Tired of hearing about all the AI National Day movies? Well, if you’re looking for real Singapore stories made by actual Singaporeans, then Filmhouse’s latest film programme is your answer. Curated as part of Singapore’s 61st birthday celebrations, Got Time For Cinema? turns the lens towards homegrown titles that deserve more love and time on the big screen.
The programme revisits Anthony Chen’s Growing Up trilogy, which includes the 2013 classic, Ilo Ilo, 2019’s Wet Season, and the latest and final chapter, We Are All Strangers. The screening of Chen’s latest movie includes a Q&A session with the director himself, alongside cast members Yann Yann, Jia Ler, Regene Lim and Andi Lim. Another film highlight is Tan Siyou’s drama Amoeba, which follows a group of teenagers who get together to form a girl gang.
The programme wraps up on August 22 with How Can This Be Allow?!, a selection of Singapore shorts curated by the Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film that look beyond the nation’s familiar polished facade. Expect stories about aliens, isolation and immigrant experiences that offer a more complicated look at life on the Little Red Dot.