The 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) has opened at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, with strong ticket sales and 21 sold out screening sessions within three weeks of public sales. Running until 1 November 2026, this year’s festival features international filmmakers, acclaimed actors and more than 25 Singapore productions and co-productions.
The opening night featured The Assassin(s) and welcomed international guests including its director Hur Jin-ho, global star Aamir Khan and filmmaker Peter Chan. They joined Mediacorp artiste and festival ambassador Rebecca Lim on the red carpet, alongside Singapore screen talents and filmmakers such as Tan Kheng Hua, Rishi Budhrani, Benjamin Kheng, Nelson Yeo and Ang Geck Geck.
Following a record-breaking edition in 2025, SGIFF said its box office takings are ahead of last year’s figures, with ticket sales continuing to grow. Among the sold-out titles are All of a Sudden, Possible Love, Minotaur and La Bola Negra, each with two sold out screenings. Look Back sold out within a day of public sales, while additional seats released for La Bola Negra were snapped up in just 15 minutes.
Demand has also extended to the festival’s talks with filmmakers and actors. Both In Conversation With Hirokazu Koreeda, featuring this year’s Cinema Honorary Award recipient, and In Conversation with Aamir Khan, featuring the Screen Icon Award recipient, have sold out.
Singapore cinema is also taking centre stage at this year’s festival, with more than 25 local productions and co-productions, including films recognised at major international festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and Annecy.
Among the local highlights is Ah Girl, which has already sold out its 30 October screening. Nelson Yeo’s The House on the Moon, which premiered in the main competition at the Locarno Film Festival, will make its Singapore premiere on 24 October as the opening film of the Foreground section.
Local short films are attracting strong interest too, with two of the three Singapore Panorama short film programmes already sold out. Meanwhile, Ah Girl, 9 Temples to Heaven, The Burning Giants and Four Seasons in Java are competing in the festival’s Asian Feature Film Competition.
Several programmes and special events remain among the highlights of SGIFF 2026. On 23 October, Aamir Khan will join filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker for a special presentation and 25th anniversary screening of Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India at GV VivoCity.
The festival’s Undercurrent programme combines three live performances with seven screenings, bringing moving images together with other art forms. Junior Explorers offers children and families selected relaxed screenings and post screening activities, while Parallax presents a free series of talks and demonstrations exploring the intersection of filmmaking and immersive technology.
SGIFF will also hold its first dedicated festival closing event since 2014, with the Asian premiere of Vintage Violence at Capitol Theatre on 1 November. Director Eugene Kotlyarenko and cast members Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara will attend the premiere. The trio will also take part in an In Conversation With session on 31 October at 11am at the National Museum of Singapore.
Supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), SGIFF continues until 1 November 2026, bringing together contemporary Asian cinema, international film personalities and local filmmaking talent. Tickets for the 37th edition are now on sale, although selected screenings and talks have already sold out.
