Aamir Khan Honored: SGIFF Kicks Off with "The Assassin(s)" & "Lagaan" Celebration!
Aamir Khan Honored: SGIFF Kicks Off with "The Assassin(s)" & "Lagaan" Celebration!
Indian superstar Aamir Khan is set to receive the Screen Icon Award at the 37th Singapore Film Festival! Experience the opening with Hur Jin-ho's "The Assassin(s)" & a special "Lagaan" screening. Don't miss this cinemati
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is gearing up for its 37th edition with a lineup that promises to captivate cinephiles and celebrate cinematic excellence. A major highlight this year is the presentation of the prestigious Screen Icon Award to Indian superstar Aamir Khan.
This recognition of Khan's significant contributions as an actor, director, and producer will be celebrated with a special 25th-anniversary screening of his iconic film, "Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India," attended by director Ashutosh Gowariker. The festival is set to open with the highly anticipated South Korean thriller, "The Assassin(s)," directed by Hur Jin-ho.
The film boasts a stellar cast including Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, with director Hur and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon confirmed to attend the opening gala. Beyond Aamir Khan, SGIFF will also honor Japanese filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu with its Cinema Honorary Award, the festival's top prize for lasting contributions to Asian cinema.
His film, "Look Back," will be screened as part of the program, offering audiences a chance to experience his acclaimed work.
SGIFF executive director Jeremy Chua highlighted the festival's commitment to bringing Asia's most respected talents and consequential work to Singapore.
He also emphasized the festival's evolution, with new presentation formats, an intuitive ticketing platform, and an expanded industry program designed as a resource center for artists and storytellers at every stage. A new free-to-attend section exploring the intersection of creativity and technology aims to showcase future forms of storytelling.
The festival's "In Conversation With" dialogue series will feature engaging discussions with notable figures like Shim Eun-kyung, filmmaker Peter Chan Ho-sun, and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong. Wong will also participate in a post-screening dialogue for his debut acting role in "My Name Ain't Suzie." Korean New Wave director Yim Soon-rye will head the jury for the Asian Feature Film Competition, joined by other esteemed filmmakers and cinematographers.
This year's SGIFF proudly spotlights over 25 Singaporean productions and co-productions that have garnered international acclaim at festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice, and Melbourne. These include "Ah Girl," which saw Ong Xuan Jing win best actress at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, and director Ang Geck Geck's "Youth Jury Award" win at Rotterdam.
Nelson Yeo's "The House on the Moon" premiered at Locarno, while Tan Si En of Momo Film Co. co-produced "Nagi Notes," a Cannes competitor.
This showcases the vibrant and increasingly recognized local talent.
Thong Kay Wee, SGIFF program director, remarked on Singapore's film industry enjoying its "hard-earned recognition on the world stage." He noted that many of these celebrated filmmakers found their initial mentorships through SGIFF, making this year's screenings a "homecoming." The festival is also reviving its SGIFF Film Fund, with the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation now supporting both the Southeast Asian Documentary Grant (SEA-Doc) and the Southeast Asian Short Film Grant (SEA-Shorts), furthering its commitment to nurturing regional talent.
SEA-Doc will now focus on feature documentaries in late editing or finishing stages, while SEA-Shorts continues to back emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers.
