Vancouver Singapore Film Festival Lineup Announced1 min read

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The complete line-up for the 3rd Annual Vancouver Singapore Film Festival has been announced.

The multi-genre and language film festival will be held on September 17 and 18 at the Vancouver International Film Centre (Vancity Theatre), showcasing a remarkable selection of films that celebrate Singapore’s multicultural society.

The Opening Night Gala includes a Singapore hawker-style dinner with an hour of short films, followed by the controversial feature film Cowboys in Paradise. A counterpoint to Elizabeth Gilbert’

s Eat, Pray, Love, this will be the North American premiere of the documentary on the beach boys who have made Bali a leading destination for female sex tourists.

The film made international news recently after Bali police reacted to the trailer by arresting 28 beach boys. Singapore-based director Amit Virmani will be present for a Q&A and is available for interviews from September 18 – 23.

Closing Night begins with a compelling collection of short films, and ends with a trio of dark tales revealing the underbelly of Singapore, including a murder with an unlikely weapon (Scot Free), migrant worker struggles (Durai & Saro), and Indian gangsters in the stereotypically sterile Singapore (Certain Chapters).

This year’s festival aims to cross boundaries, focusing on showcasing thought-provoking films that will challenge audiences and generate rich discussions. Filmmakers are of diverse backgrounds and origins, and a large selection of shorts will be screened to highlight the emerging talents from this vibrant and cosmopolitan city-state.

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Full ticketing details and film synopses available at www.vsff.org

Sinema is a media partner of the Vancouver Singapore Film Festival.