SINGAPORE YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL 2026

SYFF Festival Talks and Workshops are designed for young and emerging filmmakers to connect, learn, and grow within the dynamic world of filmmaking. This event features a series of engaging panel talks and workshops led by industry experts who will share their insights and experiences, providing a comprehensive look at the challenges and opportunities within the industry. Register now and be part of this enriching experience.

30 Jan 2026 - 8 Feb 2026

Festival Talks & Workshops

Conference

30 Jan 2026, 8.30pm - 10pm

Programme 2: Can You Hear Me? [PG13]

Screening

In a world that never stops turning, what does it take to be heard? These short films capture the quiet ache and stubborn hope of voices longing to break through the noise. From silent struggles to wistful connections, experience stories that speak volumes. All it takes is for someone to listen.

31 Jan 2026, 8pm - 9.30pm

Programme 3: Out of Nowhere [PG13]

Screening

The mind is a curious place. It is capable of wild imagination, looping us through doubts, and sometimes blurring the line between reality and illusion. These short films invite you on an immersive journey through inner worlds, where thoughts twist, and memories distort.

Confront the patterns that quietly shape our lives through stereotypes, cycles of unhappiness, and routines with this programme. Witness moments of resistance, release, and revelation as these films invite you to take a breath, sit with discomfort, and unlearn what no longer serves you.

1 Feb 2026, 2pm - 3.30pm

Programme 4: Loop and Let Go [NC16]

Screening

Some days, staying in bed feels like the only option. But even in our quietest moments, the human spirit still stirs. These films capture the quiet strength it takes to begin again, to rise, to move, and to choose a direction, even when the way forward is unclear.

1 Feb 2026, 6.30pm - 8pm

Programme 5: Still, Somehow Moving [PG13]

Screening

When different worlds meet, sparks can fly - sometimes in conflict, sometimes in connection. These short films explore what happens when identities, beliefs, and cultures collide. Can we find common ground amid the friction, or perhaps learn to live with the tension?

4 Feb 2026, 7.30pm - 9pm

Programme 6: Clash & Coexist [R21]

Screening

Love is rarely simple and its reach can be boundless. Whether it’s the quiet devotion to a person or the fierce loyalty to a community, these stories explore the tenderness, bravery, and quiet power of connection.

5 Feb 2026, 7.30pm - 9pm

Programme 7: Kinship, Love & Courage [PG13]

Screening

6 Feb 2026, 9.15pm - 10.45pm

Programme 8: Unfolding [PG13]

Screening

These films explore the raw, the tender, and the in-between, where we can choose to confront, escape, embrace, or simply survive what unfolds.

Not everything is as it seems in these short films. Just beyond what we’re shown lies hidden truths, quiet tensions, and stories waiting to be uncovered. These stories peel back layers, revealing what’s often left unsaid, unseen, or misunderstood.

8 Feb 2026, 4.30pm - 6pm

Programme 9: Beneath The Surface [PG13]

Screening

Download SYFF26 Digital Guide here

Open Youth Category Winners

VIEW ALL SYFF'26 WINNERS

Best Sound Design

Ho Kin Leonn

Kin Leonn is an ambient artist, composer, and producer known for his deeply immersive sound and forward-thinking approach to electronic and ambient music. He first gained recognition as a founding member of the electronic outfit midst, before debuting solo on Singapore/Tokyo-based KITCHEN. LABEL. His work now spans studio albums, film scores, and sound installations, amongst a plethora of sonic commissions. He also remains an active figure in the music community as a producer, selector, and mixing and mastering engineer. In extension, his original score compositions for films including The Breaking Ice (燃冬) by Anthony Chen and Crocodile Tears by Tumpal Tampubolon have been showcased at major festivals including Cannes, Busan, and Toronto. In the realm of installation art, he has also designed numerous multi-channel sonic installations – notably for Singapore Art Museum, ArtScience Museum, Singapore Night Festival, and more.

A passionate and free-spirited creative, Apple Ong is a freelance Art Director who enjoys creating imagery and bringing it to life. Guided by the belief that “every piece of fiction, like all great stories, is rooted in truth,” she approaches each project with a focus on authenticity and storytelling. She is especially drawn to narrative work, where she explores characters and the worlds they inhabit, crafting environments that enhance both mood and meaning. At the same time, she works across commercial assignments, from still photography and branded campaigns to large-scale productions. Her adaptability and collaborative spirit have led her to projects in Malaysia, America, China, and Korea, where she continues to merge design with story - creating worlds that resonate with imagination and human connection.

Best Art Direction

Apple Ong

Calleen Koh is a Singaporean BAFTA-nominated animation filmmaker, writer and artist, currently studying at California Institute of the Arts under the Experimental Animation MFA Programme. A lover of dark comedy, her films have been recognised for its subversive and irreverent energy. Her latest short film, “My Wonderful Life” (2024), produced by Tan Si En (Momo Film Co.) and starring the voice of Yeo Yann Yann, is set to have its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying festival, Bucheon International Animation Festival. Her other short films, “Sexy Sushi” (2020), “To Kill the Birds & the Bees” (2021), “Hot Buns” (2022), have screened in many notable film festivals all over the world and won multiple awards, most notably, getting a nomination for the prestigious Yugo BAFTA Student Awards and multiple selections at Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Some other awards include the Michael Fukushima Animasian Award, the Air Canada Award, Best Original Music, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and several Best Student Film and Audience Choice Awards. Calleen’s achievements in filmmaking has been featured in many media publications such as Vogue, Channel News Asia, Her World Magazine, 987 FM, Money FM 89.3, The Straits Times and more. In 2023, Calleen also had the honour to be part of the jury for the 2023 Yugo BAFTA Student Awards and Cartoons Underground. She is currently developing her first TV series alongside her studies

Best Screenplay

Calleen Koh

Jake Low is a Director-DP and editor based in Singapore. With an extensive background in music videos and short films, he enjoys crafting a visual experience that is both gritty and surrealistic. His latest short sighnight (2024) premiered in the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition of the 35th Singapore International Film Festival.

Best Editing

Jake Low

Clyde Kam is a cinematographer and producer based in Singapore. His work has been presented at major international festivals, including Berlinale, Locarno, Telluride, and ZINEBI. His filmography includes Time Flows in Strange Ways on Sundays (Locarno, 2021), I Look into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself (Locarno, 2023), Beyond the Other Shore (ZINEBI Grand Prize, 2023), Children’s Day (Berlinale, 2025), and As If to Nothing (Telluride, 2025). He is a two-time recipient of the Best Cinematography Award at the National Youth Film Awards (2022, 2023).

Best Cinematography

Clyde Kam

Lionel Seah is a Singaporean writer and director. His debut short film, Holding On, Letting Go (2019), was selected for the Brussels Film Festivals and the Singapore International Film Festival. His most recent film, Withered Blossoms (2024), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to screen at several international festivals. He is currently developing his debut feature, Three Lives. His work often explores the impermanent and ever-changing nature of life, seeking to portray the gentle beauty within its transience.

Best Director

Lionel Seah

Best Short Film

Clyde Kam

Jennifer Heng, an undergraduate of Nanyang Technological University's Art, Design, & Media, is currently majoring in filmmaking, focusing especially on directing, producing, sound design. Driven by a desire to shed light on underrepresented social and family relationships issues in Singapore, Jennifer’s goal is to create films that delve into personal stories and provoke meaningful reflection. Through her work, Jennifer aims to foster a deeper connection with audiences, encouraging them to reconsider their perspectives and engage with the narratives that often go untold. As the graduate of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Diploma in Audio-Visual Technology (2021), specialising in Sound Design, she was awarded the prestigious title of Valedictorian and Gold Medalist, along with a Diploma with Merit, ST Engineering Electronics Gold Medal Prize, Mediacorp Prize, and Director’s List. These donors underscore her expertise and commitment to the craft of sound design.

Student Category

VIEW ALL SYFF'26 WINNERS

Best Sound Design

Jennifer Heng

Driven and naturally curious, Syafiqah is an aspiring designer who tries to incorporate different media in her work — filmmaking and animation. Her short film “Overstimulated” was screened for Creative Brain in Singapore, where she explores ways to convey emotions through animation and sound design. She continues to experiment different ways

Best Art Direction

Syafiqah Binti Muhammad Noh

Fira Roslan is a 23 year old multidisciplinary production designer rooted in visual storytelling, specializing in the whole concept of costume design. With a background in film and a sensitivity to atmosphere and symbolism, her work often explores Southeast Asian identity, ritual, and femininity. As Production Designer for her Indonesian horror-dance thesis film, she transformed theoretical concepts such as abjection and the femme castratrice into a tangible visual world. Through costume, set, and movement, she shaped an immersive aesthetic that blended ritual with psychological unease. In 2024, she worked as a Makeup Artist for Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Nights, where she handled multiple talents under tight timeframes. Her precision, speed, and ability to adapt makeup looks for durability and performance showcased her technical skill in a high-pressure, large-scale entertainment environment. That same year, she contributed as Wardrobe and Makeup Artist for AI Audition: Lee Kuan Yew Project, an experimental documentary with her lecturer, researching and recreating historically grounded looks within a speculative AI-driven narrative. Her interdisciplinary approach—balancing research, intuition, and technical expertise—makes her a distinct voice in shaping cinematic and theatrical worlds.

Best Art Direction

Nurfira Fazera Binte Roslan

Nurain Tan is a local film graduate with a deep passion for telling stories that resonate with the heart. With experience across various local Malay and English television channels, she thrives on collecting lived experiences and transforming them into compelling narratives across different genres.

Best Screenplay

Nurain Kili Tan

Ben Tan Kai Xiang is an animator and illustrator who graduated from Nanyang Technological University School of Art Design and Media with a BFA(Highest Distinction) in Media Art. Growing up in sunny sunny Singapore, he loves to tell stories familiar to both him, Singaporeans and, with luck, people from around the world. Stories about the places he’s been to, the wonderful people he has met and the experiences he’s lived through on this island home. As an animator with a deep love for the tactility and formal beauty of traditional art, he blends the sensitivity of traditional art making with the whimsy of animation to find new ways of seeing that are both bold and fun. His films have been shown locally at Cartoons Underground, having won the Golden Durian and Audience Choice Award in 2023, and internationally at Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, Kaboom Animation Festival and Insomnia Animation Festival in 2024. He hopes to continue making strange and wonderful films, and doing the things he loves!

Best Editing

Ben Tan Kai Xiang

Grace Cheu is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans animation, painting, and other visual mediums, united by a passion for authentic storytelling through emotive visual styles and traditional tools. She enjoys working intuitively and experimenting beyond conventional approaches, while remaining mindful that execution should serve the story rather than become an end in itself. Grace often tells stories with a gentle, contemplative voice, using subtle themes and motifs to convey deep human understanding without needing to be explicitly stated. Guided by a hope to spread peace, love, and comfort, she draws inspiration from everyday moments, overlooked details, and cherished experiences with loved ones. Her work frequently reflects a sense of awe and wonder toward people and the world around her. The first short film she worked on, Goodbye Old Fish—a heartfelt tribute to her parents’ experiences growing up in old Singapore—remains one of her most personal projects, reinforcing her belief that art comes alive when rooted in one’s own voice: unafraid, honest, and free from external expectations. Seeing art as a lifestyle in which each moment can be valued, appreciated, and translated into new stories, Grace hopes to further her storytelling through world-building and sincere characters. Awards GOLDEN DURIAN AWARDS: BEST SINGAPORE STUDENT FILM 2023 GOLDEN DURIAN AWARDS: AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD 2023 STUTTGART INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED FILM (ITFS) 2025 : SPECIAL MENTION

Best Editing

Grace Cheu Li Qing

Valerie Theodas is an American-born, Singapore-raised interdisciplinary artist working across fine arts, filmmaking, photography, illustration, design and animation. She graduated from the School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA) in 2023 with a background in Visual Arts and is currently in her second year of film school at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media. Valerie is particularly interested in directing, cinematography, editing and production design. Her artistic practice involves analysing her dreams, mythology, the subconscious, and her own vulnerabilities to find sources of inspiration. Through visual storytelling and experimentation, she hopes to explore how to blur the line between internal and external worlds, in an effort to understand herself as well as broader existential and psychological truths.

Best Cinematography

Valerie Theodas

Jaime Ng is a Singaporean animator and artist who recently earned her BFA in Animation from Nanyang Technological University. With a passion for the eccentric and humorous, she enjoys exploring the creative and unexpected. Her graduation film, "Neh Neh Pok", which she both wrote and directed, is loosely inspired by her own experiences. Her films have screened at multiple international film festivals, including the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (MIFA), 24FPS International Animation Awards and Anim!Arte International Student Animation Festival of Brazil

Best Director

Jaime Ng

Christal is a Filipina-Eurasian filmmaker whose works explore facets of identity– with a specific focus on moral implications and challenges faced by marginalised working class women through a realist lens. Christal’s first short film, Sometimes You Go Places had its World Premiere in Beijing International Short Film Festival in 2023. Subsequently, two of her short films, BEFORE YOU GO and Full Shift were screened locally at Short Circuit 7 and Singapore Shorts’24, respectively. Through her sensitivity to characters and their environment, Christal hopes to give her stories a sense of transcendence.

Best Short Film

Christal Gallyot

Emma Lim is a young actress. She is currently a student at the Singapore Chinese Girls' School and actively participates in school plays and productions as a member of the English drama club. Emma enjoys acting and believes it develops her creativity, allowing her to experience different life stories and emotions. Emma was scouted through a drama programme she attended at Objectifs the Centre for Photography and Film, and her role as Xuan in Children’s Day directed by Giselle Lin is her debut in narrative films. While Emma plays a shy young girl in the film, in real life she is fun-loving and enjoys a good laugh.

Joint Awards

VIEW ALL SYFF'26 WINNERS

Best Lead Performance

Emma Lim

Jeremie Lim is a video editor with more than five years of experience under his belt. A graduate of Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Communication Studies (Honours) in 2019, he worked for local media publisher Our Grandfather Story for a few years, but has since moved into freelance editing. He enjoys working especially with young directors who push the boundaries of film, and is no stranger to experimenting in his work, which tackles many real-world issues such as human mortality, emotion and the loss of heritage in idiosyncratic ways. He has worked on a large variety of video content, from short social media pieces to feature-length films — all with the same aim to express stories and perspectives in ways that surprise and provoke thought. His works have also been recognised by local and international organisations, such as the Singapore National Youth Film Awards (2021, now the Singapore Youth Film Festival), and Lift-Off Film Festivals (New York & Tokyo, 2021). Most recently, We Can Save The World!!!, a film he co-edited, had its world premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival in July 2025.

Best Original Music

Jeremie Lim

Shafizaanla is an aspiring artist whose music blends the emotional depth of indie pop and folk pop with the storytelling of R&B and alternative influences. Every song is drawn from personal experience — the mistakes, lessons, and moments that have shaped him — creating music that is both honest and relatable. His sound is reflective yet dynamic, ranging from introspective, heartfelt tracks to uplifting, hopeful melodies. Through his music, Shafizaanla seeks to connect with listeners on a personal level, turning life’s experiences into songs that feel authentic and raw. Living his way and blocking out the noise, he leaves pieces of himself in every track, crafting music that is uniquely his own

Special Mention

Muhammad Shafizaan Bin Mohammad Suffian

Callisa Kesuma is an aspiring student filmmaker who, alongside their team, directed After The Tone—a short documentary exploring grief literacy and personal narratives. With a background in Communications Studies specialising in Broadcast, Callisa aims to shed light on the complexities of grief and encourage open dialogue about loss in society.

Audience Choice Award: After The Tone

Callisa Kesuma

In a city suspended between past and present, a solitary woman wanders through the streets of a small town one night in 2010, clutching an old photograph marked with a cryptic sequence of numbers left by her estranged lover. Unaware of preceding incidents that appear to hold vital clues of upside down, she delves into memories blurred by time and passion. As the code unravels, it reveals hidden truths about their relationship.

YOUTH INSPIRATION AWARD

Giselle Lin Xuan Qing is a Singaporean writer-director.

In 2021, her undergrad thesis short film, Yi Yi (Time Flows in Strange Ways on Sundays), premiered in competition at the Locarno Film Festival. In 2023, she returned to Locarno’s Pardi di Domani international competition with her documentary short I look into the mirror and repeat to myself.

The film went on to win the Critics Prize at the QCinema International Film Festival 2023 and the Best Singapore Short Film Award at the Singapore International Film Festival 2023.

She is currently developing two feature-length projects, one of which, Midnight Blue Spring, won the grand prize of the inaugural Locarno Residency.

Most recently, her short film, Children’s Day, premiered in the Berlinale Shorts competition at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025.

Open Youth Category

View All Nominated Films

961081 (2026)

Dir. by Angela Chan Ying Ki

Confronted with a visit by her traditional parents and younger sister to her boarding school, a Singaporean teenager attempts to reconcile the differences between their values and her affirming self-discoveries.

Bobo in Bliss (2026)

Dir. by Vivian Ip

Shy and imaginative eight-year-old Xuan struggles to find the perfect outfit for her school's upcoming Children's Day celebration while adjusting to a turbulent home life and an unlikely new friendship at school.

Children's Day (2026)

Dir. by Giselle Lin Xuanqing

Echo, a support dog and his caregiver, May, try to re-invigorate Ram, an old grumpy man at the end of his life. Ram invites his estranged son, Surya to tell him about his sickness. However, they end up fighting and Surya leaves. Surya meets May who enlightens him about her struggles with her late mother. Surya comes back to Ram's to see that his father has finished the book he's been writing his whole life and is moved by the ending, which conveys Ram's feelings for his son. The father and son embrace while May and Echo look on.

Echo (2026)

Dir. by Tejas Ewing

What do a warbler and a drag queen have in common? Both are undiscovered, until now. Meet Madame Margaux, a Queen who seamlessly blends her art and passion for nature to inspire others to protect it.Drawing inspiration from the Tboli leaf warbler they helped discover, Margaux uses performance to promote the preservation of their indigenous land.

Madame Margaux (2026)

Dir. by Nikki Tan

A non-religious Chinese family of seven gets together for a Christmas lunch. Eunice, the main character, is challenged with self-worth and the image of her family. Through her kindest intentions, she tries her best to overcome situations birthed by this dysfunctional family, which forces her to come out of her reserved shell and become a new version of herself.

Mashed (2026)

Dir. by Jacob Tan

Grace Lee, an overworked mom in Singapore, collapses at work. She gets admitted into the hospital, where she finds newfound freedom as a patient.

My Wonderful Life (2026)

Dir. by Calleen Koh

A father and daughter breaks into their ancestral home that has been put up for open house to retrieve a box that will change the course of their lives.

Open House (2026)

Dir. by Aram Winter

A family that appears ordinary on the surface grapples with the weight of expectations, secrets, and the haunting echoes of cultural traditions during a reunion dinner."sighnight" is an exploration of the lengths to which individuals will go to preserve familial honour. It is a story of survival, control, and the bonds that tether us to our roots, even as we strive to break free.

sighnight (2026)

Dir. by Jake Low

On a lonely new year’s eve, a woman walks across the city in search of fireworks at midnight. Shot in a single night with an old handheld camcorder, 'streetlights' is the re-creation of a filmmaker's own futile night walk several years prior. While carrying buried emotions of the past and contemplations of the present, the filmmaker documents her journey and allows the filmmaking process to be informed by the emotions that surface. With no script or plan, the film's narrative is shaped entirely by the inner world. What results is an experiment in making a film by finding it.

the streetlights flicker when i blink (2026)

Dir. by Weiqi Chuah

Siti has devoted herself towards preparing her 7-year-old autistic son Aqil for an upcoming psychology assessment; this assessment will dictate if Aqil will qualify for a mainstream primary school. Her family has also been dealing with a bedbug infestation. Despite her husband’s financial worries and her mother-in-law’s frustration at Aqil’s inability to speak Malay, Siti is bent on sending Aqil to a mainstream primary school. However, Aqil fails the assessment. Compounded with a recurrent bedbug infestation, Siti finally loses her grip. When Aqil makes a small act of kindness, Siti finally puts down her pride and fears as a mother.

Tilam (2026)

Dir. by Taylor Ong Yin Meng

“Tomorrow” unfolds in a dim back alley, where a woman feeds a dollar into a lonely vending machine. The machine rejects her at first, then begins speaking - questioning every selection, taunting her indecision. Rows of teas, coffees, sodas swirl into a maddening maze of “what ifs” as her doubts spiral. Paralyzed by endless options, she withdraws until the machine picks for her. A single drink clatters out, bearing a note: “See you tomorrow.” In its silence, choice paralysis conquers once more.

Tomorrow (2026)

Dir. by Chua Wei Jie

In their fifties, Norah and Susie leave behind conventional living for van life, embracing newfound freedom and the joy of living life on their terms. Sharing new adventures, they reveal a deeper story of resilience as a queer couple. A tender road trip that celebrates courage, joy, and chosen love.

Two Travelling Aunties (2026)

Dir. by Christine Seow

Mahia, a housewife trapped in a loveless arranged marriage with her domineering husband, finds her days trapped in a cyclical torture after the disappearance of their son, Ajeet. Ignoring her husband's disapproval, Mahia begins to search for her son in a mysterious forest where he had last been seen, afraid that something might have stolen him from her. However, she soon becomes entranced by the forest's mysteries and forms an unlikely friendship with a strange woman she encounters there. As her days spent in the forest begin to grow longer, she contemplates her womanhood through ecological healing.

We Learn to Breathe in Distant Places (2026)

Dir. by Azina Binte Abdul Nizar

A kindergarten teacher who is used to caring for the hopeful young, searches for the meaning of decay when she takes on the role of a caregiver for her father who lives with dementia. Initially dissatisfied with her family’s caregiving methods, she soon finds herself facing the same challenges—confronting the quiet, irreversible decay that is part of life.

Withering Tree and Living Ashes 槁木与生灰 (2026)

Dir. by Tan Wei Ting

After evading and attempting to conceal her separation from a long-term partner for two weeks, a young woman finally visits her Grandma who is grappling with age.

Withered Blossoms 花开花谢 (2026)

Dir. by Lionel Seah

Following the birth of her niece, Jing returns to Singapore for the newborn’s full month celebration. Here she is forced to confront her contentious relationship with her estranged mother and a traditional family politic—the causes of her departure a decade prior.

Full Month 满月 (2026)

Dir. by Ash Goh Hua

After being evicted by the local gangsters, an old carpenter goes on a futile search for his missing cat. As he meanders through the forgotten people and places, he is forced to confront the incurable decay of the town.

As If to Nothing 我的未来不是梦 (2026)

Dir. by Pek Jia Hao, Ang Jia Jun

A 14-minute documentary about grief and bereavement. As a topic that is often swept under the carpet, we have organised this film as a biography of grief through the lens of love, without shying away from the non-mutually exclusive pain. We feature three profiles who bring us through their grief, in relation to their own lives and to society – interactions with others who do not know how to properly express their support, and the societal pressure to move on quickly. We hope to impart a heightened level of grief literacy, and an informed version of empathy for the bereaved.

Student Category

View All Nominated Films

After The Tone (2026)

Dir. by Callisa Kesuma

As a storm of violence sweeps through the Philippines under President Duterte's drug war, Martika helps her employers adjust to parenthood abroad. Haunted by guilt over the inability to be there for her son, her two worlds intertwine.

Balang Araw (2026)

Dir. by Christal Gallyot

Clementine is a 2D-animated film set in a local art gallery, where a Victorian painting of a pair of twins has been a prominent attraction for decades. However, when one twin sister mysteriously disappears from the artwork, the other is then forced to leave the comfort of their painting and journey through the gallery to find her. Clementine is an exploration of loss, embracing change, and eventually coming into your own person. The film draws inspiration from various renowned artists of different time periods and art styles to create a visually rich and dynamic narrative experience that pays homage to the diversity of artistic expression throughout history.

Clementine (2026)

Dir. by Michelle Kham

Aziq is trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day with his innocent girlfriend, Nurul. As the day repeats, fuelled with frustration and feeling stuck and little to no communication between the two. Choosing self-worth over comfort, he breaks upwith her, ending the loop and beginning a bittersweet journey toward freedom and self-discovery.

Endless Days (2026)

Dir. by Aw Derik

Hao Man is a 17-minute comedy drama about Alex, a part-time taxi driver and struggling actor who auditions for the role of comic book hero Hao-Man. After being overshadowed by a rival and kicked out for an outburst, Alex faces pressure from his wife to give up acting for financial stability. He eventually arrives at a decision when he has a conversation with his son, Wally.

Hao Man (2026)

Dir. by Ong Chee Choon

In a world where every decision feels overshadowed by her older sister, a frustrated younger sister hopes to escape the labels of imitation and forge her own identity.

I Like Pink Too... (2026)

Dir. by Charlene Chua

A young girl finds her body afflicted by a mysterious condition. Panicked, she races through different worlds searching for a diagnosis. This mixed media stop motion film moves between the mediums of sand, paper, collage, puppet, and clay.

I Think I'm Going to Die (2026)

Dir. by Tan Ning Xuan

An overworked Entymologist's obsession with moths leads to the ingestion of a mysterious mould, catalysing a surreal descent into self-annihilation through futile attempts at purification.

Last Supper (2026)

Dir. by Valerie Theodas

Love Quest is a performative desktop documentary exploring the complexities of modern dating. Using The Sims, a sandbox game that allows players to freely interact with the game world, we reconstruct the dating experiences of two app users, blurring the boundaries between digital simulation and reality. By merging real-life interactions with digital platform elements to create a dystopian-like reality, the film reflects the gamified nature of modern dating. Through this lens, Love Quest questions whether something as delicate as love can truly be found online.

Love Quest (2026)

Dir. by Kevia Tan

Ten-year-old Eliza's perception of reality begins to shatter after witnessing the limit of her mother’s mental deterioration. Illusions, memory and observations cast light and transform her world into something ill-fated.

Mirage (2026)

Dir. by Kleif Alexander Tan

Charlotte and Valerie, ride a cable car up Mount Faber in search of mountains in Singapore. During their cable car ride together they recall stories that reminisce the mountain they search for, unsure of what they will find.

Mountain Mountain (2026)

Dir. by Ben Tan Kai Xiang , Grace Cheu Li Qing

A girl journeys through moments long left behind, to retrace colours and textures of her grandmother’s home— only to find those memories flawed and misunderstood. Drifting through disappearing neighbourhoods on car and bus rides, she finds herself amidst fields of shifting watercolours and emotive strokes on yellow post-it notes. They unravel, blur, and collapse into ephemeral fragments of a recalled landscape— a home once so familiar, yet no longer exists. In its meditation on memory’s multiple facets and subjectivity, these hazy vignettes recreate lost sensibilities of warmth the artist holds closely to her heart, out of love for her grandmother.

My Popo's Favourite Colour is Yellow (2026)

Dir. by Winnie Chua

“Neh Neh Pok” follows a girl across childhood, teenhood, and young adulthood as she struggles with her small chest. From dreaming of big boobs to faking them with inserts. Told with honesty, humour, and heart, the film is a tender look at body image and insecurity.

Neh Neh Pok (2026)

Dir. by Jaime Ng

Chloe, a 26-year-old accountant with the ability to see spirits, reunites with her spirited relatives during the Hungry Ghost Festival. After her mother’s sudden death, Chloe waits for the next Hungry Ghost Festival for a reunion but makes the mistake of forgetting her mother’s offerings, causing her mother’s soul to lose her way. She now has to find her mother’s lost soul by retracing her mother’s past life to get clues on where to find her before time runs out.

One Last Supper (2026)

Dir. by Jerold Lim Xing Jie

Amero, a passive bystander, watches a protest for the oppressed Lotials from his balcony. When it's violently dispersed, he retreats. The next day, Eris, a defiant Lotial, confronts his hollow support. In a failed attempt to help, Amero offers an energy seed, only to be shown a factory where Lotials are harvested. As he faces his complicity, the world shifts into a diorama—two players argue over the bleak outcome. The younger, disillusioned by the consequences, quits the game, leaving the older to reset the board, hinting that Amero’s journey, and the moral dilemma it represents, is far from over.

Paper Lotus (2026)

Dir. by Meijo Fu

Preserving Patterns is a short documentary that follows MoonLoveBatik, a Hmong Batik store in Luang Prabang, Laos, dedicated to safeguarding the fading art of hand-drawn batik. Through delicate strokes of wax and dye, the artisans not only create textiles of beauty but also weave stories of identity, resilience, and pride.

Preserving Patterns (2026)

Dir. by Annabelle Tan

International student Kiana is torn between the life she’s built in Singapore and returning to her roots in Indonesia. Trapped in a state of limbo reflected by the political climate around her, Kiana must confront her family, her fate, and her own desires in a final choice between happiness and stability.

Suara (2026)

Dir. by Kevin Leonardo Theo

In a household bounded by faith, Jamaliah struggles to reconnect with her teenage daughter, Aliyah, while longing for companionship. Unbeknownst to her, Aliyah is grappling with the same emotional turmoil. As both mother and daughter navigate their unspoken parallel desires, the growing distance between them threatens to fracture their fragile bond.

Tanggung Jiwa (2026)

Dir. by Nurain Kili Tan

As part of his tribe's rite of passage, a young hunter has to prove his worth by hunting down a great beast. However, amidst navigating the hunt and the rituals of his tribe, he finds himself increasingly troubled by what he has done. As he grapples with the gravity of his actions, he confronts his struggles with coming of age, self doubt, and reconciling one's actions with one's conscience.

The Beast in the Woods (2026)

Dir. by Benjamin Tan

Once hailed as icons of justice, The Dazzling Entomos lit up the city with their heroism—until a single catastrophic accident shattered their legacy. Now, their name stirs more bitterness than admiration, a painful reminder of a past too heavy to forget. Into this fractured world rides a bold new force: The Rider. Fearless and unproven, our hero claims the mantle left behind. But the shadow of The Dazzling Entomos looms large, and the weight of their legend is more than just symbolic—it’s a storm of grief, guilt and expectation waiting to strike.

The Rider (2026)

Dir. by Tuason Miguel Artemio Galang

This documentary is a deeply personal yet universally relatable look at the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. Quraisyah attempts to understand the causes of her fragile relationship with her mother by revisiting the past. The unspoken pain morphed into resentment, shaping the way she saw herself and the world around her. But when the self-loathing became unbearable, she embarked on a journey to understand– not just her mother, but the choices she made.

The Tie That Frays But Never Breaks (2026)

Dir. by Wafa Quraisyah

Dewi, an accomplished dancer, struggles with grief after her mother’s passing and feels overshadowed by her younger sister, Adelina, who inherits their family’s sacred tusuk rambut. Believing it to be her rightful legacy as the firstborn, Dewi grows resentful. As jealousy takes hold, she is haunted by a mysterious presence and turns to forbidden practices to reclaim the heirloom. Her desperation blurs the line between tradition and darkness, pushing her to make irreversible choices.

Tindakake Timbalku (Follow My Lead) (2026)

Dir. by Aisyah Rasyidah

Mei Qi, a spirited 12-year-old girl from a lower-income neighbourhood in Singapore, earns her place into a prestigious all-girls secondary school. Surrounded by girls of better backgrounds, Mei Qi feels self-conscious as she struggles to relate with her classmates. On this first day of school, Mei Qi realises that the world is bigger than her own backyard.

Your Name on a Grain of Rice (2026)

Dir. by Chong Ya Hui

Two Chinese immigrant youths on the verge of graduation drift between dreams, cyberspace, and real-world Singapore, seeking solace from their mounting anxieties about the future through copious amounts of alcohol, tobacco, and conversation.

梦游神 (Meng You Shen) (2026)

Dir. by Pan Wenbo

MOST PROMISING AWARD

Canden Chen, is a student at Victoria Junior College, where he pursues Art as part of his studies. As the top Art Elective Programme graduate of Victoria School of his cohort, Canden has developed a strong foundation in visual and creative arts.
Canden is an all-round creative, with a passion for drawing, music, Chinese calligraphy, photography, videography and film making. He is a multi-award winner in both piano and Chinese calligraphy, achievements that speak to his dedication and artistic flair.

He has a unique “show not tell” signature approach to his filmmaking. Canden’s films rely on visual storytelling and evocative soundtracks - fusing music, emotions and narratives to unfold the story naturally on screen. Through thoughtful editing and a keen sense of mood, he strives to create films that resonate universally, letting each scene speak for itself.

Despite his young age, he has been commissioned to produce commercial works for Future Mobility Asia (FMA) 2022 in China, ZOUK Halloween, Ang Leong Huat and ELEFANT.

Lincoln Yeo

Selection Committee (Student Category)

Lincoln Yeo is a cinematographer based in Singapore whose work spans fiction, documentaries, music videos and commercials throughout Asia and Europe.

His films have been screened at Berlinale International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Golden Horse Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, New Directors New Films, SXSW, and Palm Springs International ShortFest.

His latest feature work includes Dreaming & Dying (Locarno Film Festival 2023 - Pardo d'oro for Best Feature Film - Cineasti del Presente Competition & Swatch First Feature Award), directed by Nelson Yeo.

Lincoln is also an alumnus of Berlinale Talents and Busan Asian Film Academy where he won the ARRI Scholarship Award.

Aditi Shivaramakrishnan

Selection Committee (Student Category)

Aditi Shivaramakrishnan (she/her) works as an editor and writer. A former arts manager at Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, she has also moderated Q&As for the Singapore International Film Festival and contributed to its annual festival guides. In 2024, she was part of the Selection Panel for Singapore Shorts ‘24 and a Writing Fellow at Cinemovement Lab VII. Her arts writing has been published in the Asian Film Archive’s Despatches, ArtsEquator, Esplanade Offstage, Jom, and elsewhere.

Pearl Phoo

Selection Committee (Student Category)

Phoo Myet Che, Pearl is a Singapore-based arts and cultural worker originally from Myanmar. She has contributed to the local arts scene through programming, writing, and community engagement with various organisations and collectives. Pearl was part of the team behind Short Circuit, a film festival spotlighting queer short films. Her writing, featured in platforms like the Asian Film Archive and 3-Act Magazine, explores cinema, identity, and regional histories. She wishes to collaborate on more projects that foster dialogue and cultural exchange through the arts.

Lenne Chai

Selection Committee (Student Category)

Lenne Chai (b. 1991) is a Singaporean photographer and filmmaker whose work reimagines nostalgia and fantasy as tools for social critique. Recognized by Vogue Singapore as “one of Singapore’s most promising fashion photographers,” she has built a career that bridges local and international creative industries. Now based in Los Angeles, Lenne began her journey in 2010, photographing for leading publications and brands such as Vogue, Gucci, W Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Esquire, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Deeply influenced by her upbringing in Singapore, Lenne explores themes of queerness, heritage, and cultural memory through staged imagery and cinematic storytelling. Her work is a portal into alternative histories – imagining a Singapore where LGBTQ+ narratives are centered, where schools are safe spaces for queer youths, and where cultural traditions are reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. Her projects, which challenge societal norms while celebrating Southeast Asian identity, have been featured in BBC World News, CNN, Vogue, and Dazed, and exhibited at Objectifs, Singapore Art Week, Gillman Barracks, Altura Los Angeles, among others.

Through her practice, Lenne continues to shape Singapore’s artistic landscape by challenging conventions, expanding conversations on queerness and cultural identity, and mentoring the next generation of visual storytellers.

Armiliah Aripin

Selection Committee (Student Category)

Armiliah Aripin is a Singaporean editor currently based in London. Prior to pursuing an MA in Editing at the National Film and Television School (NFTS), she spent a decade editing TV documentaries (National Geographic, Discovery), dramas and promos (NBC, BBC, MTV). Some of the films that she has edited include Shé (Snake) by Renee Zhan (Sundance 2024), Strawberry Shortcake by Tan Siyou (Locarno 2021), Ajoomma by He Shuming (Busan 2022) and Dreaming and Dying by Nelson Yeo (Locarno 2023).

Rachel Wong

Selection Committee (Student Category)

Rachel Wong is Assistant Curator of Public Programmes at ArtScience Museum, where she curates the film and moving image programmes for ArtScience Cinema and VR Gallery. She was co-curator of the exhibition Altered States: Experiments in Moving Image at ArtScience Museum. Rachel graduated with a degree in History of Art at University College London and previously worked at the Asian Film Archive as an Engagement Officer for film festivals such as State of Motion and Asian Restored Classics.

Selection Committee

Amanda Lee Koe

Selection Committee (Open Youth Category)

Born and raised in Singapore, Amanda Lee Koe has lived in Beijing, Berlin and Bangkok and is now based in New York. She was the youngest winner of the Singapore Literature Prize for the short story collection Ministry of Moral Panic (Epigram, 2014), shortlisted for the Frankfurt Book Fair's LiBeraturpreis and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt's International Literature Prize. Her debut novel, Delayed Rays of A Star (Doubleday, 2019), won the Henfield Prize, awarded to the best work of fiction by an MFA candidate at Columbia University's School of the Arts. It was a Straits Times #1 Bestseller, and an NPR Best Books of the Year.

Jolyn Wu

Selection Committee (Open Youth Category)

Jolyn Wu has been an active contributor to Singapore’s arts scene for the last 10 years. A believer in the power of the arts to inspire and connect, Jolyn has had to opportunity to work with like-minded individuals in both Singapore’s theatre and film industry.

Jolyn is currently a Manager under the Media Industry Development division of the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).

Tan Siyou

Selection Committee (Open Youth Category)

Tan Siyou is a Singaporean filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Her short films Hello Ahma (2019) and Strawberry Cheesecake (2021) played at festivals such as the Berlinale, Toronto, Locarno, among others. She is working on her first feature film, Amoeba.

Priyageetha Dia

Selection Committee (Open Youth Category)

Priyageetha Dia works with time-based media and installation. Her practice braids themes of Southeast Asian labour histories, speculation of the tropics, and ancestral memory meeting machine logics.

Her recent exhibitions include 4th Bangkok Art Biennale (2024); Manifesta 15, Barcelona (2024); 60th La Biennale di Venezia, Venice (2024); Arts House, Melbourne (2024); Diriyah Biennale, Saudi (2024); Frieze Seoul (2023); Singapore Art Museum (2023); Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kerala (2022); La Trobe Art Institute, Australia (2022); National Gallery Singapore (2020); and ArtScience Museum, Singapore (2019). She was an artist-in-residence at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore in 2022 and the SEA AiR—Studio Residencies at the Jan van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands in 2023.

Jury

Daniel Hui

Jury (Student Category)

Daniel Hui is a filmmaker who has directed four feature-length films including Eclipses (Pixel Bunker Award for International New Talent, Doclisboa IFF 2013), Snakeskin (Award of Excellence, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2015, Special Jury Prize, RIDM 2015), Demons (In Competition, Kim Jiseok Award, Busan IFF 2018; Berlinale Forum 2019), and Small Hours of The Night (Rotterdam 2024). As an editor, he has edited award winning films like A Land Imagined by Yeo Siew Hua (Locarno 2018) and Don’t Cry, Butterfly by Duong Dieu Linh (Venice Critics Week 2024). A graduate of the film program in California Institute of the Arts, he is one of the founding members of 13 Little Pictures, a critically acclaimed independent film collective in Singapore.

Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen

Jury (Student Category)

Mark Chua and Lam Li Shuen are a filmmaker and artist duo from Singapore. They met through forming an art rock group and started out making lo-fi underground films as self-taught filmmakers. Over the years of their partnership, they have carved out a cinema of speculative fiction and body horror, exploring existential anxiety, histories and alienation.

Their films have screened at international film festivals including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films and BFI London Film Festival. In 2021, with their short film A Man Trembles, they were awarded Best Southeast Asian Director at the Singapore International Film Festival. They are currently developing their feature project, Strange Root, which was presented at Rotterdam CineMart 2025 and Berlinale Talents Script Station 2024.

Chua and Lam have also presented 16mm expanded cinema performances in Zurich, Singapore and Taipei, and released multiple albums as the art rock duo ARE.

Sam Chua

Jury (Student Category)

Sam CHUA Weishi is a film producer born and based in Singapore. She most recently produced feature film Pierce by Nelicia Low (Best Director Crystal Globe - Karlovy Vary 2024), and short films At February's End by Mickey Lai (Locarno 2025) and Children's Day by Giselle Lin (Competition, Berlinale 2025). She is currently developing a slate of films as head of production at Singapore-based production company Pōtocol, including Midnight Blue Spring by Giselle Lin (Grand Development prize - Locarno Residency 2023) and Cyberonin by Jared Lee (MIFA 2025). She has trained at EAVE's Ties That Bind, Rotterdam Lab, Full Circle Lab Philippines, Busan Asian Film School and IF/Then Southeast Asia.

Russell Morton

Jury (Student Category)

Russell Morton is a Singaporean filmmaker whose work blends Southeast Asian folklore and ritual with existential themes. His short films—The Forest of Copper Columns (2016), Fish (2019), and Saudade (2020)—have screened at festivals including Fantasia, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Raindance, MOTEL/X, SGIFF, and Jogja-NETPAC. He received the Most Outstanding SEA Director award at the Rolling Youth Film Festival in conjunction with the Busan International Film Festival in 2022.

As a cinematographer, Morton has collaborated on Ang Song Ming’s Recorder Rewrite, Singapore’s entry to the 58th Venice Biennale; Kenneth Dagatan’s In My Mother’s Skin (Sundance Film Festival, 2023); Jow Zhi Wei’s Tomorrow Is A Long Time (Berlinale, 2023); and Petersen Vargas’s Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Tallinn Black Nights, 2024). He is currently developing his first feature film, Penumbra, which won the Autumn Meeting Arthouse Project prize in 2022.

Nelicia Low

Jury (Student Category)

Writer-director Nelicia Low grew up in Singapore where she represented her country as a National Fencer for 5 years. She retired after the 2010 Asian Games to chase her childhood dream of being a filmmaker. Nelicia received her MFA in Film Directing at Columbia University in New York in 2018. Her debut feature film Pierce is a fencing-based psychological thriller based on her relationship with her autistic brother. It explores the ideals of sibling love and the illusions we project onto those close to us.

Pierce premiered at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2024, where it won the Best Director Award. It went on to screen at Vancouver IFF, Busan IFF, Rome IFF, New York Asian FF, TIFF International Cinema Cafe. It also won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 La Roche Sur Yon IFF and the Andrzej Wajda Krakow Film Award at the 2025 Mastercard OFF Camera IFF. She is managed by the Gotham Group in the US.

Jury

Natalie Khoo

Jury (Open Youth Category)

Natalie Khoo is a filmmaker and programmer based in Singapore with a background in archaeology and anthropology from the University of Cambridge. She programmes for Asian Film Archive and has curated Retrospective: Edward Yang, y2K DreamZ, Orienting Paradise and previously National Gallery. Her own films have screened at Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg, Queer East Film Fest, Sea Shorts, Singapore Short Cuts, among others. She has served on the jury of FFD and Singapore Shorts.

Irfan Kasban

Jury (Open Youth Category)

Irfan Kasban (b. 1987) is a transdisciplinary artist who writes, directs, and designs lighting, sound, set, and multimedia to create intricate universes that celebrate space and time. His diverse curiosity has led him to explore various mediums and genres. In 2020, he was honoured with the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council, Singapore.

As a freelance artist, Irfan collaborates on experimental projects, expanding his practice and perspective. He recently worked on Small Hours of the Night by Daniel Hui, as an actor and production designer. Driven by emotional sincerity and ephemerality, Irfan blurs the boundaries between performance and audience. His current research focuses on art as ritual healing.

Khairullah Rahim

Jury (Open Youth Category)

Khairullah Rahim is a Singapore-based contemporary artist working across installation, objects and time-based media. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University (2023). Working across multiple registers of material and form, Khairullah’s practice examines the entanglements of queerness, POZ resilience, working-class subjectivities, and the decolonisation of botany, with a particular emphasis on strategies of survival and resourcefulness within regimes of surveillance.

Khairullah has undertaken artist residencies at IASPIS (Stockholm), Salzburger Kunstverein (Salzburg), Facebook (Singapore), Hubei Institute of Fine Arts (Hubei), Taipei Artist Village (Taipei), and YOUKOBO Art Residency Programme (Tokyo). His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Barbican Centre (London), Tai Kwun (Hong Kong), Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow), Tiger Strikes Asteroid (New York), Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (Bangkok), and the National Gallery Singapore, among others. Khairullah is the recipient of the IMPART Award for Visual Arts (2017), and his works are held in the permanent collections of the Singapore Art Museum and the SUNPRIDE Foundation.

Jow Zhi Wei

Jury (Open Youth Category)

Jow Zhi Wei attended Le Fresnoy (France) and LASALLE College of the Arts (Singapore), and is an alumnus of the Golden Horse Film Academy in 2010. A recipient of the NAC Young Artist Award in 2014, his short films have screened at prestigious film festivals— OUTING (San Sebastián International Film Festival 2010), WAITING (Busan International Film Festival 2010) and AFTER THE WINTER (Cannes Film Festival - Cinéfondation Selection 2013). His debut feature film TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME world premiered at the 2023 Berlinale, in the Generation 14plus competition, before going on to screen at international festivals such as Vancouver, Hong Kong, Taipei Golden Horse and Singapore.

Nicole Midori Woodford

Jury (Open Youth Category)

Nicole Midori Woodford is a film director and writer. Her debut feature film, LAST SHADOW AT FIRST LIGHT, made its world premiere at San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2023. It was nominated for multiple awards at Asian Film Awards, Asia Pacific Screen Awards and won four awards at Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival including the Jury Prize. She is an alumna of Berlinale Talents, Asian Film Academy, Torino Film Lab and Talents Tokyo. Nicole was a recipient of the NAC Young Artist Award in 2020 for her achievements in filmmaking.