Lynn Belvedere

SINGAPORE FILM FESTIVAL 2015 Sydney @ MONKEY BAA THEATRE DARLING QUARTER

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Happy 50th birthday, Singapore! Since 1965, Singapore has become an international financial hub and gateway to Asia. Singapore has also created a vibrant and active feature film industry with world class talent, backed by the Singapore Government.

On Saturday  31st  October the Monkey Baa Theatre in Harbour Street, Darling Quarter, Sydney, was the venue for the second year of the Singapore Film Festival (SGFF).

The 2015 Festival was curated by  Brandon Hong Kai Jie  with the Festival organiser being  Angela Lee,  Vice President of the Temasek Club.

Brandon chose a highly entertaining range of feature films. On the day, at eleven in the morning, everyone was welcomed by dragon dancers. Screenings, which ran from 12 noon to 7pm, came with goodie bags from the event sponsors.

Time nor Tide – Remembering Lee Kuan Yew, public man, private life, a television documentary about the first and longest-serving prime minister of Singapore.

WAYANG BOY  (2014)  – This was a delightful and entertaining 106 minute family comedy which explored xenophobia through Singaporean eyes. Directed by Raymond Tan, the film told the heart-warming story of a eight-year-old boy from India named Raja (Denzyl Dharma) who has moved to Singapore, but has difficulty making friends at school. Raja finds his passion in performing Chinese Opera, to make new friends.

His Chinese Opera teacher (Law Kar-ying) succeeds in preventing the school’s Chinese opera troupe from being shut down, with a Royal Command Performance in front of an actress who looks nothing like Queen Elizabeth II. This was a genuine audience pleaser.

Set within the 1990s Singapore pop culture, THAT GIRL IN PINAFORE (2013) was a uniquely Singaporean tale, about four teenage boys coming-of-age as well as featuring their love of  “xin yao” Singapore folk song music, music that is all sung in Mandarin.

Directed by Yee-Wei Chai, the film featured a great soundtrack, including English subtitles, with new arrangements of nine famous “xin yao” songs. Another highlight was the delightful theme song The Sparrow with a Bamboo Twig. This movie ticked all the boxes, and the audience loved it.        http://girlinpinafore.com/

All in all, a very impressive film festival and hopefully this now annual festival will continue to grow and increase its profile in the years to come.          https://www.facebook.com/SGFFSydney/

http://filmfestivalsaustralia.com/event/singapore-film-festival-sydney/

Published by Lynn Belvedere

Once we were old enough, my parents took the whole family to the Sydney CBD cinemas every week. Thus began a lifetime interest, in going to the cinema every week, and became a passionate cinephile by watching all those very heavily edited ''Australian Film Censorship Board'' true cinéaste versions of brand new release ''Cinematograph Films''. Greater Union always gave my father (who worked in Cinema Distribution Exhibition) guest double movie passes, to every first-night ''red carpet Opening Night'' at The State Theatre Cinema at 49 Market Street. Up until his death, my dad always received ''two house seats'' for every Opening Night performance events at the Theatre Royal SYDNEY and at Her Majesty's Theatre SYDNEY. As a child, when mum choose not to go, I often went with him, to those live performance events. As a young child, I remember being taken for each new show, at both The New Theatre at 60 Sussex Street, and the Phillip Street Theatre when located at 150 Elizabeth Street, and for classical music concerts at Sydney Town Hall. = = = ★★★★★ = = = Being happy is a choice, and I have always viewed my life, as material ready be made into a series of amazing tentpole movies. My New Years Resolution is kept every year: ''Get to see/review five new live theatre shows each week, and get to see/review six new cinema movies each week'', plus is one of the Australian Cinema Pioneers, and apparently have seen far too much already, but always wanting to experience more and more each year. I am also able to do almost everything that I enjoy doing. Yes, I do have a great daytime job in I.T. as ''Software Design Project Manager'', PLUS each evening until quite late - - - Australian Cinematograph Films historical censorship consultant - product-placement consultant - mystery-shopper consultant - playwright, writer, author, director, producer, photographer, cinematographer, color-grader, subtitles proofreader - arts/ drama/ music/ film critic and judge, journalist, member FIPRESCI & FCCA & AFCA, member AACTA accredited film reviewer-critic-writer, accredited IMDB.COM critic-reviewer-author, projectionist, plus an innovative iconoclast - - - ★★★★★ LYNN BELVEDERE ★★★★★ - - - [usr 5] - - -