List of Singapore International Film Festival awards

The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is an annual film festival held every year in Singapore. The festival was first held in 1987. It screens films from local and overseas countries. Film industry-related activities such as exhibitions, workshops and seminars are also organised for the Singapore International Film Festival.

The Silver Screen Awards Competition was introduced in 1991 to encourage advances in Asian film-making standards. Every year a select group of Asian feature films take part in the competition. Singapore short films also take part in a subcategory where a best film and best director are awarded.

Past winners

The director's name and country of production are in parentheses.

1991 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asia Feature: Black Republic (South Korea, Park Kwang-su)
Special Jury Prize: The Man from Island West (Taiwan, Huang Mingchuan)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: August (Eric Khoo)
Special Jury Prize: The Cage (K. Subramanyam)

1992 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asia Feature: Life on a String (China, Chen Kaige)
Special Jury Prize: The Ferry (Kadavu) (India, M. T. Vasudevan Nair)
Best Director: Edward Yang, A Brighter Summer Day

Singapore Short Film Category:

Special Jury Prize: Waves of a Distant Shore (Meng Ong)
Best Director: Meng Ong, Waves of a Distant Shore

1993 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: The Peach Blossom Land (Stan Lai, Taiwan)
Special Jury Prize: Hill of no Return (Wang Tung, Taiwan)
Best Director: Stan Lai, (The Peach Blossom Land Taiwan)
Best Actress: Yang Kwei-mei, Hill of No Return
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: The Peach Blossom Land (Stan Lai, Taiwan)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Special Jury Prize: Ragged (Nisar & Nazir Husain)
Best Director: Meng Ong, Buddha's Garden

1994 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asia Feature: Sopyonje (Im Kwon-taek, South Korea)
Special Jury Prize: Rebels of the Neon God (Tsai Ming-Liang, Taiwan)
Special Jury Prize: Beijing Bastards (Zhang Yuan, China)
Special Jury mention: The Servile (Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India)
Best Director: Tian Zhuangzhuang (The Blue Kite, China)
Best Actor: Amrish Puri (Seventh Horse of the Sun, India)
Best Actress: Lü Liping (The Blue Kite, China)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: The Servile (Adoor Gopalakrishnan, India)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Ethos (Dominic Christopher Pereira); Married (Chee Kong Cheah (CheeK))
Best Director, Special Achievement Award: Pain (Eric Khoo)
Special Jury Prize: Hurt Instinct (Nisar & Nazir Husain)
Special Jury Prize: Eddy (Dzulkilfi Sungit, Remi Mohamed)

1995 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Vive l'Amour (Taiwan, Tsai Ming-Liang)
Special Jury Prize: Postman (China, He Jianjun)
Best Actor: Xia Yu, In the Heat of the Sun (China, Jiang Wen)
Best Actress: Yang Kwei-Mei, Vive l'Amour
NETPAC - FIPRESCI Award: A Borrowed Life (Taiwan, Wu Nien-jen)
NETPAC - FIPRESCI Special Mention: Mee Pok Man (Singapore, Eric Khoo)

1996 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Cardiogram (Kazakhstan, Darezhan Omirbayev)
Special Jury Prize: On the Beat (China, Ning Ying)
Best Director: Edward Yang, Mahjong (Taiwan)
Best Actor: Bishnu Kharghoria, It's a Long Way to the Sea (Xagoroloi Bohudoor) (India, Jahnu Barua)
Special Achievement Award: Good Men, Good Women (Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-hsien)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: Good Men, Good Women
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Special Mention: It's a Long Way to the Sea

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: A Moveable Feast (Sandi Tan, Jasmine Ng, Kelvin Tong)

1997 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Gabbeh (Iran, Mohsen Makhmalbaf)
Special Jury Prize: The River (Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang)
Best Director: Wu Tianming, The King of Masks (China)
Best Actor: Miao Tien, The River
Best Actress: Machiko Ono, Suzaku (Japan, Naomi Kawase)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: 12 Storeys (Singapore, Eric Khoo)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film, Special Achievement Award: Beansprouts and Salted Fish (Chee Kong Cheah (CheeK))
Best Director: Norman on the Air (Wee Li Lin)

1998 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Children of the Heaven (Iran, Majid Majidi)
Special Jury Prize: Ayneh (The Mirror) (Iran, Jafar Panahi)
Best Director: Jafar Panahi, Ayneh (The Mirror)
UOB Young Cinema Award: Wolves Cry Under the Moon (Taiwan, Ho Ping)
Best Actor: Sunny CHAN Kam Hung, Hold You Tight (Hong Kong, Stanley Kwan)
Best Actress: Nita Fernando, Walls Within (Sri Lanka)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Award: In the Navel of the Sea (The Philippines, Marilou Diaz-Abaya)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Special Mention: Hold You Tight (Stanley Kwan)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: By the Dawn's Early Rise (Ong Lay Jinn)
Best Director: Jack Neo, Replacement Killers

1999 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: The Hole (Taiwan, Tsai Ming-Liang)
Special Jury Prize: Connection by Fate (Taiwan, Wan Jen)
Special Mention: The Adopted Son (Beshkempir), (Kyrgyzstan/France, Aktan Abdykalykov)
Best Director: Tsai Ming-Liang, The Hole)
Best Screenplay: Ikinai (Japan, Minoru Iizuka)
Best Actor: Joe Abeywickrama, Pura Handa Kaluwara (Sri Lanka, Prasanna Vithanage)
Best Actress: Yang Kwei-Mei, The Hole
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Awards: Connection by Fate (Wan Jen)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Special Mention: Beshkempir (Aktan Abdykalykov)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Special Mention: The Power of Kangwon Province (South Korea, Hong Sang-soo)
SFC Young Cinema Award: Beshkempir (Aktan Abdykalykov)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Datura (Abdul Nizam)
Best Director: Tay Hui Ngi, Pariah's Diary
Special Jury Prize: TMIUS (Shermeen Ng)
Special Achievement Award: Another Guy (Wee Li Lin)
Special Mention: Doh laai tin sai (Edwin Yeo)
Special Mention: Please Use Stairs (Victric Thng Hui Leong)

2000 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asia Feature: Darkness And Light (Taiwan, Chang Tso-chi)
Special Jury Prize: Split Wide Open (India, Dev Benegal)
Best Director: Zhang Yuan, Seventeen Years (China)
SFC Young Cinema Award: Eating Air (Singapore, Jasmine Ng & Kelvin Tong)
Best Actor: Rahul Bose, Split Wide Open
Best Actress: Liu Lin and Li Bingbing, Seventeen Years
Best Screenplay: Aos Gitai & Eliette Abecassis, Kadosh (Sacred) (Israel, Aos Gitai)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: Darkness and Light
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: So Close to Paradise (China, Wang Xiaoshuai)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Sons (Royston Tan Tsze Kiam)
Special Jury Prize: Wait (Kwong Chee Guan Boi)
Special Achievement Award: Sons

2001 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Eureka (Japan, Shinji Aoyama)
Special Jury Prize: Clouds of May (Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
SFC Young Cinema Award: Platform (China, Jia Zhangke)
SFC Young Cinema Award: This is My Moon (Sri Lanka, Asoka Handagama)
Best Director: Im Kwon-taek, Chunhyang (South Korea)
Best Actor: Ibrahim Kadir, A Poet (Indonesia)
Best Actress: Nguyen Lan Huoung, The House of Guavas, Vietnam
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Award: A Poet, by Garin Nugroho, Indonesia
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Special mention: This is My Moon

Singapore Short Film Category: No Best Film or Best Director winners

Special Achievement Award: eAHLONG.COM (Colin Goh)

2002 Silver Screen Award

Best Asian Feature: Batang West Side (The Philippines, Lav Diaz)
Special Jury Prize: Seafood (China/Hong Kong, Zhu Wen)
Young Cinema Award: Eliana, Eliana (Indonesia, Riri Riza)
Best Director: Away From Home (Turkey, Semih Kaplanoglu)
Best Actor: Jia Hongsheng, Quitting (China, Zhang Yang)
Best Actress: Dian Sastrowardoyo, Whispering Sands (Indonesia, Nan Achnas)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Award: Eliana, Eliana (Riri Riza)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Special Mention: I-San Special (Thailand, Mingmongkol Sonakul)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: The Call Home (Han Yew Kwang)
Special Jury Prize: Eve of Adha (Leonard Yip)
Best Director: The Secret Heaven (Sun Koh Boon Luang)
Special Achievement Award: 15 (Royston Tan)

Asian Digital Film Awards:

Critics Prize: Lost (Malaysia, Amir Muhammad)
Audience Prize: In Search of Afghanistan (Singapore, Melvinder Kanth, Ismail bin Ishak)

2003 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: The Best of Times (Taiwan, Chang Tso-chi)
Special Jury Prize: Flying With One Wing (Sri Lanka, Asoka Handagama)
Special Mention: Unknown Pleasures (China-Japan-France, Jia Zhangke)
Best Director: Angel On The Right (Tajikistan, Djamshed Usmonov)
Best Actor: Wing Fan, The Best of Times
Best Actress: Anoma Janadari, Flying With One Wing (Sri Lanka, Asoka Handagama)
Young Cinema Award: Blissfully Yours (Thailand, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: 15 - The Movie (Singapore, Royston Tan)

Singapore Short Film Category: No awards were given for Best Film, Director and Special Jury Prize

Special Achievement Award: Autograph Book (Wee Li Lin)

2004 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Uzak (Turkey, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
Special Jury Prize: Vibrator (Japan, Ryūichi Hiroki)
Best Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Uzak
Young Cinema Award: Panj é asr (At Five In The Afternoon) (Iran, Samira Makhmalbaf)
Best Actor: Mehmet Emin Toprak, Uzak
Best Actress: Terashima Shinobu, Vibrator
NETPAC-FIPRESCI Award: August Sun (Sri Lanka, Prasanna Vithanage)

Singapore Short Film Category: No Award for Best Film

Best Director: Students of CHIJ (Toa Payoh) under Mr Tan Wil-Kie, Conflict and Crisis
Special Jury Prize & Special Achievement Award: Innocent (Gek Li San, Ho Choon Hiong)

2005 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Underexposure (Iraq/Germany, Oday Rasheed)
Special Jury Prize: Tropical Malady (Thailand/France/Italy, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
Best Director: Lee Yoon-ki, This Charming Girl (South Korea)
Young Cinema Award: Green Hat (Hong Kong, Liu Fendou)
Best Actor: (tie) Liao Fan & Li Congxi, The Green Hat'
Best Actress: Kim Ji-soo, This Charming Girl
Best Actress: Ho Phuong Dung, A Time Far Past (Vietnam)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Award: Stray Dogs (Iran, Marziyeh Meshkini)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: A Family Portrait (Boo Junfeng)
Best Director: Gavin Lim, Subtitle
Special Jury Prize: Elephant: OK (Srinivas Bhakta)
Special Achievement Award: A Family Portrait

2006 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: It's Only Talk (Ryūichi Hiroki, Japan)
Best Director: Kelvin Tong (Love Story, Singapore)
Special Jury Prize: Gie (Riri Riza, Indonesia)
Best Actor: Elijah Castillo (Pepot Superstar, Philippines)
Best Actress: Hanan Tork (Kiss Me Not on the Eyes, Lebanon)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Award: Todo todo teros (John Torres, Philippines)
NETPAC/FIPRESCI Award: Taking Father Home (Ying Liang, China)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Quietly (Oon Jit Fong)
Best Director: Kam Leong Huat. Di (Little Brother)
Special Jury Prize: 10 Minutes Later (Kirsten Tan Keng Ing)
Special Achievement Award: Where Is Singapore? (Kelly Ling)

2007 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Opera Jawa (Garin Nugroho, Indonesia)
Best Director: Shawkat Amin Korki (Crossing the Dust, Iraq)
Special Jury Prize: Ying Liang (The Other Half, China)
Best Actor: Carlos Chahine (The Last Man, Lebanon)
Best Actress: Han Hyo-joo (Ad-lib Night, South Korea)
NETPAC Award: Crossing The Dust (Shawkat Amin Korki, Iraq)
NETPAC Award: Like a Virgin (Lee Hae-young, Lee Hae-jun, South Korea)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Conversations (Tia Quah)
Best Director: Tan Keng Ing Kirsten, Fonzi
Special Jury Prize: Katong Fugue (Boo Junfeng)
Special Achievement Award: Tan Wei Keong, White

2008 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Slingshot (Brillante Mendoza, the Philippines)
Special Jury Prize: Out of Coverage (Abellatif Abdelhamid, Syria)
Best Director: Brillante Mendoza (Slinghshot, the Philippines)
Best Performance: Inessa Kislova (Swift, dir: Abai Kulbai, Kazakhstan)
NETPAC Award: Slingshot, (Brillante Mendoza, the Philippines)

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Keluar Baris (Boo Junfeng)
Special Jury Prize: Wet Seasons (Michael Tay)
Best Director: Boo Junfeng, Keluar Baris
Special Achievement Award: My Home, My Heaven (Muhammad Eysham Ali)
Best Cinematography: Sharon Loh, Keluar Baris
Best Performance: Magdalene Tan, Silent Girls

2009 Silver Screen Awards

Best Asian Feature: Laila’s Birthday (Palestine)
Best Director: Rasoul Sadr Ameli, Every Night, Loneliness (Iran)
Best Performance: Yang Ik-june, Breathless (South Korea)
Best Cinematography: Zhang Yi, Jalainur (China)
NETPAC Award - Critic's Prize: Jalainur (Zhao Ye, China)
Special Mention: Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly (Edwin, Indonesia)

Singapore Film Awards:

Best Film: Rule #1 (Kelvin Tong)
Best Director: Royston Tan, 12 Lotus
Best Screenplay: Sherman Ong, Hashi
Best Performance: Mark Lee, Money No Enough 2
Best Cinematography: Roszali Samad, Brian Gothong Tan, Sharon Loh, Jaye Neo, Cain Chui, Andrew Mark Sobrielo, Chris Yeo and Adrian Lo, Lucky 7

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Swimming Lesson (Kat Goh)
Best Director: Kat Goh, Swimming Lesson
Best Performance: Cheong Soon Foon, Madam Chan
Best Cinematography: Simon Walsh and David Shiyang Liu, 5 Films in an Anthology of A Film A Month
Special Mention: Hush Baby (Tan Wei Keong)

2010 Silver Screen Awards

Asian Feature Film Category:

Best Film: Sex Volunteer, Cho Kyeong-Duk
Best Director: Cho Kyeong-Duk, Sex Volunteer
Best Cinematography: I Saw the Sun (Gunesi Gordum), Mahsun Kirmizigul
Best Performance: Cast of I Saw the Sun (Gunesi Gordum), Mahsun Kirmizigul
NETPAC Critics Award: The Dreamer (Sang Pemimpi), Riri Riza

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Promises in December, Elgin Ho
Best Director: Elgin Ho, Promises in December
Best Cinematography: Mu Dan, Lincoln Chia
Best Performance: Li Xie, Mu Dan
Special Mention: Life With Uhmu, Tanya Lai

2011 Silver Screen Awards

Asian Feature Film Category:

Best Film: Buddha Mountain, Yu Li
Best Director: Heiward Mak, (bestide(s,) happiness)
Best Cinematography: Kim Young-Pil, Rolling Home with a Bull
People's Choice Award: Red Light Revolution, Sam Voutas

Singapore Short Film Category:

Best Film: Hentak Kaki, James Khoo
Best Director: Kenneth Lee, Band of Mischief
Best Cinematography: Blue Tide by Luo Min
Best Performance: Marc Gabriel Loh, First Breath After Coma
Special Mention: Window of Dreams, Nooraini Shah Sikkander
Special Achievement: Echoing Love (爱情六重奏), Edmund Chen

2014 Silver Screen Awards

Asian Feature Film Category:

Best Film: Court, Chaitanya Tamhane
Special Mention: Alive, Park Jung-bum
Best Director: Chaitanya Tamhane, Court
Best Performance: Sekar Sari, Siti

Southeast Asian Short Film Category:

Best Southeast Asian Short Film: Dahdi (Granny), Kirsten Tan
Best Singapore Short Film: Not Working Today, Shijie Tan
Best Director: Aditya Ahmad, On Stopping the Rain
Special Mention: Vanishing Horizon of the Sea, Chulayarnnon Siriphol

Honorary Award:

Im Kwon-taek

2015 Silver Screen Awards

Asian Feature Film Category:

Best Film: The Fourth Direction, Gurvinder Singh
Special Mention: Tikkun, Avishai Sivan
Best Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Happy Hour
Best Performance: Taha Tegin Özdemir, Yakup Özgür Kurtaal, Ömer Uluç for Snow Pirates

Southeast Asian Short Film Category:

Best Southeast Asian Short Film: The Fox Exploits the Tiger's Might, Lucky Kuswandi
Best Singapore Short Film: My Father After Dinner, Gladys Ng
Best Director: Lucky Kuswandi, The Fox Exploits the Tiger's Might
Special Mention: Ferris Wheel, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng
Youth Jury Prize: Three Wheels, Kavich Neang