8 award-winning Singaporean movies to watch ahead of National Day

Yeo Siew Hua’s Neo-noir mystery thriller film finds detective Lok investigating the mysterious disappearance of a Chinese construction worker Wang. Before his disappearance we see Wang frequenting a cybercafe, forming a virtual friendship with a mysterious gamer. Detective Lok retraces the steps of the worker, hoping to uncover the truth.

The film has won many accolades since its debut in 2018, including the Pardo d’Oro (Golden Leopard) for Best Film at the 71st Locarno Film Festival 2018; Jury Prize at the 2nd Pingyao International Film Festival 2018 (China); and Best Film, Asian Feature Film Competition, Silver Screen Awards at the 29th Singapore International Film Festival 2018. 

This 2010 film starts with Rachel and her two friends in their youth exploring an abandoned railway track amidst a dense forest when one of the boys goes missing. In the present day, 26-year-old Rachel returns to Singapore after spending time abroad and rekindles a friendship with a high school friend. She takes a trip down memory land when a little boy from her past reappears. Red Dragonflies tackles issues of change and nostalgia, blending old and new footage while drifting between past and present.

Directed by Liao Jiekai, the film clinched the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Jeonju International Film Festival.

Hailed as a classic local satire on modern Singaporean culture and society, I Not Stupid has withstood the test of time and is still regularly re-watched by many today. Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Jack Neo, I Not Stupid went on the clinch the Best Chinese Film at the 2003 Hong Kong Golden Bauhinia Awards and Best Chinese Humanitarian Film at the 2002 Taiwan Golden Torch Awards after its local release in 2002. 

The comedy film follows the lives and families of three Primary six students from different social economic backgrounds as they navigate through social interactions and prejudices. Entirely relatable and exclusively local, the film was met with positive responses from the public. The success of the film encouraged a second movie, I Not Stupid Too, in 2006. The third instalment, I Not Stupid 3, is scheduled to be released in 2024.

Singaporeans are widely known for our love for food, be it braving the long queues at hawker centres or snagging a table at a highly rated restaurant—our culinary passion is paramount. The debut feature film of Singaporean film director Eric Khoo, Mee Pok Man is an avant-garde representation of when food meets life. Comprising a motley crew from the local nightlife scene, Mee Pok Man brings to light the side of Singapore hidden amidst the red-light district.

The film, despite its release in 1995, is still widely regarded as one of the most prominent Singaporean films today. Winning the Special Jury Prize at the Fukuoka Asian Film Festival in 1996 and the Special Mention Prize at the 8th Singapore International Film Festival, its cinematic aptitude is apparent. 

A moving tale of boyhood and the turbulences of life involving national service, familial struggles, and societal conformity, Sandcastle is not one for the faint-hearted. Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng explores the true meaning of the notion of a homeland with this moving and thought-provoking film.

Released in 2010, the film follows 18-year-old En as he navigates a series of unfortunate events before his enlistment into the Singapore army. The success of the film won it the Best Feature Film and Best Director awards at the 1st Hanoi International Film Festival in 2010.

Inspired by the Singaporean essay Paved with Good Intentions, Singaporean film maker Colin Goh and multimedia production professor Woo Yen Yen creates a poignant narration of the Singapore dream through their film, Singapore Dreaming. Its success after its release in 2006 won it the Montblanc New Screenwriters Award at the 54th San Sebastián International Film Festival. 

The opening scene is as iconic as the one in The Devil Wears Prada, this time, representing the lives of everyday Singaporeans. Take a trip through the heartlands and marvel at the Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats, coffeeshops, and markets as the Loh family, the main players in the film, are slowly introduced. A film well loved by locals and film critics alike, Singapore Dreaming is a must-watch this National Day.  

If you loved Mee Pok Man, 12 Storeys is your next binge. Another acclaimed movie by Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo, 12 Storeys is just as you see it. Set in a 12-storey residential flat, follow its residents on their exciting encounters throughout a 24-hour time frame. A middle-aged man with marital issues, a suicidal individual, and an overbearing elder brother, you’ll be watching the film at the edge of your seat with its ironic juxtaposition of slapstick humour and tear-jerking themes.

The first Singaporean film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, 12 Storeys is regarded to have been a key player in the resurgence of local cinema. The film also won the Golden Maile Award for Narrative Feature at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 1997 and the UOB Young Cinema Awards at the 10th Singapore International Film Festival. 

NOW READ

Singaporean director Anthony Chen’s latest film to debut at Cannes

‘Ajoomma’ Director He Shuming on His 7-Year Journey to Producing Singapore’s Pick for Oscars 2023

Editors' Picks: Films and TV Series To Watch on Disney+ Singapore