The fourth edition of the Singapore Film Festival New Delhi is all set to take place at the Siri Fort Auditorium-II from 21 to 23 February. Organised by the Singapore high commission in the capital, in partnership with the Directorate of Film Festivals, it will feature three feature films and three short films, followed by dialogues with filmmakers and critics.
The festival will open with Abbas Akbar’s film Chennai 2 Singapore, which explores the journey of an Indian filmmaker, who travels to Singapore for investors to finance his movie. Akbar is a Singaporean director, screenwriter and actor, who has also worked in Tamil films and television.
Filmmakers like Akbar have been receiving global recognition for movies which capture the shared culture of both India and Singapore. They resonate with Indian audiences as they share stories of many such Indians living in Singapore.
The short films, Melodi, BTO and Life As it is, share tales from the island-country’s creative talents and will be followed by award-winning filmmaker Eric Khoo’s Ramen. Khoo is credited for reviving the film industry in Singapore and putting the country's cinema on the international map in the mid-1990s. The film will be followed by a discussion with Indian film critic Murtuza Ali Khan. The closing film of the festival is 3688, directed by Tan.
Ong Chong Hui, first secretary at the Singapore high commission said, “In the spirit of cultural exchange, we wanted to share with our friends in India, works that have meaning for us, Singaporeans. It was a matter of great pride for us to see two home-grown filmmakers’ works screen at international festivals. It showed that Singapore has stories to tell, which can resonate with Singaporean as well as international audiences. We hope that Indian audiences will enjoy the two films too.”
Entry at the festival is open to public and free on a first-come-first-served basis.