The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) returns for its 37th edition from 21 October to 1 November, bringing some of Asia’s most celebrated filmmakers and screen icons to Singapore while spotlighting a new wave of Singapore cinema making its mark internationally.
Opening night and screen icons
The festival opens with South Korean thriller The Assassin(s), starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho, with director Hur Jin-ho and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon attending the Festival Opening.
SGIFF’s Screen Icon Award goes to Aamir Khan, who will attend a 25th-anniversary screening of Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India with director Ashutosh Gowariker. Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda receives the Cinema Honorary Award, with his film Look Back making its Southeast Asian premiere at the festival.
SGIFF Executive Director Jeremy Chua said the 37th edition “brings to Singapore some of the most respected talents and consequential work being made across Asia,” alongside new presentation formats, an expanded industry programme and a new free-to-attend section exploring creativity and technology.
Singapore cinema’s moment on the world stage
This year’s edition spotlights more than 25 Singapore productions and co-productions that have travelled to major festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and Locarno. These include Nelson Yeo’s The House on the Moon (Locarno), Tan Si En’s Nagi Notes co-production with Koji Fukada (Cannes), and Daniel Hui’s editing work on Sleep No More (Berlin) and The Burning Giants (Venice).
SGIFF Programme Director Thong Kay Wee said Singapore’s film industry “is enjoying its hard-earned recognition on the world stage,” adding that many of this year’s featured filmmakers found their first mentorships through SGIFF.
Talks, the Film Fund and new audience formats
The festival’s “In Conversation With” series brings audiences up close with names including Shim Eun-kyung, Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan, actor Anthony Wong, Aamir Khan and Hirokazu Koreeda. The SGIFF Film Fund also returns, with the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation backing both the Southeast Asian Short Film Grant (SEA-SHORTS) and Documentary Grant (SEA-DOC); the open call runs 5 November to 5 December 2026.
New this year is a Junior Explorers section with sensory-friendly screenings for younger audiences, opening with stop-motion animation Brave Cat. The Undercurrent section opens with three live performances at Esplanade Annexe Studio blending film with Taiwanese puppetry, live video gaming and analog film techniques. SGIFF Pro, the festival’s industry programme, adds Parallax, a new free public series exploring filmmaking and immersive technology.
Tickets and dates
Early bird presale opened on 25 September at 12pm, with general ticket sales starting 28 September at 12pm. The 37th SGIFF runs from 21 October to 1 November 2026 at venues across Singapore.
For more of this year’s festival line-up, read our earlier coverage of SGIFF honouring Hirokazu Kore-eda with its Cinema Honorary Award, and browse more Things to Do picks on Little Big Red Dot.
