Pinoys represent at SGIFF 2017
Seven Filipino films are in the lineup of the 28th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which runs from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3. Four of these are in competition at the Silver Screen Awards for the Southeast Asian Short Film category: “Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee Of The Month” by Carlo Francisco Manatad, “Suerte” by Carlo Fajarda, “Puppy Love” by Margarita Mina, and “The Sounds Of Coins Hitting Brass” by Andrew Stephen Lee.
“Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee Of The Month” is about a gas station attendant who is on her last day of duty, while “Suerte” follows two student filmmakers who set out to do a documentary on the circulation of drugs within their city.
“Puppy Love” focuses on a girl on the brink of puberty. She wakes up one morning to find that her pet dog had escaped, leaving her with a wound in her private part.
A young boy comes to understand that his father is a gambling drifter who loiters in laundromats listening to coin change machines that sound like casino slots is the premise of “The Sounds Of Coins Hitting Brass.”
This year, Programming Director of the Asian Future section at Tokyo International Film Festival, Kenji Ishizaka, leads the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition Jury. He is joined by Singapore filmmaker K. Rajagopal and Indonesian actress Marsha Timothy in judging the following categories – Best Southeast Asian Short Film, Best Singapore Short Film, Best Director and Special Mention.
Complementary to these awards, the Youth Jury Prize will be decided by participants of the SGIFF Youth Jury & Critics Programme.
Other Filipino films in the official selection are “Salvage: Malay Wild” by Sherad Anthony Sanchez, “The One Armed Executioner” by Bobby A Suarez and cross-country collaboration, and “In The Claws Of A Century Wanting” by Jewel Marahan.
Founded in 1987, SGIFF is the largest and longest-running film event in Singapore. According to its official website, the festival also “become an iconic event in the Singapore arts calendar that is widely attended by international film critics, and recog- nized worldwide for its focus on Asian Filmmakers and the promotion of Southeast Asian Films.”
The Festival also “serves as a catalyst for igniting public interest, artistic dialogue, and cultural exchanges in the art of filmmaking.”
In a press release, it was announced that this year’s festival sees strong participation by women as “more women are increasingly giving a female voice to their stories and bringing up issues and struggles that women face in today’s society through film.”
SGIFF will open with Chinese director Vivian Qu’s femme-centric thriller, “Angels Wear White.” Set in China, the film takes a gendered approach to reveal a society of governmental institutions, private businesses and social structures organised by patriarchal lines in its basest of levels – one guided by male persuasion and the fear of visibility.
SGIFF 2017 features a short film programme by Ana Lily Amirpour, an independent filmmaker known for her genre-bending feature “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night” (2014) and “The Bad Batch” (2016). She also sits in the jury panel as a judge for SGIFF’s Asian Feature Film Competition.
Other films in the lineup with “female voice” are “Oh Lucy!” by Atsuko Hirayanagi (Japan) featuring Hollywood’s leading actor Josh Harnett and award-winning Japanese actress Shinobu Terijima; and “Marlina, The Murderer In Four Acts” by Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya.
Aside from the directors, some multitalented female actors will also grace the event including Marsha Timothy (Indonesia) and Angela Yuen (Hongkong).
The 28th SGIFF will honour the contributions of veterans in the Asian film industry.
Indonesian filmmaker Garin Nugroho will be given Honorary Award for his contribution to the film industry. The Cinema Legend Award this year will be conferred on Japan’s leading actor, Koji Yakusho. The award recognizes the body of work of Asian actors while celebrating their talent and outstanding achievements in bringing Asia’s story to life on screen.
Festivalgoers can look forward to meeting and interacting with both Yakusho and Nugroho at their master classes at ArtScience Museum on Dec. 2 and the National Museum of Singapore on Dec. 3, respectively.
The awards night will be held at the Grand Theatre of Marina Bay Sands on Dec. 2.