The selected films are ‘Khi toi nam chet’ (As I lay dying) by young director Nguyen Phuong Anh that will compete for official prizes in the short feature films’ category and ‘Cha va con va…’ (Big father, small father and other stories) by Phan Dang Di that will be screened during the programme ‘Asian visions’ as part of the festival.
According to the SGIFF executive director Wahhyuni A. Hadi, Vietnamese films joining the festival promise to introduce audiences in the region, particularly in Singapore, to new stories on Vietnam.
The 26th SGIFF will feature more than 150 long and short films from 51 countries around the world. The film ‘Panay’ by director Cheng Yu-chieh from Taiwan (China) will be screened to open this year’s festival.
Initiated in 1987, the SGIFF is the longest international film festival in Southeast Asia. The event offers a good opportunity for independent film makers to meet as well as give contributions to the development of the Asian region’s cinematography.
The festival will also include a wide variety of notable events including a programme introducing Mexican cinematography and a special ceremony honouring Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Additionally, the ‘Asian visions’ programme will introduce new films by well-known directors in the region and the world such as Apichatpong Weerasethakul from Thailand, Jia Zhangke from China, Michel Gondry from France and Yorgos Lanthimos from Greece.
