Singapore South Asian International Film Festival happening next week!

Writer: Farah Hanis

"A Yellow" Bird", one of the many films to be screened at the fest.

25 Aug – Singapore South Asian International Film Festival (Sg. SAIFF) is coming your way!

Showcasing forty feature films, shorts and documentaries from India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, as well as a special screening from Singapore, the festival is held as an appreciation for South Asian cinema and culture.

"Anywhere in the world that there is a significant South Asian diaspora, there is a dedicated South Asian film festival. Singapore, surprisingly, has not had one," the festival director and co-founder of Muvizz said to The Straits Times.

"This event will hopefully become a significant cultural gateway in the years to come. Through the powerful medium of cinema, we hope to build closer ties between the global city of Singapore and the developing nations of South Asia."

Founded by the core team of Muvizz – a Video on Demand (VOD) platform, Sg. SAIFF seeks to support emerging filmmakers, open a fertile space of dialogue and collaborations within the industry and most significantly share with the audience of Singapore the diverse and complex experiences of South Asia through the intimate storytelling medium of cinema.

The festival will open with the world premiere of the critically acclaimed movie "Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai", which pays homage to Indian auteur Sayeed Mirza's 1980s same-titled cult classic. Director Soumitra Ranade and cast Manav Kaul and Saurabh Shukla will also be attending along with a bevy of other celebrities at the Cathay theatre, Handy Road.

Forty titles under the 'Showcase' and 'Competition' categories will also be shown with the key highlight being the screening of Afghanistan director Siddiq Barmak's "Osama", which won the 2004 Golden Globe's Best Foreign Film award.

Siddiq Barmak's "Osama" will be the highlight of the festival's film screening.

The much acclaimed movie by Singaporean director K. Rajagopal, "A Yellow Bird" will also be featured at the film screening.

Besides the movie screening by renowned filmmakers, Sg. SAIFF will also be showing a special 'Competition' category screenings, with awards to be given by a panel of four distinguished filmmakers – Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Siddiq Barmak, K. Rajagopal, and Prasanna Vithanage.

Master classes and workshops will also be held by esteemed people within the industry as a platform to share their experience and insights working in the industry.

A gala closing signifying the end of the ten days festivals will feature two spellbinding musical performances by the widely followed popular Indian singers, Mohit Chauhan and Neha Kakkar.

Awards for the 'Competition' category films will also be announced and presented on the closing day by esteemed South Asian dignitaries.

The Singapore South Asian International Film Festival takes place from 1 till 10 September across various prominent venues in the city.