Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) programme director, Thong Kay Wee, kicked off this year's Singapore International Film Festival with bold and brave statements about protecting and defending cinema at a time when the industry "feels upended by the weight of pragmatism in Singapore".

In a note this morning following Monday's in-person event in Singapore, Thong said “we are more determined than ever to defend [cinema] as an essential cultural offering to be experienced on the big screen". 

The festival runs from 26 November to 7 December. The full programme releases on 24 October 2025.

The 36th SGIFF – part of the annual Singapore Media Festival hosted by the government's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) – plays out against a dire theatrical backdrop in Singapore, where attendance has crashed and once-iconic cinema brands have collapsed.   

"Despite surviving many ‘near-deaths’ in its history, we will continue to demonstrate how cinema has persevered in quality and relevance, especially in today’s extraordinarily difficult times," Thong said. 

This year's line-up involves more than 110 films from over 45 countries, including "Sandbox", featuring Benjamin Kheng, Nathan Hartono and Oon Shu An. SGIFF described the film – a comedy about a struggling stunt training school fighting for survival – as "a story that doubles as a powerful allegory for the challenges facing Singapore’s creative industries".

Wee said Singapore stories took centre stage in this year's slate, and that a light would be shone on the "resilience of local communities". The festival will screen more than 30 feature and short films by Singaporean filmmakers and co-productions.

Other made-in-Singapore headliners are "At Home with Work", described as "a poignant documentary perspective on home-based businesses, capturing the determination of everyday Singaporeans navigating harsh commercial realities"; actor Qi Yuwu’s debut short film, "Cendol", about an award-winning designer who returns home to reconnect with her mother, as appears in the programme as "a moving meditation on identity, family, and belonging"; and "Coda", a portrait of alumni choir Victoria Chorale, as 42 non-professional singers reunite under conductor Nelson Kwei to compete internationally after nearly two decades. 

Most local films screen as part of the festival's Singapore Panorama section, which opens with "The Old Man and His Car", starring veteran actors Lim Kay Tong and Richard Low in a portrait of a retired widower who finds unexpected connection in the face of bereavement. The film has its world premiere at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) in October/November. 

The SGIFF has doubled its local short film selection compared to last year, showcasing 28 works across the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition.

"We will continue to present a smorgasbord of films that can elicit a wide range of emotions, broaden our perspectives, and inspire new imaginations of this art form that we love," Wee said.