The 36th annual Singapore International Film Festival took place from 26 November to 7 December 2025 in Singapore. A total of 121 films from 45 countries were screened during the festival. The festival opened with Shu Qi's directorial debut Girl.
The Best Asian Feature award was presented to documentary film, Always.
Juries Asian Feature Film Competition Lucrecia Martel, Argentine filmmaker, Jury President Chin Han, Singaporean actor Lim Giong, Taiwanese musician Nicholas Saputra, Indonesian actor and producer Yason Banal, Filipino artist
Southeast Asian Short Film Competition Koyo Yamashita, Japanese curator and filmmaker Phan Dang Di, Vietnamese filmmaker Tan Pin Pin, Singaporean filmmaker
FIPRESCI Award Amarsanaa Battulga, Mongolian journalist Nguyen Le, Vietnamese journalist Rita Dutta, Indian journalist
Official selection Opening film English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Girl 女孩 Shu Qi Taiwan
Asian Feature Film Competition English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) A Useful Ghost ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Thailand, Singapore, France, Germany Always 从来 Deming Chen United States, China, France, TaiwanAmoeba Tan Siyou Singapore, France, Netherlands, Spain, South Korea Black Rabbit, White Rabbit Харгӯши сиёҳ, харгӯши сафед Shahram Mokri Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates Cactus Pears Sabar Bonda Rohan Parashuram Kanawade India, United Kingdom, CanadaHuman Resource Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit Thailand MAG MAG 禍禍女 Yuriyan Retriever Japan Riverstone රිවස්ටර්න් Lalith Rathnayake Sri Lanka Shape of Momo Chhora Jastai Tribeny Rai India, South Korea Two Seasons, Two Strangers 旅と日々 Sho Miyake Japan
Southeast Asian Short Film Competition English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)The 4PLY Clandestine System Natalie Sin Singapore a flower not a flower เดี๋ยวด๋าวประประ Tanakit Kitsanayunyong Thailand A Metamorphosis အသွင်ပြောင်းလဲခြင်းတစ်ခု Lin Htet Aung Myanmar ARI-ARI (The Storyteller) Ari-Ari Taufiqurrahman Kifu IndonesiaBefore the Sea Forgets Lê Ngọc Duy Singapore Bleat! கத்து! Ananth Subramaniam Malaysia, Philippines, FranceChildren's Day Giselle Lin SingaporeElenita Elena Elaine Gabriela Serrano Philippines Fresh as Daisy ស្រស់ដូចផ្កា Socheata Van Cambodia Fruit Buah Lim Jen Nee Singapore Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites ចៅសំណព្វចិត្ Chheangkea Cambodia, France, United StatesHour of the Flower Grace Song Singapore In the Valley 鳥，飛行中 Lim Han Loong Malaysia The Last Swimming Reunion Before Life Happens Yung Huling Swimming Reunion Before Life Happens Glenn Barit Philippines Memory Replica Ký Ức Ký Ức Đặng Thảo Nguyên VietnamMonkey Aries C. Ferrer PhilippinesMore Than Happy Tan Wei Keong Singapore My Plastic Mother Anak Macan Amar Haikal Indonesia Objects Do Not Randomly Fall From The Sky Kay Basta Angkarabo Yay Bagay Ibat Ha Langit Maria Estela Paiso Philippines Play Ga Zar Bwal Myo Aung Myanmar, TaiwanPonay (or You Are Not F***ing Welcome) Hesome Chemamah ThailandSammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts Rein Maychaelson IndonesiaThrough Your Eyes Nelson Yeo Singapore True Love Chân Tình Huỳnh Công Nhớ Vietnam When the Blues Goes Marching In Pengais Mimpi Beny Kristia Indonesia
Singapore Panorama English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)At Home with Work Dave Lim, Adar Ng Singapore Coda コーダ Jac Min Singapore, Japan The Old Man and His Car 老破車 Michael Kam SingaporeSandbox James Thoo
Standpoint English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده Jafar Panahi Iran, France, Luxembourg Landmarks Nuestra Tierra Lucrecia Martel Argentina, United States, Mexico, France, Netherlands, DenmarkLife After Reid Davenport United States Lost Land Harà Watan Akio Fujimoto Japan, France, Malaysia, GermanyQueer as Punk Chen Yihwen Malaysia, Indonesia Rashid, the Boy from Sinjar Rashid, L'enfant De Sinjar Jasna Krajinovic Belgium, FranceWaking Hours Federico Cammarata, Filippo Foscarini Italy When Lightning Flashes Over the Sea Коли над морем спалахує блискавка Eva Neymann Ukraine, Germany Writing Life – Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students Écrire la vie: Annie Ernaux racontée par des lycéennes et des lycéens Claire Simon France
Undercurrent English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Bouchra Meriem Bennani, Orian Barki Italy, Morocco, United States Dry Leaf ხმელი ფოთოლი Alexandre Koberidze Germany, Georgia Resurrection 狂野时代 Bi Gan China, France Underground アンダーグラウンド Kaori Oda Japan
Horizon English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)10s Across the Borders Chan Sze-Wei Philippines, Singapore, Germany Becoming Human ជាតិជាមនុស្សា Polen Ly Cambodia Bring Him Down to a Portable Size 兄を持ち運べるサイズに Ryōta Nakano Japan, France, ChinaDiamonds in the Sand Janus Victoria Philippines, Japan, MalaysiaThe Fox King Woo Ming Jin Malaysia, Indonesia Hen Kota György Pálfi Greece, Germany, Hungary I Only Rest in the Storm O Riso e a Faca Pedro Pinho Portugal, France, Brazil, Romania Kokuho 国宝 Lee Sang-il JapanLa grazia Paolo Sorrentino ItalyMemory of Princess Mumbi Damien Hauser Kenya, Switzerland, Saudi ArabiaMy Father's Shadow Akinola Davies Jr. United Kingdom, Nigeria The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo La Misteriosa Mirada Del Flamenco Diego Cespedes Chile, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium Sound of Falling In die Sonne schauen Mascha Schilinski Germany Vanilla Vainilla Mayra Hermosillo Mexico What Does That Nature Say to You 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 Hong Sang-soo South Korea
Foreground English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Arco Ugo Bienvenu FranceFather Mother Sister Brother Jim Jarmusch United States, Ireland, FranceHamnet Chloé Zhao United Kingdom How Dare You? ふつうの子ども Mipo O Japan Late Fame Kent Jones United StatesLesbian Space Princess Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese AustraliaRabbit Trap Bryn Chainey United Kingdom, United StatesRental Family Hikari United States, Japan The Secret Agent O Agente Secreto Kleber Mendonça Filho Brazil, France, Germany, NetherlandsSentimental Value Joachim Trier Norway, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom She's Got No Name 酱园弄•悬案 Peter Chan ChinaSpecial Presentation This City Is a Battlefield Perang Kota Mouly Surya Indonesia, Singapore, the Netherlands, France, Norway, Philippines, Cambodia
Landmark English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) The Arch (1968) 董夫人 Tang Shu Shuen Hong Kong Bye Bye Love (1974) バイバイ・ラブ Isao Fujisawa Japan Dream of the Red Chamber (1977) 新潮紅樓夢 Chiu Kang-chien Singapore The Girls (1978) ගැහැණු ළමයි Sumitra Peries Sri LankaMatador (1986) Pedro Almodóvar Spain The Razor's Edge (1985) غزل البنات Jocelyne Saab France, LebanonDeepa Mehta In Focus Earth (1998) पृथ्वीDeepa Mehta India, Canada Fire (1996) आग CanadaFunny Boy (2020) Sri Lanka, Canada Water (2005) जल Sri Lanka, Canada
Awards The following awards were presented at the festival:
Asian Feature Film Competition Best Asian Feature Film: Always by Deming Chen Special Mention: A Useful Ghost by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Best Director: Lalith Rathnayake for Riverstone FIPRESCI Award: Human Resource by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
Southeast Asian Short Film Competition Best Southeast Asian Short Film: Through Your Eyes by Nelson Yeo Special Mention: True Love by Huỳnh Công Nhớ Best Singapore Short Film: Children's Day by Giselle Lin Best Director: Ananth Subramaniam for Bleat! Best Cinematography: Batara Goempar for Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts
Best Performance The nominations for Best Performance were announced on November 4 and 5.
Mahendra Perera – Riverstone Apasiri Nitibhon – A Useful Ghost Bhushaan Manoj – Cactus Pears Davika Hoorne – A Useful Ghost Gaumaya Gurung – Shape of Momo Hasti Mohammai – Black Rabbit, White Rabbit Prapamonton Eiamchan – Human Resource Randika Gunathilaka – Riverstone Ranice Tay – Amoeba Sara Minami – MAG MAG Shim Eun-kyung – Two Seasons, Two Strangers Suraaj Suman – Cactus Pears Tysha Khan – Fruit Agot Isidro – Elenita Elena Elaine Bonrotanak Rith – Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites Emma Lim – Children's Day Hana Nadira – Fruit Katelynn Foo – Hour of the Flower Muhammad Alfat Apriansyah – My Plastic Mother Nai Djenar Maesa Ayu – Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts Pathavee Thepkraiwan – Ponay (or You Are Not F***ing Welcome) Sopheanith Thong – Fresh as Daisy
Audience Choice Award Coda by Jac Min
Cinema Honorary Award Deepa Mehta
Screen Icon Award Youn Yuh-jung
References
External links