Inaugural Singapore Family Film Festival to showcase acclaimed international family-centric movies with post-screening discussions

This August, we celebrate Singapore’s 58th National Day. It will also be a celebratory month for another reason. For the first time in local cinema history, a Family Film Festival, specially curated to showcase a line-up of acclaimed movies from all over the world, will be shown in Singapore’s largest cinema multiplex, Golden Village VivoCity – with post-screening discussions hosted by family-centered practitioners as well as a visiting international filmmaker.

The inaugural Singapore Family Film Festival is co-organised by the Singapore Film Society, Salt Media, and Focus On The Family Singapore, with support from Boys' Town and Heartbeat Project.

This is a festival of movies with family-centered themes and stories. The curators have chosen a cross-section of cultures, genres, and topics, and lined up not only a series of fun and meaningful screenings but also a wide range of audience interaction opportunities. There will be dialogue sessions with filmmakers, inspiring discussions and a fresh appreciation of how wonderful a family can be. Look out for unique giveaways too! These won't be available anywhere else.

What?

The recent and current global landscape, as well as many things happening around us closer to home here in Singapore, may (sometimes unintentionally) cause us to either take the notion of family for granted, or forget (or even forsake) the very foundations of what families can and should mean to people. Movies are one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Singapore, and therefore this inaugural Family Film Festival seeks to bring together audiences + good films to encourage enjoyable and worthwhile consideration and conversations about family.

Why?

What better time to do this than the month of August, in the context of our National Day festivities! This event runs from 17 to 26 August 2023.

When?

Where?

GV VivoCity, Hall 12

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

* with Director Jess Teong in person

Princess Of The Row

2019 | USA | Drama/Thriller | English | 85 mins | NC-16 (Coarse Language and Some Violence)

Director: Van Maximilian Carlson

Cast: Edi Gathegi, Tayler Buck, Ana Ortiz

Accolades: 2021 Winner for Best Score | Los Angeles Film Awards, 2019 Winner for Best Actress | Manchester International Film Festival, 2019 Winner for Best Actor, Winner for Best Film | Las Vegas International Film & Screenplay Festival

Synopsis:
The inspiring tale of a runaway foster child who will stop at nothing to live with the only family she knows: her homeless, mentally-ill veteran father who lives on the streets of LA's skid row.

The Ride

2018 | USA | Drama | English | 98 mins | PG

Director: Alex Ranarivelo

Cast: Sasha Alexander, Kathleen Wilhoite, Christina Moore

Accolades: 2018 Winner for Best Story | Boston Film Festival

Synopsis:
The inspiring story of a BMX champion who overcame an abusive childhood through the love and life lessons of his interracial foster family.

Indivisible

2018 | USA | Drama/War | English | 119 mins | PG

Director: David G. Evans

Cast: Sarah Drew, Justin Bruening, Jason George

Accolades: 2018 Winner for Audience Choice Award (Narrative Feature) | Heartland International Film Festival

Synopsis:
The extraordinary true story of Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his wife Heather. When war etches battle scars on their hearts, they face one more battle: the fight to save their marriage. One marriage, one family, under God.

Director: Jess Teong（张爵西）

Award-winning filmmaker, songwriter, actress, singer, screenwriter and director Jess Teong has lived and worked all over the world. Her debut feature film, THE KID FROM THE BIG APPLE, brought veteran Hong Kong action star Tommy Tam (Ti Lung) back to the big screen, and took Asia and the world by storm, moving audiences to tears with newcomer Sarah Tan’s heart-rendering performance as the little girl whose ‘walls’ between her rebellious self and the grandfather she had never met gradually and beautifully melt away. The sequel, BEFORE WE FORGET, established a new record in Singapore with a nationwide theatrical release over four continuous months and numerous sold-out screenings. Jess and her cast – both young and not-so-young – won hearts and minds as they met and interacted with families whose own bonds and love grew stronger as a result of these two uplifting movies about how a complete family truly completes the lives of everyone in and around it. Jess’ own family-centric values shine through in her work, and the inaugural Singapore Family Film Festival is honoured and delighted to have her grace our event in person to introduce and share her globally-acclaimed work.

The Kid From The Big Apple

（我来自纽约）

2016 | Malaysia | Drama/Family | English/Mandarin/Cantonese | 120 mins | PG

Director: Jess Teong

Cast: Lung Ti, Jessica Hester Hsuan, Dinesh Prabhakar, Sarah Tan

Accolades: 2015 Winner for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Writing, Best Newcomer | Macau International Movie Festival

Synopsis:
Sarah raised in New York visits Malaysia for the first time and learns why her grandfather, Gen and mother, Sophia have not seen each other since she was born and why they care so much about their cultural traditions.

* with Director Jess Teong in person

The Kid From The Big Apple 2: Before We Forget
（我来自纽约2：当我们在一起）

2017 | Malaysia | Drama/Family | English/Mandarin/Cantonese | 120 mins | PG

Director: Jess Teong

Cast: Lung Ti, Shaun Tam, Amy To, Sarah Tan

Synopsis:
Sequel to the critically acclaimed The Kid From The Big Apple. Sarah is back in Malaysia to spend her holiday with grandpa who is showing signs of dementia.

* with Director Jess Teong in person

Guang （光）

2018 | Malaysia | Drama | Mandarin with English & Chinese Subtitles | 88mins | NC16 (Some Coarse Language)

Director: Quek Shio Chuan

Cast: Kyo Chen, Ernest Chong, Emily Chan

Accolades: Chinese Young Generation Film Forum 2018, Winner for Best Actor, Best Feature Film, Best Director | Fukuoka International Film Festival 2018, Winner of Kumamoto City Award | Malaysian Film Festival 2019,Winner for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Most Promising Actor and Most Promising Director

Synopsis:
A childhood memory inspires Guang, a young man with autism, to start collecting specific glassware for his own unique purpose. In his fixation to complete his project, he goes to great lengths and unintentionally jeopardizes his relationship with his younger brother, and puts both their jobs at risk.

Unable to understand Guang’s actions, the younger brother who acts as sole caregiver starts burning out and losing hope. Little do they know that Guang’s quest will unlock the answers to their dire situation.

Storm Boy

2019 | Australia | Drama/Family | English | 99mins | PG

Director: Shawn Seet

Cast: Finn Little, Jai Courtney, Geoffrey Rush

Accolades: 2019 Winner for Best Children Performance (Finn Little) | Zlin International For Children & Youth

Synopsis:
When Michael Kingley, a successful retired businessman starts to see images from his past that he can't explain, he's forced to remember his childhood and how, as a boy, he rescued and raised an extraordinary orphaned pelican, Mr Percival.

The Tiger's Nest

2022 | Italy | Adventure | English | 94mins | PG

Director: Brando Quilici

Cast: Claudia Gerini, Sunny Pawar, Amandeep Singh



Synopsis:
A live-action fantasy adventure film set in the tropical forests of Himalayas.

Jungle Beat: The Movie

2020 | China/Mauritius/South Africa/UK | Animation/Adventure/Comedy | English |  88mins | PG

Director: Brent Dawes/Zhang Sujuan

Voice Cast: David Menkin, David Rintoul, Gavin Peter

Synopsis:

A homesick alien crash-lands his spaceship near the colorful African Jungle. His new animal friends need to get him back to his ship and teach him about friendship and fun before his Space-Conqueror father can take over the planet.

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