The Singapore International Film Festival returns for its 37th edition from 21 October to 1 November, opening with the Korean political thriller The Assassin(s) and welcoming Bollywood star Aamir Khan for a Screen Icon Award plus a 25th-anniversary screening of Lagaan.
Festival organisers said director Hur Jin-ho and cast members including Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon will attend the opening gala. The lineup mixes Asian premieres, restored classics and cross-disciplinary programmes that pair film with live music and puppetry.
Headline guests
Khan's visit includes a conversation on his producing and acting career, alongside a special presentation of Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India with director Ashutosh Gowariker. Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong join the speaker slate for masterclasses and audience Q&A sessions.
Early-bird presales opened on 25 September, with general sales from 28 September. Venues span Golden Village VivoCity, Sands Theatre and the Filmhouse at Green Room, mirroring past editions' split between mainstream multiplexes and art-house screens.
Local spotlight
Singapore filmmaker Nelson Yeo's The House on the Moon, billed as the city-state's first feature-length wuxia production using virtual production stages, screens on 24 October with a director Q&A. The film reimagines the Chang'e and Hou Yi legend as a genre hybrid spanning Mandarin and Hokkien dialogue.
Indonesian director Edwin's horror title Sleep No More also picks up Singapore premiere slots, showing how SGIFF continues to platform regional genre cinema alongside auteur fare.
Planning your calendar
Festival pass bundles remain the cheapest route for cinephiles chasing three or more screenings, while single tickets for opening night sell out quickly when star guests appear. MRT access to HarbourFront and Bayfront stations covers most venues; organiser apps list runtime and subtitle languages to help parents filter ratings.
With Hans Zimmer's arena show landing on 7 October and Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love concert later in the month, October is stacked for live-audience culture beyond streaming platforms — SGIFF anchors the film half of that calendar.
Industry context
Local box office receipts for Asian titles rose in the first half of 2026 according to Info-communications Media Development Authority summaries, giving SGIFF room to demand longer theatrical windows before streaming deals kick in. Korean opening film The Assassin(s) arrives after strong domestic performance, reducing the risk of a cold opening night.
Undercurrent programmes pairing puppetry and live gaming reflect festival artistic director Emily Chan's push toward experiential tickets that compete with concerts for the same October leisure dollar. Sponsors include national tourism bodies seeking to extend business-travel hotel stays over the festival fortnight.
Volunteer ushers receive subtitle training for Hokkien and Korean dialogue tracks so they can guide patrons who rely on English surtitles printed beside the screen.