Animation has been gaining plenty of traction in the fashion industry in recent years and one of the most important proponents of the field in Singapore (and the region) is homegrown animation festival Cartoons Underground, now in its ninth year.
As with most things, the festival has gone digital this year – though that may actually be an advantage as the usually one-day event has now been expanded into a five-day extravaganza where you can take the time to slowly savour the many offerings on show.
There are some 150 minutes worth of various short films available to check out on the website, with one programme devoted to Singapore works, another for regional talents and the last for international entries. There’s also a section for student entries, where seven Singapore shorts (among others) will be screened.
But chief among the aims of this independent festival is always to develop and promote the Singapore animation industry. “It’s part of the ethos of the festival to give back to the community that helped create it,” says co-founder Vicky Chen. “Animation is an important part of Singapore’s future. It creates good jobs, contributes to the economy and it lets us tell our stories to the world.”
Admission is via donation – give what you can to this earnest initiative. Purchase your tickets here.
On now till Dec 13
Always one of the most popular entities on the local film calendar, the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) was originally slated to take place earlier this year in February. The organisers decided to postpone it out of safety precautions but now it’s back with a quirky theme of ‘The Closest You Can Get to Japan in 2020’ – acknowledging the thirst many Singaporeans have for the country.
There are 26 titles in total, spread out over four sections and screening both online and various locations. There’s Panorama (latest Japanese titles showing at Shaw Theatres Lido), Indie (curated from the independent scene), Shorts (selected from the Tokyo Short Shorts Festival) and The Projector Showcase (Akira Kurosawa titles at The Projector).
Foodies should look out for the opening film – family drama Bento Harassment, where single mother Kaori uses bento lunches as a means of bridging the growing gap between her teenage daughter and herself, while animation fans can opt for On-Gaku: Our Sound (pictured here), where three talented high-school outcasts come together to form a band despite being complete amateurs.
Check out the full line-up here.
On now till Dec 20
Young outfit Cuturi Gallery is the place to be this weekend if you’re an art lover. They’re putting on two new exhibitions simultaneously – ‘En Plein Chic‘, a solo show by French artist Louis Granet and ‘Back Room‘, a solo exhibition by Singapore artist Marla Bendini.
It’s Granet’s first solo exhibition in the region and while he’s usually known for his elaborate flower paintings, he’ll be unveiling a new series of ultra vibrant works that draw specific references to Asian popular culture – pictured here is Princess-Bounce’em.
For Marla Bendini, ‘Back Room‘ represents her first solo show at the gallery. The outing features a new collection of oil paintings that provide an intimate insight into the artist’s relationship with her body and trans identity.
Her work is concerned with how the trans body allows one to adopt a unique artistic perspective and develop a personal voice that actively challenges conventional and societal constructs of identity.
Opens on Dec 12 at 61 Aliwal Street