Despite the recent controversy surrounding the documentary To Singapore, With Love, the film culture in Singapore is nowhere near as stagnant as people may perceive it to be. We may have some steps to take regarding where censorships ends or begins but there is still plenty of room for artistic expression in the name of film. The return of an old favorite is a sign of that. The Singapore International Film Festival is back after a two-year hiatus and will be returning this December. With a brand-new team behind the ambitious programme, the festival will be held from 4 to 14 December. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, they have an eclectic array of films lined-up that’ll span continents and genres.

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We’re already excited with the opening film they’ve announced: Ken Kwek’s Unlucky Plaza. Yuni Hadi, Executive Director of SGIFF said: "The return of the Singapore International Film Festival in our 25th year is significant in so many ways, one of which is to celebrate how far we’ve come in Singapore cinema. To open with Ken Kwek's Unlucky Plaza marks SGIFF's commitment to the Singapore film community and our wider role within the industry. We're honoured to have the film kick off the festival, and play our part in promoting a Singapore film that we can all be proud of. We hope that as we continue to grow with our industry, an occasion like this will not be a rarity." 

As with SGIFF tradition in spotlighting new talent, the festival will be featuring Egyptian filmmaker Ahmad Abdalla El Sayed Abdelkader as this year’s Filmmaker in Focus. Zhang Wenjie, Festival Director of SGIFF said: “Ahmad Abdalla is one of the most exciting young filmmakers working in Egyptian cinema today. In a few short years, he has created an impressive body of work that passionately and eloquently articulates the changes and issues affecting Egyptian society today, especially concerning the younger generation. What sets Abdalla apart is his adroitness in adopting new forms and methods in his filmmaking, so that each new film from him is an exciting and unexpected fresh discovery. His latest film Décor, which pays homage to the rich heritage of Egyptian cinema is no exception, and we are proud to have him as our Filmmaker In Focus, and showcase his outstanding works.” 

With a lot more up their sleeves, SGIFF is showing they’re not messing around and they’ll pulling all the stops to establish Singapore as a premier film hub in Asia. With the full line-up yet to be unveiled, we’re only waiting with baited breath for it to be released.