Singapore International Film Festival 2016 (No 23-Dec 4, 2016)

With over 160 films spread across 12 days and 10 partner venues, the 27th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival will run from 23 November to 4 December. Get your tickets now at sgiff.com, and stay connected via their Facebook / Twitter @sgiffest / Instagram @sgiffest.


One of the highlights of the event is AN EVENING WITH DARREN ARONOFSKY - where director Darren Aronofsky will be in attendance at the screening of PI (25 Nov, Fri | 7.00pm | National Museum of Singapore / Buy Tickets), and as well a MASTERCLASS WITH DARREN ARONOFSKY (25 Nov, Fri | 3.00pm | ArtScience Museum), which has since been listed as “FULL”.


I will always have the fondest memories of Singapore’s Film Fest in the mid-90s to early-2000s, when I was neck-deep in the scene - as both a captivated audience viewer, and as well (eventually) plying my trade in the local tv and film industry then … remembering the rush(s) from Shaw Center back to Majestic Cinema for back-to-back screenings (ALWAYS had to be my fav picks too), the much vaulted feeling of a rat brush past my feet as nudity flashed on-screen in "Mee Pok Man", a (most probably) drunk Chris Doyle rambling on, standing beside the always-shades-wearing Wong Ka Wai on stage in Capitol Theatre at the screening of "Happy Together" (and not having enough courage to ask them a question that had plagued my entire film-life fascination with their work then lol) … and of countless non-English/Western films which helped shaped my psyche back when it could still be shaped. A lifetime ago, and seemed like a generation or two ago...

With no disposable income or financial resources to lend against, and having left the industry a near decade ago, I had since stopped having any further film-fest-adventures for too long a time to remember, past the nostalgia I carry with me, whenever my memories wander back to the days of wonder and being embraced in the celluloid world of faux emotions, and of the beautiful turmoil within my real life emotions...

I still remember watching PI on DVD, and then exchanging it with my Editor-friend then Sean (with whatever DVD film I’d forgotten about now) … yes, memories are made of things forever lost and remembered.