Film events to look out for in October

Christmas almost always comes early for film lovers in Singapore with the year-end slate of film events to catch — 2021 is looking to be no exception. 

Before the year caps off with the Singapore International Film Festival, expected to be held either in November or December, October looks to present a slew of exciting film programmes for all audiences. 

Most of these will be presented as hybrid editions as well with a mix of physical and virtual screenings; cosying up at home with a good film in the comfy weather might just be the best weekend activity for the month.

Taking place from Oct 7 to Oct 3 in a hybrid format, the ever-popular Japanese Film Festival will give a snapshot of the very best from Japanese cinema with its curation of 33 film titles.

From touching dramas to lighthearted comedies, the festival’s lineup promises something for everyone. Along with the screenings, the films’ directors will be present for in-cinema post-screening virtual Q&As to answer participants’ burning questions.

Festival sections to look out for includes Female Perspectives, which will feature four films by four of Japan’s most respected female filmmakers, and selections from the Short Shorts Film Festival, which is one of the world’s leading short film festivals.

Find out all about the Japanese Film Festival and get your tickets now at jff.sg. 

Singapore’s first and longest student-run film festival, Perspectives Film Festival: Breakthroughs in Cinema returns for its 14th edition in a hybrid format.

From Oct 21 to 31, the festival will present eight films tackling the overarching theme of “WHAT THE __?!” — movies that are bound to force audiences to fill in the blanks.

Out of the eight selections, French psychological musical drama, Annette is probably the most anticipated. The film, which also opened this year’s edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, will also be Perspectives’ only physical screening, with the rest of its available for rental streaming on The Projector Plus. 

For more information about Perspectives Film Festival 2021, head over to its website.

The festival is also running a giveaway for a Prism+ C270 Gaming Monitor throughout the duration of its run so find out more plus get the latest updates from Perspectives from their Facebook and Instagram pages. 

Organised by Golden Village, the annual Love & Pride Film Festival brings the very best of queer cinema to the big screen. 

This year will bring a mix of new-to-screen titles and acclaimed classics throughout its 10-day run, connected through the theme of “Bringing Untold Stories to Light”.

The fresh new titles are the moving dramas See You Then and Valentina, both looking to shed light on the discrimination faced by the trans community. Joining the festival lineup are popular hits such as the gorgeous period piece Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Hong Kong’s Suk Suk, which focuses on homosexuality in the twilight years. 

Head over to the festival website to find out the lineup, grab your tickets, and find out about the festival’s special offer to enjoy 1-for-1 Paulaner beer at Gold Class Lounge at GV Suntec City and GV Grand

Arriving just in time for Halloween, horror film Late Night Ride revolves around three characters and their three unfortunate run-ins with supernatural beings on three modes of transport — probably not the best idea to take public transport alone after catching the film. 

Starting off as a short film of the same name, the feature-length Late Night Ride, directed by Koh Chong Wu, stars local favourites Andie Chen, Jayley Woo and Lina Ng. 

Check out the film’s trailer here!