Singapore South Asian Film Festival 2017 to Celebrate South Asian Films This September

• Singapore South Asian Films Festival to be held from September 1 to 10
• The festival aims to support budding film-makers and promote the diversity and richness of the South Asian Diaspora through films
• Various feature films, short films, and documentaries will compete and be showcased at the event

Singapore, August 25, 2017: The inaugural Singapore South Asian Film Festival (SGSAIF) will present movie fanatics in Singapore with a first-of-its-kind chance to experience the diversity of South Asian cultures on screen. With an impressive package of feature films, short films and documentaries, the festival which will begin from September 1 in Singapore, aims to pack a lot into ten days.

26 films are set to compete for the Best Feature Film, Best Documentary Film and Best Short Film at the fiesta which will be held from September 1 to 10.

The festival will have world premiers and screenings of over 35 feature films, short films, and documentaries from the Indian, Sri Lankan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal film industry. Additionally special screenings from Singapore will also make it to the choicest list of films.

Brilliant masterpieces from the film industries of South Asia have made it to the special screenings' list. These films include,

• Leena Yadav's 'Parched'
• Afghani director Siddiq Barmak's 'Osama', which was the recipient of the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film
• Adoor Gopalakrishnan's 'Once Again'
• And the critically acclaimed 'A Yellow Bird' by Singaporean director K. Rajagopal

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Apart from showcasing films, SGSAIFF will also hold workshops, master classes, panel discussions, and music performances. Apart from them, the event will also felicitate distinguished personalities from the industry for their outstanding contribution to cinema.

According to a report by IANS, the festival will also honor lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar with the South Asian Literary Award and his actress-wife Shabana Azmi with the South Asian Woman of the Year Award. Actor Abhay Deol will also be felicitated with the South Asian Icon of the Year Award.

The festival is being organized by a global streaming service for world independent films called Muvizz, with aid from the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and the High Commission of India in Singapore.

Abhayanand Singh, the Festival Chairman believes the Singapore South Asian Film Festival will be a landmark initiative, which will bring together quality South Asian cinema to Singapore for the first time. According to him, the aim of the festival is "to make a big impact and become a significant cultural gateway in the years to come," he said, as mentioned in a report by PTI.

The gala, to be concluded on September 10, will also celebrate and host the red-carpet premier of the Nandita Das and Manav Kaul starrer Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyu Aata Hai, which has been directed by Soumitra Ranade.

The impact of cinema is not unknown. Tapping on this powerful medium, SGSAIFF aims to establish closer ties between Singapore and the fast-developing South Asian countries.

According to a report by IANS, the Artist Director of SGSAIFF, Amit Aggarwal believes the real challenge while selecting films for the festival was the creation of a program that could reflect the rich culture of South Asia. To him, the festival is a reflection of a program that is "truthful to the exciting new voices and stories which richly bring out the complexities of South Asia."

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