A Land Imagined by Singaporean director, Yeo Siew Hua awarded Best
Film in the Asian Feature Film Competition, a historic first ever
Singapore feature film to win in the category
A Million Years by Cambodian filmmaker, Danech San presented with the Best Southeast Asian Short Film Award
The 29th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) hosted an evening of celebration in honour of Asia’s best in film at the Silver Screen Awards at the historic Capitol Theatre this evening.
A total of 14 awards were presented at the grand ceremony this year, including the highly coveted Best Film Award in the Asian Feature Film Competition, and Best Southeast Asian Short Film Award in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition; alongside seven other awards across the two competitions.
The evening also saw the presentation of the Festival’s highest honour, the Honorary Award and the Cinema Legend Award; as well as the Inspiring Woman in Film Award presented by Swarovski to luminaries of Asian cinema.
ASIAN FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
A Land Imagined by Singaporean director, Yeo Siew Hua was awarded the Best Film in the Asian Feature Film Competition, unanimously selected by the panel of jury from a total of eight nominated feature films from across Asia. It also made history as the first-ever Singapore film to win in this category at the Silver Screen Awards. The Mandarin thriller is Yeo’s sophomore feature that tells the tale about the disappearance of a migrant Chinese construction worker at a Singapore land reclamation site. The jury found the film “combined clear and original vision, strong storytelling, and technical achievement in addressing an increasingly important issue not only to Singapore but to the world”.
The honour of Best Director went to Pham Thu Hang for her feature documentary The Future Cries Beneath Our Soil, a moving documentary that deftly captures the dark shadow of war and death, present in even everyday conversation and simple gestures, set in Vietnam’s Quảng Tri province. The film is “exceptional in its vision and it welcomes audiences into a world so intimately, while blurring the lines between genres and challenges the language of cinema”.
Manoranjoan Das took home the prize for Best Performance for his role of Suman in Bulbul Can Sing by Rima Das. The jury commended on his performance “for the courage and vulnerability he infused into his character. Suman was brought to life with a subtlety and an innocence that moved the entire jury”.
Dayan by Iranian director Behrouz Nooranipour, a compelling drama which delve into the horrors of ISIS operations in Iranian Kurdistan, was accorded Special Mention at the awards this evening. The jury found the film “immerses audiences into the horrors of one of most significant humanitarian crises in the world today; and under unusually arduous circumstances, the director takes the audience on a journey of courage and authenticity”.
The winners of the Asian Feature Film Competition were decided by a panel of five jury members, headed by leading figure of the Hong Kong New Wave, director Stanley Kwan. Joining him on the panel of jury are Hollywood actor, director, and producer, Daniel Dae Kim; legendary Japanese cinematographer, Akiko Ashizawa; acclaimed Canadian film producer, Sylvain Corbeil; and Vietnamese-born French actress, costume, and production designer, Trần Nữ Yên Khê.
Winner of Best Film A Land Imagined will be screened again at National Museum of Singapore as the 29th SGIFF celebrates the close of the Festival tomorrow, alongside the winning film from the Audience Choice Award which will be announced tomorrow.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHORT FILM COMPETITION
The Best Southeast Asian Short Film award from the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition this year went to A Million Years by first-time director Danech San, which illustrates the story of a young woman who enters a parallel riverfront with a stranger, and both recounting stories of fear. The director, “in a formalistic style of directing, deftly touches upon several deep questions of contemporary reality, bound together by an elegant cinematic signature”.
Aditya Ahmad was awarded Best Director for his short film Kado (A Gift), which the jury deemed as “a sincere, deeply-felt film that does not provide easy answers but reveals the complexities of gender identity in Muslim communities”. The film was also awarded the Youth Jury Prize through the collective 15-member jury panel in the Youth Jury & Critics Programme, an initiative by SGIFF to provide mentorship and a developmental platform, as well as a voice to a new generation of young writers on cinema from the region. Kado is a portrait of a child caught at the crossroads of adolescence. Poignantly moving, the film offers a raw and unflinching look into a painful coming-of- age search for identity. Kado’s quiet depth is its voice, fragility its strength, and resilience its spark of hope for all of us in time to come.
Back at the home front, Luzon by Chiang Wei Liang, a flawlessly directed tale of two fishermen, one radioactive barrel, and the South China Sea, was awarded Best Singapore Short Film. The jury shared that the film “is a simple allegory that absurdly and succinctly highlights the socio- political tensions of the region”.
Thai director Korakrit Arunanondchai’s short film With History In A Room Filled With People With Funny Names 4 was given the Special Mention by jury; who regarded it an essayistic approach by fine artist Arunanondchai that playfully tackles memory and loss with poetry, humour, and intellectual rigour.
The Southeast Asian Short Film Competition jury panel this year was headed by Maike Mia Höhne, curator of the Berlinale Shorts programme since 2007 in an all-women team, a nod to the progressive development in Asian cinema, and the celebration of diversity in filmmaking. Joining her on the panel were Filipino filmmaker Shireen Seno and Singapore filmmaker Kirsten Tan.
HONOURING ASIAN CINEMATIC LEGENDS
The 29th SGIFF presented the Festival’s highest honour, the Honorary Award to one of the most internationally acclaimed Cambodian filmmakers of today, Rithy Panh. The award was presented by Sebastian Tan, Chairperson, SGIFF, and Pimpaka Towira, Programme Director, SGIFF; in recognition of his prolific cinematic works across both documentary and fiction genres which have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema, as well as his dedication towards preserving Cambodia’s film, photographic, and audio history through his cinematic and social projects over the past three decades.
One of cinema’s most respected Asian stars, luminary actor, Joan Chen was presented with the Cinema Legend Award for her dedication to the entertainment industry, and her inspiring contribution to cinema. With more than 40 film and television roles that straddle both the commercial and independent arenas, Chen’s alluring screen presence continues to dazzle critics and audiences worldwide; she has also developed a career behind the camera as a director, producer, and writer. Chen received the award from prolific producer Terence Chang and celebrity photographer Russel Wong at the ceremony.
CELEBRATING PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSITY IN ASIAN CINEMA
SGIFF awarded the Inspiring Woman in Film Award to celebrated Chinese actress, Luna Kwok. The award presented in partnership with Swarovski honours outstanding women in film; in line with the brand’s longstanding commitment to supporting emerging talent and championing women’s empowerment.
A director-turned-actress, Luna Kwok was recognised for her outstanding performance and for her non-conforming approach in her choice of acting roles, choosing the most challenging roles over merely glamourous ones. Kwok continues to pave a new way for women in film from this end of the world through her dedicated craft in Chinese cinema. She played a leading role in Yeo Siew Hua’s A Land Imagined, which won the Best Film award in this year’s Asian Feature Film Competition at SGIFF. The film premiered at Locarno Film Festival 2018, where it won the Golden Leopard and also for Kwok, the Boccalino d’Oro Prize for Best Actress awarded by the Independent Swiss Critics.
NURTURING A NEW GENERATION OF CINEMATIC TALENTS
In line with SGIFF’s dedication in nurturing young cinematic talents, the Young Critic Award was presented to Ryan Lim from Nanyang Technological University, in recognition of his originality in writing and contribution to cinematic discussions in the region. Never Been Kissed by Dao Thi Minh Trang was awarded the Most Promising Project of the Southeast Asian Film Lab. The programme is a story development workshop created to guide aspiring filmmakers from Southeast Asia in their first foray into developing a feature-length film. The project is regarded by industry heavyweights as a visionary effort in cultivating a new talent pool in the region’s filmmaking industry, encompassing a good balance of accessibility and complexity.
Established in 1991, the Silver Screen Awards aims to discover and honour the rich filmmaking talents across Asia and Southeast Asia, and further paving way for a thriving Singapore film industry. A pioneering international competition with a specific Asian film category, the Silver Screen Awards is instrumental in charting the rise of Asian Cinema and the recognition of both established and aspiring Asian filmmaking talents.
“It has been a heartening experience to see SGIFF quickly establishing itself as the epicentre where some of the most talented independent filmmakers and producers from Southeast Asia congregate to share creative ideas and to continue inspiring each other. The Silver Screen Awards will continue to cement its position as an inspiring space for the industry to explore and recognise a stellar body of cinematic works emerging from across the region; and at the same time continue on our commitment to nurture and champion next-generation filmmaking talents, celebrating their bold artistry and storytelling”, says Yuni Hadi, Executive Director, SGIFF.
“I would like to congratulate all award winners for your inspiring contributions to Asian Cinema. We look forward to uncovering more gems and stories from Asia, and an even greater concerted effort from the industry to propel Asian Cinema onto the world screen,” adds Hadi.
As the leading international film platform in the region, the 29th SGIFF showcases a diverse selection of coveted films from Asia and beyond; demonstrating the ascending future of Asian cinema, with SGIFF continuing to lead the charge for Asian filmmakers emerging onto the global stage.
SGIFF is an event of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF), hosted by Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA). SGIFF 2018’s Official Sponsors include Official Red Carpet Venue Capitol Theatre; Official Hotels Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel The Stamford Singapore; Official Automobile BMW; and Official Airline Singapore Airlines.
For more information, please visit www.sgiff.com.
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