Ever since the Projector shut its doors for good, local cinephiles (admin included) have been restless for more homegrown films. Occasionally, Shaw Theatre and Golden Village do have screenings for unconventional films in Singapore, but you’d need to dig deeper if you’re looking for hidden gems.
There’s one event that brings these hidden gems to light best, and that is the upcoming Singapore Youth Film Festival (SYFF).
From 29 January 2026 to 8 February 2026, Singapore Youth Film Festival (SYFF) will be presented by *SCAPE as it’ll host the annual local film festival at SOTA Studio Theatre, Oldham Theatre, and right in the heart of Orchard. For the past decade, this festival has celebrated passionate, hardworking young filmmakers. Plus, this is the perfect excuse for you to drag your friends along and convert them to your profound love for local films.
Expect up to 44 nominated films available to the public through ticketed screenings. The Most Promising Award, created specifically for the Student Category and selected by the festival’s committee, recognises an up-and-coming filmmaker who demonstrates strong potential in their foray into filmmaking. At just 17 years old, Canden Chen, a student at Victoria Junior College, brings a distinctive “show, not tell” style. He leverages visual storytelling and evocative soundtracks to craft films that fuse music, emotion, and narrative into universally resonant stories.
His specific work, 小明的故事 The Story of Xiao Ming, is a film that follows 小明 (Xiao Ming), who finds himself stuck in a time loop after helping a 老婆婆 (Elderly Woman) on his way to school for his year-end exams. We won’t spoil the plot any more, since this is one story best experienced on the big screen.
The remaining nominated films fall under two different categories: Open Youth and Student. Some of the titles from the former category that caught our attention were Love Quest by Kevia Tan, Neh Neh Pok by Jaime Ng, and Balang Araw by Christal Gallyot. Diving into Love Quest first, it explores the complexities of modern dating, basing itself on two app users from the popular simulation game, The Sims. The film unravels the dating experiences of these app users, subconsciously blurring the boundaries between reality and digital.
If Love Quest makes you rethink your dating app swipes, then Neh Neh Pok will make you feel seen—with a completely different plot, Neh Neh Pok follows a girl across childhood, teenhood, and young adulthood as she struggles with her small chest. The tone of the film is humorous, light-hearted, and honest, as it aims to offer a tender portrayal of body dysphoria.
Other films worth noting are My Wonderful Life by Calleen Koh, sighnight by Jake Low, 我的未来不是梦 As If To Nothing by Pek Jia Hao and Ang Jia Jun, and more. There’s no fun in breaking down every film, because some discoveries are better left as a surprise.
After watching these films, it’s tempting to get motivated and hungry to know more about the film world. Luckily, the festival also hosts panel talks and workshops that you can easily sign up for.
There’ll be five sessions of panel talks you can choose from, ranging from The Courage to Make Films – Staying True to Your Artistic Vision to The Harmony Between Film and Music. Each panel talk involves an established member of the local film industry, such as Lucie Desquiens, Daniel Hui, and Cheryl Ong, as well as international speakers such as Paris-based production house CHARADES, Vietnam-based leading VFX company Cyclo VFX, and producer Kim Young-Min (Exhuma). You can find out more details here.
Make sure to check the timeslots and dates for the film you’re gunning for here. As for ticket prices, so long as you use the code <SYFF-FREE>, you’ll be entitled to free tickets until 28 January 2026.
Whether you’re an aspiring filmmaker or a curious cinephile, this is a festival not to be missed!
Singapore Youth Film Festival 2026
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📍 2 Orchard Link, *SCAPE #04-05, Singapore 237978
📍 1 Zubir Said Drive, SOTA Studio Theatre, Singapore 227968
📍 1 Canning Rise, Oldham Theatre, Singapore 179868
🕒 Various Timings
📅 29 January 2026 to 8 February 2026
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This post is brought to you by *SCAPE.
