Singapore International Film Festival

Planning screenings by venue and schedule

Open the full schedule on the festival's ticketing site before you do anything else and sort it by venue. Screens are scattered across the city, from Bugis to HarbourFront, and a programme that ignores geography will have you racing across town between films. Two screenings a day in neighbouring venues, with one talk, is a comfortable rhythm; three is possible if they share a building.

Everything is sold online. There is no box office at the door, and seats can be bought until five minutes before a screening, with the e-ticket shown on your phone. Galas, the In Conversation With talks and anything with a well-known guest go first, so book those on the day you arrive. When a film does sell out, the Rush Queue gives you a second chance. Regular visitors may find a pass worth it: the Cinephile Pass is by application and covers unsold regular screenings through the queue, while the Undercurrent Pass covers that strand's films and live works.

For a festival week, a hotel near a central MRT interchange saves the most time. Our Singapore travel guide lays out the neighbourhoods if you are choosing where to base yourself.

The festival's history and focus on Asian film

SGIFF started in 1987 and is the oldest film festival in the city. It is organised by a non-profit company and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, and its focus has always been Asia, with Southeast Asia at the centre. Its two competitions, one for Asian features and one for Southeast Asian shorts, sit at the heart of the event.

The programme is wider than the competitions. Singapore Panorama gathers local work, and over 25 films made in Singapore, or with Singaporean partners, turn up across the line-up. Standpoint, Horizon, Foreground and Landmark sort the rest. Undercurrent mixes artists' films with live performances built around the screen, Junior Explorers runs relaxed screenings for children, and SGIFF Pro gives the industry its own days of labs and pitching. The festival's film fund, set up in 2018, has backed nearly 50 films.

The honours add some star power in 2026. Hirokazu Koreeda receives the Cinema Honorary Award, and the Screen Icon Award goes to Aamir Khan, who is bringing Lagaan back to the big screen for its 25th anniversary with its director, Ashutosh Gowariker. The tone stays informal all the same. Directors usually stay on after their films, and questions from the floor are part of the evening.