The Singapore International Film Festival’s 2025 Film Fund has awarded S$125,000 ($97,966) to seven Southeast Asian projects, bolstering independent filmmaking across the region. Selected from nearly 400 submissions, this funding represents a significant investment in diverse voices and innovative storytelling. The projects span feature documentaries and short films, showcasing the breadth of cinematic talent emerging from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines. The Film Fund’s core grants, the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation-SGIFF Southeast Asian Documentary Grant (SEA-DOC) and the SGIFF Southeast Asian Short Film Grant (SEA-SHORTS), are designed to support filmmakers at various stages of production, from development to post-production. This year’s selection highlights a dynamic range of subjects, including true crime narratives, spiritual explorations, and critical examinations of historical events, demonstrating a commitment to both established and emerging cinematic styles. Program director Thong Kay Wee emphasized the fund's focus on ‘capturing the layered realities of communities over time,’ and ‘blending unexpected forms of storytelling such as true crime, surrealism and counter-histories’.

The SEA-DOC grant, awarded to four documentary projects, provided funding ranging from S$20,000 ($15,675) to S$30,000 ($23,512). Notably, Riar Rizaldi’s “South Sea,” a chilling exploration of a 2022 tidal wave tragedy in East Java involving a mystical ritual, blends true crime with cosmic horror elements, receiving S$30,000. ‘Black River’ by Tran Phuong Thao and Swann Dubus, examining the evolution of Vietnam’s Black River through the journeys of itinerant merchants, received S$30,000. Jewel Maranan’s “The People Outside” offers a poignant look at a longstanding conflict in the Philippines’ rural mountains, documented through the filmmaker’s personal journey. Singapore’s Tan Pin Pin secured post-production funding for “Arts Centre,” a compelling portrait of four independent artists – including herself – working at Aliwal Arts Centre, encompassing diverse artistic practices from classical Indian dance to art tours on forgotten histories.

The SEA-SHORTS program, supported by Thailand’s White Light Post, awarded S$5,000 ($3,919) each to three short film projects, supplemented by post-production services. Thaweechok Phasom’s “Anastomose,” a unique exploration of Buddhist enlightenment through a blind mermaid encounter in a cave, received S$5,000, continuing Phasom's success following his win at SGIFF’s 35th edition for ‘Spirits of the Black Leaves’. Arief Budiman’s “Golden Island,” a docufiction set in Papua, skillfully weaves archival images with personal memory, investigating counter-histories and collective memory, also received S$5,000. EXYL’s untitled mixed-media work – described as ‘a narrative experiment shaped by instinct rather than design’ – completed the SEA-SHORTS roster with S$5,000.

The Singapore International Film Festival’s Film Fund has a strong track record, with previous recipients achieving premieres at prestigious festivals such as Critics’ Week at Cannes and the International Film Festival Rotterdam, demonstrating the fund’s impact on emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers. Launched in 2017, the Film Fund is a cornerstone of SGIFF’s commitment to fostering independent filmmaking across Southeast Asia. The 36th edition of SGIFF will run Nov. 27-Dec. 7.