“Not made for political purposes” ... Singapore International Film Festival to screen ‘The Killers’ as planned
- Input
- 2026-10-08 04:00:00
- Updated
- 2026-10-08 04:00:00
[Financial News] The 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) has stuck to its original plan to screen ‘The Killers’ as its opening film. The People Power Party had asked the festival to withdraw its selection of the film as the opener, but the request was not accepted.
The festival said it was aware of the debate surrounding the film but that its selection decision remained unchanged. SGIFF said, “We are aware of the discussions surrounding our opening film, ‘The Killers,’” adding, “We respect the filmmakers’ creative vision, and the film will still be screened as the opening film.”
The filmmakers’ previously stated position was also cited as part of the reason for keeping the screening. The festival said, “The filmmakers have described the film as a product of cinematic imagination that combines historical events with fictional characters and situations,” adding, “They have made clear that it was not made to draw historical conclusions, distort facts or serve any political purpose. In this context, we wish to present it as a work of creative expression.”
The festival also emphasized that ‘The Killers’ had been selected through an independent process. It said, “The film was selected through SGIFF’s independent programming process based on its artistic achievements and contributions to contemporary Asian cinema.” It also noted that the film had previously been shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and had drawn around 2.5 million moviegoers in South Korea.
The People Power Party had earlier said it sent SGIFF a letter asking it to reconsider its selection of ‘The Killers’ as the opening film. A letter bearing the name of People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik said, “We express our deep regret that the Singapore International Film Festival selected the film ‘The Killers’ as its opening film,” and added, “We urge you to reconsider that decision, conveying the unanimous position of all 109 People Power Party lawmakers.”
The Singapore International Film Festival, which began in 1987, is Singapore’s largest film festival. This year’s event will run from the 21st through the 1st of next month.
[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter