Chinese Documentary ‘Always’ Wins Best Asian Feature At Singapore Fest

Chinese director Chen Deming’s documentary Always was awarded Best Asian Feature Film in the Silver Screen Awards of this year's Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF, November 28-December 8).

The film, which also won the top prize at this year’s Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival (CPH:DOX), follows the life of an adolescent poet in rural China, who has been separated from his mother. A co-production between the US, France, China and Taiwan, the film also played at Hot Docs in Canada, Korea’s Jeonju International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival.

Also in Singapore’s Asian Feature Film (AFF) Competition, A Useful Ghost from Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, was awarded a Special Mention. Thai director Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit picked up the FIPRESCI Award for Human Resource.

Sri Lankan drama Riverstone, about three police officers escorting a young prisoner, picked up two awards: Best Director for Lalith Rathnayake, and Best Performance for Mahendra Perera.

In the Southeast Asian Short Film competition, Best Film went to Through Your Eyes, from Singapore’s Nelson Yeo, while Best Singapore Short Film was awarded to Children's Day, directed by Giselle Lin (see full list of winners below).

Introduced in 1991, SGIFF’s Silver Screen Awards was the first international competition with a category dedicated to Asian cinema.

The festival changed the criteria for the AFF competition this year, which was previously focused on first, second and third films from emerging filmmakers, but now includes films at every stage of a filmmakers’ career.

SGIFF takes place as part of Singapore Media Festival 2025, hosted by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025: 

ASIAN FEATURE FILM COMPETITION:

Best Asian Feature Film: Always, dir: Chen Deming (US, France, China, Taiwan)

Best Asian Feature Film [Special Mention]: A Useful Ghost, dir: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (Thailand, Singapore, France)

Best Director: Lalith Rathnayake, Riverstone (Sri Lanka)

Best Performance: Mahendra Perera, Riverstone (Sri Lanka)

FIPRESCI Award: Human Resource, dir: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Thailand)

SOUTHEAST ASIAN SHORT FILM COMPETITION:

Best Southeast Asian Short Film: Through Your Eyes, dir: Nelson Yeo (Singapore)

Best Singapore Short Film: Children's Day, dir: Giselle Lin

Special Mention: True Love, dir: Huỳnh Công Nhớ (Vietnam)

Best Director: Ananth Subramaniam, Bleat! (Malaysia, Philippines, France)

Best Performance: Tysha Khan, Fruit

Best Cinematography: Batara Goempar, Sammi, Who Can Detach His Body Parts

CINEMA HONORARY AWARD: Deepa Mehta

SCREEN ICON AWARD: Youn Yuh-jung

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD: Coda