Power to the females at this year’s SGIFF

SINGAPORE — Thought-provoking films by strong female directors which celebrate female empowerment and gender identity are some of the things you can expect at this year’s Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which begins at the end of next month.

The festival is looking to be a more diverse platform with stronger female representation for its offerings this year.

“This year we are honoured to present the works of many outstanding female filmmakers who are changing the landscape of cinema and our industry,” said its programme director Zhang Wenjie.

“Screening as Special Presentation at our festival is Three Sassy Sisters by Nia Dinata, a jubilant musical about the hopes and dreams of the modern Indonesian woman; Don’t Look At Me That Way by debut Mongolian-German director Uisenma Borchu is a courageous and unflinching examination of sexual and cultural identity; and Dearest Sister by Mattie Do, Lao’s only female and horror director, incisively reveals the horrors of capitalism prevalent in Laotian society today,” He explained.

“Personally I am very excited that we are presenting films by strong female directors,” Yuni Hadi, SGIFF executive director, said during the festival media preview on Thursday (27 Oct) at the National Museum of Singapore.

Adding that this is especially more significant in Asia as it is a more male-dominated industry, she added: “Having some of the best in contemporary Asian cinema like Nia Dinata and Trinh Minh-Ha to be here to present and talk about their films is a highlight for us. It is important for us to showcase these directors to inspire other female directors.”

Dinata is known for her critically acclaimed second feature film The Gathering, which was the first Indonesian film featuring homosexual themes. It won all six major awards at the Indonesian Film Festival, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor, and she has since produced, written and directed 15 films.

Her latest offering, Three Sassy Sisters, focuses on girl power clashes with traditional family values in a fun and vibrant musical paying homage to classic Indonesian musical Tiga Dara by Usmar Ismail in 1956.

Another strong female personality at the festival this year will be Naomi Kawase, whose first film Suzaku was screened at the SGIFF in 1997. The filmmaker will be involved in the masterclasses series for this edition, giving participants a chance to learn first-hand from her experiences and insights on filmmaking.

Kawase’s Suzaku led her to nab the Best New Director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, making her its youngest winner then. She has made more than 30 films since and the SGIFF organisers are “excited to have her back at the festival this year”.

Female representation can also be seen amongst local filmmakers. Glady Ng has been commissioned by the SGIFF to produce a short film titled Pursuit of a Happy Human Life which will make its world premiere at the festival this year. Last year, the 28-year-old filmmaker won the Best Singapore Short Film award under the SEA Short Film category as part of the Silver Screen Awards at the SGIFF.

This year’s SGIFF, which is part of the annual Singapore Media Festival, will present 161 feature and short films from 52 countries. There will be 16 world premieres, nine international premieres and 18 Asian premieres.

American director of psychological horror Black Swan Darren Aronofsky will be giving a masterclass and there will also be a screening of his first film Pi, a festival favourite. Pi is a surrealistic horror movie following a paranoid mathematician trying to unlock patterns found in nature through a relentless search for a key number.

Also in attendance will be Hong Kong veteran actor Simon Yam, recipient of the inaugural Cinema Legend Award at the Silver Screen Awards held at the Marina Bay Sands.

Regarding the diversity of filmmakers this year, Hadi added: “It is more important now than ever that we meet, celebrate our diversity and grow the industry as one community. Because if we are not telling our stories, who will?”

The 27th edition of SGIFF runs from Nov 23 to Dec 4 across various venues. Ticket sales begins on Sistic on Friday (Oct 28).