Singapore International Film Festival 2026

Twelve days of films that won't reach your neighbourhood cineplex.

The Singapore International Film Festival is worth one or two evenings of anyone's fortnight, and the best way to use it is to book films you would never otherwise see on a big screen. The 37th edition runs from Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 1 November, with screenings at cinemas and venues across the city, and the closing film is Vintage Violence on 1 November. It is the one time of year when a Tuesday-night foreign film in Singapore comes with an audience that came on purpose, and, in the In Conversation With sessions, the people who make the films.

The thing to get right is the logistics, because the festival is strict. Tickets are sold online only, through an account on sgiff.com, and resold tickets may not be valid. Ticket holders get a 10-minute grace period; after that the seat goes to the rush queue, and 20 minutes after the start the doors lock. If you are coming from the CBD at 6pm, give yourself more time than you think.

A standard film costs less than you might expect for a festival, with opening and closing nights and special presentations priced higher; the full list is in the box. Sold-out screenings are not sold at the door except through the rush queue, which lets people in from the start time, one ticket per person, and guarantees nothing. It is the honest gamble for a film you have only half heard of.

Families: ratings are enforced at the door, children from two need their own ticket, and there are relaxed screenings with a combo ticket for one adult and one child under 16. Tickets are non-refundable unless the festival cancels or reschedules, so check the rating before you pay.

Good to know 21 October to 1 November 2026 at venues across Singapore; the schedule is on sgiff.com. Tickets online only (account needed). General film S$15; Special Presentation S$20; Festival Opening or Closing S$25; In Conversation With S$10; Undercurrent performances S$20; Undercurrent Pass S$50; Junior Explorers Combo (one adult and one child under 16, relaxed screenings only) S$20. 10-minute grace period; doors lock 20 minutes after the start. Children aged 2 and over need a ticket; ratings enforced. Non-refundable unless a screening is cancelled or rescheduled.

Singapore International Film Festival 2026 | Cinemas and venues across Singapore (see the sgiff.com schedule)