From award-winning environmental documentaries to repurposed nightclubs, we look at how film is making sense of the complex year we’ve had
ARTS
Singapore International Photography Festival
Nov 5 to Jan 30
The biennial Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF) is back for its seventh edition, with two months of exciting international and local exhibitions, curated tours and masterclass seminars lined up for all.
Running from Nov 5 to Jan 30, festival-goers are invited to explore exhibitions across various venues, take part in guided photography walks and tours, join in online discussions and springboard their career in photography through portfolio reviews.
With the theme of “Departing and Arriving”, SIPF 2020 aims to highlight the festival’s reflective outlook on the human condition through the medium of art.
Set amid a global pandemic, this year’s theme takes on an elevated meaning as it emphasises on the eventual arrival of understanding identity and belonging through a journey of departure.
Main exhibitions will take place at the newly conserved 37 Emerald Hill and DECK, with key exhibits being showcased at the Esplanade Tunnel and at Downtown Line MRT stations: Beauty World, Rochor, Chinatown, Newton, Little India, Bugis and Bencoolen.
By splitting between physical exhibition spaces and virtual discussion sessions, the festival allows participants to explore modern human movements and perceptions against current societal constraints.
CINEMA
Zouk Cinema Club
A unique and innovative reemergence strategy to utilise Zouk in a post-pandemic landscape, Zouk Cinema Club will give guests an immersive one-of-a-kind theatrical experience with dramatic, state-of-the-art lighting and sound effects. Guests can expect curated bi-monthly themed nights with a roster of fresh, new releases and cult classics.
The theme for October and November, “For The Love of Music”, will transform the entertainment complex’s main room from dance floor into an immersive theatrical experience. Upon arrival, prepare to be transported to Moulin Rouge along the cobbled streets of Montmartre, 1899.
Complete with lush velvet decor and a replica of the famous “Red Mill”, an evening of pure sensory ravishment awaits guests.
Zouk will host one screening per night, four nights a week, from 6pm to 10.30pm, from Wednesdays to Saturdays. For reservations, email reservations@zoukclub.com or WhatsApp 9006 8549.
FILM
Singapore Eco Film Festival
Nov 14 to 22
Powered by volunteers and free to all, the annual Singapore Eco Film Festival (SGEFF) brings together eco-organisations, storytellers and artists to celebrate the efforts of environmental groups locally and internationally to accelerate the changes needed to secure a safe and sustainable future.
SGEFF has announced Los Angeles-based Singaporean actress and host Elizabeth Lazan as its first Eco Ambassador, assisting in the programme curation and hosting the opening night. She brings her philosophy of “eco-mindfulness” to moderate the Sustainable Fashion and Climate Anxiety panels happening from Nov 20 to 22.
Running virtually on sgeff.com, the festival will showcase 10 films from Nov 14 to 22. The festival aims to ignite a public passion towards protecting our environment in Singapore and beyond.
The line-up includes award-winning documentaries RiverBlue, which follows international conservationist Mark Angelo as he spans the globe to infiltrate one of the world’s most pollutive industries — fashion; Fair Traders, presented in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland in Singapore, which explores three inspiring and determined entrepreneurs who operate ethically to reconcile profit and morals; Cao-Vit Gibbon’s Ark, which follows the tenacious survival story of the mysterious ape and is also the world’s first documentary of this species that is under strict protection from both Chinese and Vietnamese governments.
FUNDRAISER
3rd Annual Superhero Fundraiser
Dec 5
Not all heroes wear capes. Local non-profit Love, Nils is bringing its Annual Superhero Fundraiser online this December.
Founded in 2017, Love, Nils supports children with cancer and their caregivers with healthcare guidance and social and community support. The non-profit raises funds to pay for Care Coordinators who guide patients and caregivers to receive the help they need.
From 7pm to 8.30pm on Dec 5, join a virtual programme fit for the whole family. Take part in a quiz, auction for items and win a prize for the best superhero get-up.
Ticket-holders will also receive superhero capes and masks delivered to their door. Tickets are priced at $100, and more details are available at lovenils.squarespace.com.
