What To Expect At SGIFF 2026

Moviebuffs and cinephiles, you’ve got a busy two weeks ahead. The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) returns for its 37th edition from 21 October to 1 November, with a programme spanning Asian feature films, Southeast Asian shorts, and conversations with some of cinema’s biggest names. With more than 25 Singapore productions and co-productions in the line-up, many of which have already earned recognition at major international film festivals, this year’s edition promises to be a landmark celebration of just how far Singapore cinema has come—and a chance to see what’s next for Asian cinema.

What To Expect

Asian Films To Watch

It wouldn’t be a Singaporean film festival without a few Singaporean films to show for it. Ah Girl is waving the banner for Singapore within the Asian Feature Film Competition section. Directed by Ang Geck Geck, the dramedy film is based on her experiences growing up in 1990s Singapore. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, despite the titular Ah Girl being, well, just a girl. The film’s subject matter involves Ah Girl navigating the chaos of her parents’ divorce, forcing her to confront the realities of the adult world. Catch it on 30 October at Golden Village in VivoCity.

Ang’s bittersweet tale of a young girl coming of age amid family upheaval has been well-received on the film circuit. The film has won accolades and nominations at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Malaysia International Film Festival, and the Golden Horse Awards. If you don’t watch it for the story, watch it for Ong Xuan Jing, whose portrayal of Ah Girl has already earned her the Best Actress Award at the Malaysia International Film Festival.

Also not to be missed is the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition, which is split into five programmes, each surrounding a different theme. For those in the mood for stories of survival and defiance, check out Programme 1, Rage Against, a collection of films about fighting back against punishing circumstances and finding ways to stay alive. Programme 2, The Forest Remembers, is a tribute to the natural world, exploring the memories held by forests and the voices that persist in the face of violence.

Programme 3, Pervasive Powers, is for those who want to grapple with the current power structures of our world. What dictates who gets to speak and who is expected to obey? These films are a timely look at the systems that govern everyday life, often without us noticing. Programme 4, Surfaces and Slippages, wrestles with a different kind of deception, looking at the divide between appearances and reality, exploring what happens when performances crack and hidden truths emerge. Finally, we have Programme 5, There and Back Again, which considers the complicated relationship between home, memory, and the experience of returning to a place that no longer feels the same.

Meet The Stars

Film festivals are a brilliant way to hear your favourite actors and directors talk shop. At SGIFF, its In Conversation With series features the very pinnacle of cinematic talent, including Indian superstar Aamir Khan, Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda, Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan, veteran actor Anthony Wong, and South Korean actress Shim Eun-kyung.