A local film exploring the impact of Singapore’s judiciary on personal lives, that was slated to screen at the upcoming 35th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), has been “refused classification” by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The decision by IMDA essentially means that the film, Small Hours Of The Night by Singaporean director Daniel Hui, has been pulled from the festival and cannot be screened publicly.
In a statement, IMDA said: “In consultation with the Ministry of Law and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, IMDA has assessed the film to have content that is potentially contrary to the law, i.e. illegal. It would be likely to be prejudicial to national interests to approve it for screening.
“Under the Film Classification Guidelines, ‘any material that undermines or is likely to undermine public order, or is likely to be prejudicial to national interest’ will be refused classification.”
In response to IMDA’s decision, SGIFF programme director Thong Kay Wee released a statement on the festival’s Instagram page to reiterate its support for the film’s award-winning director, Daniel Hui.
The statement read: “While the film cannot be screened, we will continue to provide its creators with a platform for their voices to be heard; Daniel will continue to participate in several other events under the SGIFF umbrella as a panellist speaker.”
The film is an official selection under the “Undercurrent” strand, which is the festival’s curation of innovative and experimental filmmaking, while Hui will also be featured as a panellist at the festival, contributing to discussions on creative processes and local filmmaking.
SGIFF will take place from Nov 28 to Dec 8.
