RARE and acclaimed films that will be shown theatrically in Singapore only once – and possibly never again – count among the highlights of the 34th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). They include Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things starring Emma Stone, and Andrew Haigh’s All Of Us Are Strangers starring Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.

Both have received rave reviews at film festivals, with Poor Things taking the top prize at the Venice Film Festival 2023. But neither has been picked up for theatrical distribution in Singapore, making them available to SGIFF audiences only.

Besides these, Amanda Nell Eu’s triumphant coming-of-age horror drama Tiger Stripes is also making a splash at the festival. The Malaysian film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival 2023, where it earned strong reviews and clinched the Critics’ Week Grand Prize. It is set to open this year’s SGIFF, which runs from Nov 30 to Dec 10.