The 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) concluded its prestigious Silver Screen Awards on Saturday evening with a vibrant celebration of regional and international cinematic excellence, hosted at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. Marking a major milestone for local cinema, Singaporean filmmaker Ang Geck Geck Priscilla’s deeply resonant debut feature, "Ah Girl," captured the top honor of best film in the Asian Feature Film Competition.
Set against the backdrop of 1990s Singapore, "Ah Girl" explores the emotional turbulence of a seven-year-old girl navigating the aftermath of her parents’ separation. The project’s victory represents a long-awaited triumph for its director, who first workshopped the film back in 2015 at the festival’s own Southeast Asian Film Lab. Over the years, the project steadily built international momentum, previously earning the Youth Jury Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. For Ang, an alumna of the Busan Asian Film Academy whose 2012 short "Broken Crayon" previously won the best short film prize at the Singapore Short Film Awards, this win cements her status as a vital voice in contemporary Southeast Asian storytelling.
The Asian Feature Film Competition also highlighted powerful international perspectives. Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat claimed the best director prize for "No Good Men," a timely drama that previously opened the Berlinale. Set in Kabul during the tense period just before the Taliban’s return to power, the narrative follows a dedicated camerawoman whose professional life, familial bonds, and personal freedom are abruptly cast into profound doubt. Sadat, who has been based in Germany since 2021, brings a deeply authentic lens to the work, building upon her celebrated previous features, including her 2016 Cannes premiere "Wolf and Sheep" and 2019’s "The Orphanage."
The jury faced such exceptional performances that they ultimately chose to split the best performance prize between two distinct, acclaimed actors. Pushpa Thing Lama was honored for her compelling work in "Elephants in the Fog," a film that explores the struggles of a member of Nepal’s marginalized third-gender Kinnar community as she embarks on a desperate search for her missing daughter. Sharing the award was Putri Marino for her performance in "Four Seasons in Java," a magical realist drama chronicling a woman’s journey back to her hometown following two decades behind bars.
Meanwhile, the Special Jury Prize within the Asian Feature Film Competition was awarded to Japanese director Nagahisa Makoto for "Burn." Serving as his second feature film, "Burn" arrived in Singapore following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Nagahisa has built a strong international reputation for distinctive stylistic storytelling, having previously won accolades at major festivals for his 2017 short film "And So We Put Goldfish in the Pool" and his 2019 feature "We Are Little Zombies."
In the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition, Yogyakarta-based artist-filmmaker Arief Budiman took home the award for best Southeast Asian short with "Golden Island." Having previously competed at Rotterdam, Budiman’s film traces the journey of two videographers—one hailing from Java and the other from Papua—as they collaborate to make a film about Papua. The category’s best director award went to Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke for "The Bovine Comedy," a Locarno Film Festival premiere set in a speculative 2036 where cows have been pushed to the near-brink of extinction. Boonbunchachoke is no stranger to critical acclaim, having also directed the feature debut "A Useful Ghost" (2025), which secured the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at Cannes and earned a special mention at SGIFF.
German-Indonesian filmmaker Berthold Wahjudi received the short film Special Jury Prize for "’Vaterland’ or A Bule Named Yanto," a project that originally premiered in the Critics’ Week section at Cannes. The best performance prize in the shorts category was awarded to Sarah Lingam for "Flame of the Forest," a poignant story about a young nurse who returns to her ancestral home only to be unfairly blamed for her grandmother’s tragic death. Additionally, Singaporean experimental animator Exyl was recognized with the award for best Singapore short for "Singapore God."
The Audience Choice Award offered a nod to local programming favorites, going to Singapore Panorama Programme 2 for "Second Life, Second Skin." The winning package comprises a diverse collection of five thought-provoking short films: Shara Tay’s "Kiss Me Climax," Ash Goh Hua’s "Subterranea," Syahmi Iman’s "Reanimator," Leon Cheo’s "Orang Minyak," and Ewan Leong’s "Encik."
Beyond the competitive screenings, the festival celebrated emerging project development through the SGIFF Pro Pitching Forum awards, which were handed out following sessions held on October 30. The primary SGIFF Pro Pitching Forum Award was presented to "Agape," a collaborative project by Yamaguchi Shin and Miyahara Takuya. The SGIFF Pro Pitching Forum Award from the Asian Producers Network went to Lã Diễm Hải’s "Dear Son An." Furthermore, the SGIFF Abroad Award supported by Sony was won by Tong Khoon Mun and Zhou Ke Xin for "Beg, Borrow, Steal," while Sam Chua Weishi and Rein Maychaelson received the standard SGIFF Abroad Award for their project "Primal."
The 37th edition of the festival also welcomed towering global cinema figures for special recognition events. Earlier in the festival run, Indian cinematic icon Aamir Khan accepted the SGIFF Screen Icon Award from acclaimed filmmaker Peter Chan during an intimate "In Conversation With" session on October 22. Similarly, celebrated Japanese auteur Kore-eda Hirokazu—who released two feature films this year, "Sheep in the Box" and "Look Back"—was presented with the SGIFF Cinema Honorary Award by Singaporean director Boo Junfeng on October 24.
Running through November 1 on the penultimate day of the festival, the Singapore International Film Festival continues to honor its legacy. Launched in 1991, the Silver Screen Awards established itself historically as the first international film competition to feature a dedicated section celebrating Asian cinema, a mission the festival proudly maintains today.
