25: Histories and Memories of the Singapore International Film Festival

by Ben Slater (Editor), Wahyuni Hadi (Contributor), Toh Hun Ping (Contributor)

The first edition of the Singapore International Film Festival was held in 1987. It was the first major ‘film’ showcase to take place in Singapore and it was truly independent, created by a small group of passionate people who wanted to expand the horizons of cinema for local audiences. As the 25th edition of the festival looms, this publication takes a clear look back – through articles, interviews and images – on the festival’s past, gathering together histories and memories, stories and insights into how the festival came to be, its growth, the spaces and places it inhabited, the struggles that were part of its existence, and the profound impact it had on both cinema-going and film-making in Singapore.

EXCERPTS
“All films tell a story. Sometimes it’s what we finally see on screen and other times it’s the stories behind-the-scenes that fascinate us. Festivals are all about showcasing these stories and talking about them, but festivals have stories too.” Wahyuni Hadi

“When you tell the story of the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF), you inevitably find yourself describing the revival of film in Singapore, but it’s also a story about the growth of a new kind of creative culture, one that didn’t need to ask for permission to exist.” Ben Slater

“What made the Festival so special to so many people is that it felt like it belonged to us, and that we had a part in it. And through all those years, the Festival always held on to that same unwavering belief that we have to find our own voice. It believed that we have something worthwhile to say. And because of this, we began to believe too.” Zhang Wenjie

http://sgiff.com/25-histories-memorie...

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

a decent contextualisation of the SIFF that's marred by egregious editing errors.