The new independent cinema
Programmed by Singapore Film Society
The new independent cinema
Programmed by Singapore Film Society
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ALICE IN THE CITIES
Directed By Wim Wenders | 112 Minutes
Technically, ALICE IN THE CITIES is Wenders’ fourth film, but he himself often refers to it as “his first,” because it was during this film that he discovered the genre of the road movie. (It would later become the first part of his Road Movie Trilogy, together with WRONG MOVE and KINGS OF THE ROAD.) It was also his first film to be shot partly in the US and the first to feature his alter ego, Phillip Winter (Rüdiger Vogler). ALICE is often compared with Charlie Chaplin’s THE KID. In 1974 it won the German Critics Prize. The German journalist Phillip Winter wants to write a story about America, but is unable to accomplish anything but a series of Polaroids before disappointedly beginning his journey back home. At the same time, he reluctantly agrees to take little Alice (Yella Rottländer) with him, because her mother (Lisa Kreuzer)— whom he meets in New York on the day before his departure—has urgent business to take care of there. In Amsterdam, the mother then fails to appear as they had agreed, and so Winter and Alice set out to try to find Alice’s grandmother in the Ruhr region. During their search together, their initial mutual dislike gradually transforms into heartfelt affection.
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
PG | German with English subtitles
Cast: Rüdiger Vogler, Yella Rottländer, Lisa Kreuzer
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
A WICKED TALE
Directed By Tzang Merwyn Tong | 45 Minutes
SFS is delighted to bring this experimental, psycho-erotic re-imagination of LITTLE RED
RIDING HOOD, directed by Tzang Merwyn Tong, to our very own independent cinema, SFS
Somerset. Chairman Kenneth Tan, who has long admired Tzang’s work, will moderate the
post-screening Q&As with Tzang, in person, at all sessions. A WICKED TALE follows a young
woman with a bizarre fascination for the forbidden, who meets a mysterious stranger in the
woods and is drawn into his game of seduction and manipulation. Told through a series of
uncanny and surreal montages, the familiar fairytale becomes a strange tale of innocence
lost.
Fri, 16 Oct, 7:30 PM: Join us for an Introduction Speech and Q&A with director Tzang Merwyn Tong!
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
NC16 (Sexual References and Disturbing Content) | English with no subtitles
Cast: Evelyn Maria Ng, Johan Ydstrand, Wolf Danker
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
IKATAN DARAH
Directed By Sidharta Tata | 120 Minutes
Mega (Livi Ciananta), a former Pencak Silat athlete who now works as a waitress, must
rescue her brother, Bilal (Derby Romero), who is being hunted by the most ruthless
gangsters due to a debt and an accidental murder he committed. The chase traps the
siblings in a village where all exits have been blocked by thugs working for gangster boss
Primbon (Teuku Rifnu). Now, Mega and Bilal must work together to escape the gangsters,
even if it means risking their lives. Director Sidharta Tata gained widespread recognition
after directing the short film NATALAN, which earned him a nomination for Best Short Film
at the 2015 Indonesian Film Festival. In 2023, he directed his first feature film, WAKTU
MAGHRIB, which became a box office hit in Indonesia, attracting 2.4 million theatrical
admissions. Following this success, Tata has continued to make internationally acclaimed
feature films such as ALI TOPAN and LALU MALAM PENCABUT NYAWA / RESPATI.
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
M18 (Violence and Some Gore) | Indonesian with English subtitles
Cast: Derby Romero, Livy Ciananta, Ismi Melinda, Rifnu Wikana
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
SEMENTARA
Directed By Joant Úbeda & Chew Chia Shao Min | 104 Minutes
The directors share that “SEMENTARA (‘transient’) started off as a small project inspired by Chris Marker’s LE JOLI MAI (THE LOVELY MONTH OF MAY). One of the more surprising parts of the filmmaking process was the ease with which we were able to get the subjects to speak on camera. We’d approach them in their neighbourhoods as they went about their daily routine, or while at work or at play, and frequently spent more than an hour talking to them. Sometimes, the camera wouldn’t even be set up yet––but we just rolled the conversation.
Them knowing that their time is more important than us finding the perfect frame and lighting, was crucial in us finding their conversational truth. Which led to them generously share the raw parts of their lives, the messy parts of their thoughts, and then even thank us for the experience, when clearly we were the ones in the position to thank them. What we heard sometimes made us wonder, often made us laugh, and almost always moved us.
Our goal in making this documentary was to practice seeing, not scrutinising or interrogating, but observing and understanding. Perhaps most people want to be accepted as whole people, scars and stories and all. This film attempts to put all these stories, goals, fears, and difficulties in one, hopefully, introspective journey––that happens all at once.”
Sat, 17 Oct, 7:30 PM: Join us for a Q&A with director Joant Úbeda (moderated by Sally)
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
M18 (Some Mature Content) | English with no subtitles
Sat, Oct 10, 7:30 PM: Join us for an introduction speech and Q&A with director Joant Úbeda!
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
THE SONGS WE SANG 我们唱着的歌
Directed By Eva Tang | 129 Minutes
Rated as one of the best local films when it was first released, and sold out when brought back to the big screen in April this year at SFS Somerset, THE SONGS WE SANG is a beautiful, heartfelt account of the inception and growth of the xinyao 新谣 movement in Singapore.
From its origins in the poetry club at Nanyang University, to branching out into songwriting,
influenced by Taiwanese folk songs and school campus songs, the film includes insightful interviews with local xinyao pioneers, singers inspired by xinyao, and local DJs who helped
popularise the movement, as well as footage from the producers’ landmark concert. SFS is
delighted to screen it again this October. Not to be missed!
Sun, Oct 11, 4:00 PM: Join us for an Introduction Speech and Q&A with director Eva Tang!
Sun, 18 Oct, 4:00 PM: Join us for an Introduction Speech and Q&A with director Eva Tang!
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
PG | Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles
Cast: Liang Wern Fook, Eric Moo, Billy Koh
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
KING OF HAWKERS 小贩之王
Directed By Kelvin Sng | 120 Minutes
KING OF HAWKERS is a heartwarming Singapore feature film directed by Kelvin Sng that celebrates Singapore's UNESCO-recognised hawker culture through a touching story about family, resilience, heritage and community.
First released in Singapore and Malaysia in February 2024, the film follows a woman who returns to Singapore to protect her family's hawker legacy from corporate forces threatening traditional hawker culture. Best Feature Film (Times Torrent Section) winner at the Asian Art Film Awards 2025.
Fri, Oct 9, 7:30 PM: Join us for an introduction speech and Q&A with director Kelvin Sng!
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
PG13 (Some Mature Content & Coarse Language) | Mandarin and some Cantonese with English and Chinese
Cast: Dawn Ho, Ryan Lian, Hugo Ng, Liu Lingling
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
ITAM: A SUN BEAR STORy
Directed By Raymond Tan | 80 Minutes
Three years in the making, this remarkable documentary was filmed entirely in Sabah, Malaysia.
It follows the rehabilitation and release of a rescued sun bear named Itam. Developed in close
collaboration with the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, the production was granted rare
access to archival records, veterinary logs, field operations, and the complete rewilding process.
This access allows the film to move beyond surface observation into deeply-researched, character-driven storytelling. Combining immersive cinematic language with investigative scientific inquiry,
ITAM: A SUN BEAR STORY positions Southeast Asian conservation stories within global discourse.
His interest in cross-cultural identity and social issues shaped engineer-turned-filmmaker
Raymond Tan’s previous award-winning features, WAYANG BOY and THE WAYANG KIDS, which
respectively won Best Foreign Comedy Feature and Best Feature awards in the USA and Chile.
“This film is personal because it asks how we measure worth. In a world that often values scale
and speed, Itam asks us to slow down and see the dignity of one life. If we can care this much for
one bear, the compassion may not be that small after all.” – Director Raymond Tan
Sat, Oct 10, 4:00 PM: Join us for an Introduction Speech and Q&A with director Raymond Tan!
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
PG | English, Mandarin & Malay with English subtitles
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
EARTHQUAKE
Directed By Mark Robson | 129 Minutes
When a major earthquake hits Los Angeles, the various residents of the city cope with the chaos and destruction. Successful architect Stewart Graff argues with his demanding wife,
Remy Royce-Graff, as the disaster hits. Later, when he checks in on his flirtatious friend Denise
Marshall, they begin an affair. As the personal dramas continue, the city is threatened by aftershocks and possibly even greater quakes.
EARTHQUAKE set and defined new standards for blockbuster disaster epics in the 1970s, and is noteworthy also for being the first feature film to have been presented “in the startling new multi-dimension of Sensurround”. At the time, the realistic effects that could be felt as well as heard, throughout the cinema auditorium, brought a whole new meaning to ‘immersive viewing’. Originally released in Singapore at Rex Theatre.
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
PG | English with no subtitles
Cast: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
THE HOPELESS 10 どうしようもない10人
Directed By Hiroyasu Kitagawa | 77 Minutes
In a fractured future Japan, where the country has been divided among foreign powers, a
mysterious fortune known as the Double Million Dollars disappears from the hands of Yahei,
a feared underworld leader. When a stolen fortune is taken again by a female assassin,
Ageha, Yahei unleashes a motley crew of killers, swordsmen, monks and gunslingers to
recover it.
As betrayals multiply, alliances collapse, and every assassin turns against the others, the hunt leads them to the final gathering, where ten desperate people are forced to face each other. Blending post-apocalyptic action, dark comedy, and a driving Shamisen score, THE HOPELESS 10 is a wild tale of greed, survival, and the question of whether even the most hopeless people deserve to live.
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
NC16 (Some Coarse Language and Violence) | Japanese with English subtitles
Cast: Shigefumi Fukuzawa, Momoka Tanimura,
Masanori Ikemura, Miwa Takasaka
Theme song sung by : Rina Aiuchi
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
MOJOKU HILANG!
Directed By Min Lim | 135 Minutes
At Moo Magic Dairy, Mojo the cow is more than just a mascot—she's a viral sensa on. But
when her the sparks a clash between the ruthless dairy conglomerate and the last village
of independent farmers, one ambi ous young execu ve finds himself torn between
corporate loyalty and rediscovering his roots.
Adi, once a village boy, traded his family's dairy farm for a shot at success in the big city. Now
tasked with going undercover to recover Mojo and persuade the farmers of Kampung
Semerah Padi to sell, he's pulled back into the world he abandoned. There, he reconnects
with the land, the people—-and with Ayu, а spirited young farmer fighting to save her
family's heritage.
As secrets of Adi's past unravel, he must choose between the empire he helped build and
the community that has come to believe in him. A heartfelt story of family, sacrifice, and
belonging, this film explores how the sweetest dreams are rooted in the soil we call home.
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
PG | Malay, Indonesian, English with English, Chinese & Malay subtitles
Cast: Adipa Dolken, Mimi Lana, Wan Hanafi Su
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
THE OLD MAN AND HIS CAR 老破车
Directed by Michael Kam | 82 Minutes
A recently widowed old man finds himself confronted with the bittersweet task of parting with his cherished old car as he prepares to migrate to another country. He reluctantly embarks on a journey that forces him to confront his past, his profound sense of loss, and his enduring love.
“Beyond being a narrative about letting go, the film delves into the themes of ageing and caregiving ….. I strive to infuse moments of levity throughout the narrative, and hopefully deliver a cinematic experience that resonates with audiences on multiple emotional levels.” – Director Michael Kam
All tickets are subjected to availability and are for free seating.
We recommend arriving early to secure preferred seats.
NC16 (Some Coarse Language) | English, Chinese, Hokkien & Malay with English subtitles
Cast: Lim Kay Tong, Richard Low,
Steven Woon, Sunny Pang
Age limits apply for films rated
NC16, M18, or R21
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