The 7th Singapore Freedom Film Fest (FFF), in conjunction with Freedom Film Network, Malaysia, will be presented by Function 8 on December 8 and 9.
Singapore is the last stop on the Freedom Film Fest, which is on its 16th year and began on September 2 at Petaling Jaya, and continued on to Sarawak, Penang, Johor, Sabah, Perak.
Anna Har, the Festival Director of FFF 2018 said that in line with the fest’s theme, a call to action to Mend the Gap, “Despite progress in science, technology, and democracy, the gaps between the rich and poor, the haves and have-nots, the powerful and the powerless, are getting deeper and wider. This year the selection of films is aimed at inspiring our audiences to do their part – to ensure that “no one should be left behind” – an aspiration of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
Films in the trivial highlight urgent issues in Malaysia, such as the rights of the differently abled to independent and dignified life (“In The Dark” by Low Watan and Low Choon Chyuan), sufficient maternal healthcare in rural Sarawak (“The Story of Kam Agong” by Lawrence Jayaraj), and the education of stateless children in Sabah (“Aku Mau Skola” or “I Want To Go To School” by Putri Purnama Sagua).
Human rights is another feature at the FFF 2018, with films revolving around online security and censorship, as well as how technology is opening new doors for activism, including “Black Code” by Nicholas de Pencier and The Cleaners” by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewick.
Yusri “Shaggy” Sapari, who won a $5,000 FFF Singapore film grant, features a film called “Trailer Boys,” about young and uneducated truck drivers in Singapore, as well as those who are able to break out of the mold set for them.
The films that will open Freedom Film Fest Singapore on Saturday, December 8 at 12 noon are “The Cycle” and “Small Talk.”
They will be followed by two panel discussions: “Care And Solidarity With Singapore’s LGBTQ+ Community” (after “Small Talk”), facilitated by Vanessa Victoria, and “The Internet: A Democratising Space OR Hub For Surveillance?” (after “Black Code’s” screening), facilitated by Kirsten Han.
December 9 will be all about “Citizen Cinema,” and will feature entries made by submissions by Singaporean filmmakers highlighting social, cultural, political and environmental issues in the country. Eight movies will be shown at 12 noon, after which six other films will be shown.
No tickets are required for admission into FFF 2018, but donations are welcome. Information on the Freedom Film Fest 2018 may be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/974203422774662/.
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