The Singapore International Film Festival has moved the 37th edition of the film festival to the calendar from October 21, 2026 to November 1, 2026, and promoted Jeremy Chua to executive director.
The festival, traditionally held from late November to early December, is repositioning to avoid direct competition with Hollywood’s tent poles at the end of the year. The 36th edition was held from November 26th to December 7th, 2025.
“The change to October puts SGIFF in the perfect window for theatrical release of independent films in Singapore, allowing films to reach local audiences without directly competing with Hollywood’s year-end blockbuster schedule,” the festival said. “This strategic move reaffirms SGIFF’s commitment to raising awareness of independent films around the world while supporting distributors and filmmakers to increase audience engagement.”
For the 2025 edition, ticket sales increased by 33% from 2024, and attendance increased by 28.7%.
“The decision to reposition the festival reflects our intention to place greater emphasis on the distribution and exhibition needs of independent and author films,” Chua said. “By working more closely with distributors during a more appropriate release window, we aim to strengthen our reach and engagement beyond the festival itself.”
With the new dates, SGIFF could directly overlap with the Tokyo International Film Festival, scheduled to be held from October 25th to November 5th. SGIFF will also be held concurrently with the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (October 23rd to November 1st) in the Czech Republic.
This positioning has the potential to create a cycle of film festivals in Asia, with SGIFF starting just six days after the Busan International Film Festival closed on October 15th. Industry experts and filmmakers may attend Busan and then visit Singapore and Tokyo in quick succession. However, the compressed timeline means programmers in both Singapore and Tokyo will be competing for the same title, which could be difficult for films aiming to premiere at multiple Asian film festivals.
The date change also includes celebrations for the annual Singapore Media Festival, which also includes Singapore Comic Con and Nasu Summit.
Mr. Chua, who previously served as the festival’s general manager, brings producing credits including Rafael Manuel’s “Filipinana,” which won a Special Jury Award at Sundance’s World Dramatic Competition earlier this year. His other works include Qiu Yang’s “Some Rain Must Fall,” which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2024 Berlinale Encounters, and Pham Tien Anh’s “Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,” which won the 2023 Cannes Camera d’Or.
In announcing his appointment, SGIFF Chairman Bu Junfeng praised Chua’s industry knowledge and filmmaker perspective. “As a producer of films that have competed and won silver screen awards, Jeremy brings a filmmaker perspective and a strong commitment to championing independent filmmakers, while caring deeply about how their films can appeal to a broader audience,” said Boo.
The festival also announced that the Film Fund, which supports the production of Southeast Asian documentaries and short films, will be temporarily suspended for strategic realignment. Established in 2018, the fund has distributed S$885,000 (approximately $700,000) to around 50 regional films through the SEA-Doc Grant and SEA-Shorts Grant programs.
Winners include the documentary “Aswang” (Philippines, 2019) directed by Alix Anh Arunpak, “Monisme” (Indonesia, 2023) directed by Rial Rizaldi, and the short stories “Mulberry Fields” (Vietnam, 2024) and “Bleat!” directed by Nguyễn Trung Nghĩa. Written by Ananth Subramaniam (Malaysia, 2025).
“This short hiatus has given us the space we need to work closely with our partners to strengthen the SGIFF Film Fund in the long term,” said Chua. “Our commitment to filmmakers and the local industry remains unchanged, and we look forward to relaunching the Fund later this year with a new framework that meaningfully addresses today’s production and distribution realities.”
The festival receives support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority. Additional program details and return of film funds will be announced at a later date.
Applications for Asian feature films and Southeast Asian short films will open on April 9, 2026.
