Singapore Films Shine at Cannes 2025 as Festival Kicks Off Today

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Three films by Singaporean filmmakers have been officially selected to be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2025, which will take place from today, May 13 to 24, 2025, in Cannes, France.

The films by Singaporean filmmakers and production houses are Renoir, A Useful Ghost, and the short film Before The Sea Forgets. Here is a brief overview of these three films.

Renoir

Of over 2,900 entries, Renoir is one of only 21 films selected to compete in the Main Competition. This marks Singapore's return to the most prestigious category of the Cannes Film Festival after 17 years.

The film is directed by Chie Hayakawa, a Japanese filmmaker who previously received acclaim for the film Plan 75 (2022) and received a Camera d'Or Special Mention. The production of this film involves international collaboration between Japan, Singapore, France, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

The story revolves around Fuki, an 11-year-old girl who faces a difficult summer in Tokyo in 1987, along with her seriously ill father and overworked mother. Behind the scenes, several Singaporean names are involved, such as cinematographer Hideho Urata, who is also a senior lecturer at Lasalle College of the Arts, colorist Mark Song, and two Singaporean studios, Infinite Frameworks and Mocha Chai Laboratories.

The film is produced by Fran Borgia, founder of Akanga Film Asia, who stated that Singapore's involvement in Renoir is evidence of the country's capability to produce world-class films. According to Tatler Asia, Renoir also received support from the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) through the Go-Global Grant.

A Useful Ghost

The second film, A Useful Ghost, is part of the Critics' Week program. It offers a unique story about a woman who died from dust pollution and returns in the form of a vacuum cleaner.

A Useful Ghost is the feature debut of Thai director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke and was co-produced by a Singaporean production house, Momo Film Co., in collaboration with partners from Thailand and France.

Singaporean producer Tan Si En, founder of Momo Film Co, highlights the strength of Southeast Asian stories that can reach a global audience. The Singaporean production team also made significant contributions, such as Lim Ting Li (sound designer) and Sim Hao Jie (product designer), who created the iconic vacuum cleaner prop. The film received support from IMDA through the Southeast Asia Co-Production Grant.

Before The Sea Forgets

In the Directors' Fortnight segment, Singapore is also represented by the short film Before The Sea Forgets by Vietnamese director Le Ngoc Duy. The story revolves around a young man who suspects his girlfriend of cheating while they are searching for forgotten soldier graves in Vietnam. Amidst the mystical and personal atmosphere, he must confront the emotional reality he has been avoiding.

As reported by CNA Lifestyle, the film is produced by two production houses from Singapore, 13 Little Pictures and WBSB Films, and involves several local talents such as Looi Wan Ping (co-producer and cinematographer), Eugene Seah (colorist), and the post-production team from The Chop Shop Post.

This year also marks Singapore's 60th anniversary, and this achievement proves that this small nation continues to produce great works. As stated by Yvonne Tang, deputy chief executive of IMDA.

"Our strong presence here demonstrates how Singapore, despite its size, consistently produces brilliant storytellers who can compete on the world stage,” said Yvonne Tang.

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