films, I Can’t Sleep Tonight (1995), The Glare (1996) and Absence (1997). Drawn to the poetic nature of the everyday life as an Indian: the liberties, oppositions, hopes, fears and oppressions, the self-taught filmmaker is known for the authenticity and personal storytelling style in exploring the voice of an Indian man in Singapore through his films. He was also part of the well-received film anthology 7 Letters (2015), which was Singapore’s entry to the 88th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Director K. Rajagopal shared his excitement in the opportunity to present his film on home ground at SGIFF, a platform which also premiered many of his short films. He said, “The Singapore International Film Festival was where my career as an independent short filmmaker began twenty years ago. The Festival gave me recognition and ignited a fire in me to continue my journey in filmmaking. Now my first feature film, A Yellow Bird, has premiered in Cannes and begins its tour to other film festivals around the world. But being selected to present the film in competition at my home festival is closer to my heart. I wish to thank the team of SGIFF from the last twenty-seven years for supporting and believing in local cinema! Without you, I would not be doing what I love most.”
A Yellow Bird will be competing with nine other Asian feature films for four categories ““ Best Film, Best Director, Best Performance and Special Mention ““ as part of the Silver Screen Awards. More information on the Silver Screen Awards shortlist will be announced in late October.
SGIFF pays tribute to Abdul Nizam
The SGIFF will also pay tribute to the late Abdul Nizam for the instrumental role he played in the resurgence of Singapore cinema in the late 1990s. He directed Haura, which was part of Singapore’s first digital-video feature film Stories About Love (2000), and was also the winner of the Best Singapore Film, with his graduate work Datura (1999) at SGIFF in 1999.
During the festival, these signature works will be screened, together with other noteworthy masterpieces such as Keronchong for Pak Bakar (2008) and Breaking the Ice (2014), with both films previously screened in the SGIFF’s Singapore Panorama section.
“One of the most original and distinctive voices in Singapore cinema, Abdul Nizam was a filmmaker who never stopped searching for the truth and essence of our humanity in all his work. He constantly challenged and pushed the boundaries of the way we see and understand ourselves and the world around us. A humble, compassionate and generous filmmaker, Nizam dedicated his filmmaking in recent years to celebrate the spirit and humanity of those nearest and dearest to him. We are honoured to pay tribute to Nizam, a singular artist and an extraordinary human being who has left an indelible mark on Singapore cinema and our lives, with an extensive retrospective featuring his most acclaimed films as well as several rare and never-before-seen work,” Zhang said.
On the screening of a retrospective of Abdul Nizam’s works, his wife Madam Siti Nafisah Bee Sayna Abdul Kadir said, “Nizam was passionate about cinema as well as making films. His choices for films were personal as he really valued and treasured friendship. His films were made with uncompromising sincerity. He was a good husband and a good friend, I have learnt so much from him and miss him greatly.”
SGIFF’s new commissioned film by Gladys Ng
This year also sees the introduction of a new initiative that seeks to nurture and showcase up-and-coming Singapore filmmakers, where SGIFF will commission a new short film by a Singapore filmmaker every year that will make its world premiere at the festival. Gladys Ng, winner of SGIFF 2015’s Best Singapore Short Film, is the first filmmaker to be commissioned under this initiative. Her short, The Pursuit of A Happy Human Life, which tells the story of two best friends who spend their time together before leaving for their separate journeys, will be screened during the opening of the festival on 23 November.
SGIFF celebrates authentic storytelling of the region
As an internationally-recognised platform in Southeast Asia for the discovery of independent cinema, the SGIFF is committed to champion the art and innovation of filmmaking in telling the stories of Asia and the world.
SGIFF Executive Director Yuni Hadi said, “The SGIFF has had close relations with Abdul Nizam, K. Rajagopal, and Gladys Ng ““ filmmakers from different generations ““ and have followed their developments as filmmakers. They are undeniably talented storytellers and we respect their fierce commitment to engaging aspects of Singapore we don’t often see in film and TV. This kind of authenticity in filmmaking from our region is what we have always supported and will continue to create space in SGIFF for. The new generation of audience are seeking out films that are telling stories that represent who they are and have that genuine quality to them.”
The 27th edition of SGIFF, which runs from 23 November to 4 December 2016, will take place across various venues, including Marina Bay Sands, National Museum of Singapore Gallery Theatre, Shaw Theatres Lido, National Gallery Singapore Auditorium, The Arts House Screening Room, Filmgarde Bugis+ and Objectifs Chapel Gallery. Ticket sales for SGIFF will begin on 28 October 2016.
The SGIFF is an event of the Singapore Media Festival, hosted by the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). SGIFF’s Official Sponsors include Presenting Sponsor, Marina Bay Sands and Official Festival Time Partner, IWC Schaffhausen.
