ORGANIZERS of the 27th edition of Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) have announced that this year’s honorary award will be presented to Hong Kong film director Fruit Chan for his tenacious dedication and passion in portraying Hong Kong and its colloquial culture authentically in his films.

    The award, which was given to acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf last year, recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema, especially within their own country, and will be presented during the Silver Screen Awards.

    Since his first film “Made in Hong Kong,” Chan has explored neglected personal stories with intense political commentary through films such as “Little Cheung” (1999) and “Durian Durian” (2000). Five of Chan’s significant works, including these two films, will be screened under a special “Tribute to Fruit Chan.”

    The festival organizers also announced this year’s Silver Screen Awards jury panel. Leading will be Japanese director and Cannes Film Festival regular Naomi Kawase, with support from veteran Hong Kong director of the well-received film “Ip Man,” Herman Yau, Lebanese director and the organizer of the Cultural Resistance International Film Festival, Jocelyne Saab and Singaporean actor Sunny Pang. They will be judging four categories in the Asian Feature Film Competition — best film, best director, best performance and special mention.

    Kawase, whose filmography is characterized by its poetic introspection, and celebration of humanity and nature, is also in the spotlight as one of the featured Asian filmmakers of the festival. Five of her films, including her first fiction feature “Suzaku” (1997) which won the Camera d’Or prize for best new director at the Cannes Film Festival and also best actress award at the SGIFF in 1997, and “The Mourning Forest” (2007) that won the Grand Prix at Cannes, will be screened under a special program “Focus: Naomi Kawase.”

    SGIFF Executive Director Yuni Hadi said in a press release: “Naomi Kawase and Fruit Chan are both world-class filmmakers who are very distinctive Asian voices. They embody the kind of fearless spirit in their work that SGIFF continues to champion. Naomi and Fruit’s generosity towards SGIFF allows us the opportunity to connect with the next generation of filmmakers through the sharing of their creative journey in their master classes.”

    Indonesian director Mira Lesmana, who revitalized the country’s film industry in the early 2000s, will lead the Southeast Asian Short Film Competition jury panel this year. She will be joined by Programing Director of the Hawaii International Film Festival Anderson Lee and Singapore filmmaker Bertrand Lee in judging four categories — best Southeast Asian short film, best Singapore short film, best director and special mention.

    First introduced in 1991, the Silver Screen Awards marks the first Asian film competition on the international film festival circuit, and aims to create awareness of the rich filmmaking talents in Asia. This year, the awards will take place Dec. 3 at the Marina Bay Sands.

    The 27th edition of the SGIFF, which runs from Nov. 23 to Dec. 4, will take place across various venues, including Marina Bay Sands, National Museum of Singapore Gallery Theater, Shaw Theaters Lido, National Gallery Singapore Auditorium, The Arts House Screening Room, Filmgarde Bugis+ and Objectifs Chapel Gallery. (SD-Agencies)