The festival
Founded in 1987, SGIFF is the longest-running and largest film event in Singapore and a key platform for emerging Asian filmmakers. It presents the Silver Screen Awards, which recognize Asian feature films and Southeast Asian short films, and is widely regarded as one of the region’s most important showcases for independent and auteur cinema.
Worth knowing
The festival announced that its 37th edition (2026) will run 21 October–1 November, moving it earlier from its traditional late-year slot.
How to attend
The public buys individual screening tickets online through the official SGIFF site, which also offers multi-film festival passes and a Cinephile Pass for frequent attendees.
Awards & submissions
SGIFF’s competitive honors are the Silver Screen Awards, introduced in 1991 to raise Asian filmmaking standards, judged across an Asian Feature Film Competition and a Southeast Asian Short Film Competition — the latter carrying awards for best Southeast Asian and best Singapore short, plus direction, performance, screenplay and cinematography prizes. The longest-running and largest film event in Singapore, it is a key platform for emerging Asian filmmakers and independent, auteur cinema. Screenings are spread across venues including the National Museum, Oldham Theatre, Shaw Lido and The Projector, and the 37th edition in 2026 moves earlier than usual, running 21 October to 1 November. The public buys individual tickets online through the SGIFF site, which also offers festival and Cinephile passes; filmmakers can find current submission categories and deadlines on the same site.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.