Set across the shifting landscape of colonial Singapore and wartime Malaya, two musically gifted childhood friends—Fei and Kai—are bound together by their shared devotion to the violin. When the brutal onset of World War II and the Japanese Occupation tears them apart, Fei embarks on a decades-long journey across a changing Southeast Asia, holding onto memory, resilience, and the power of music as she searches for her lost friend.

A landmark achievement for local cinema, co-directors Ervin Han and Raúl García’s hand-drawn feature made history by winning the prestigious Cristal Award for Best Feature at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, alongside the SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack. Blending meticulous traditional craft with an evocative score by Ricky Ho, the film transforms regional history into a deeply human, universally resonant story that demands to be experienced on the big screen

Director Q&A, Sunday 4 Oct
Join us for an in-person Q&A with Co-Director Ervin Han, alongside Art Director and Storyboard Artist Ong Ruwei, Character Designer Sakura Wong and Animation Supervisor Wendy Li.

In English with English and Mandarin subtitles.

Rated PG for Some Violence

Following its phenomenal success in Japan, critically acclaimed film Kokuho is enjoying a re-release in Singapore with limited screenings!

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lee Sang-il and adapted from Shuichi Yoshida's bestselling novel of the same name, Kokuho stars Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama alongside an impressive ensemble cast including Ken Watanabe. 

Set in the fascinating world of Kabuki, Japan's centuries-old traditional performing art, Kokuho tells the story of two young men from very different backgrounds whose lives become intertwined through their pursuit perfecting their craft. 

More than just a story about performance, Kokuho is a powerful portrait of ambition, identity and the price of dedicating one's life to art. 

Recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Kabuki is celebrated for its rich traditions, elaborate costumes and stylised performances. One of its most iconic features is “onnagata”, the art of male actors portraying female roles with extraordinary precision, grace and emotional depth.

Since its release, Kokuho has become the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film in history. Domestic and global popularity of the film has also rekindled public interest in kabuki.

The film dominated the 49th Japan Academy Film Prize, taking home ten awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. Its exceptional Kabuki-inspired hair and makeup artistry also earned a nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards, bringing the beauty of Japanese traditional culture to the global stage.

In Japanese with English and Mandarin dual subtitles.

Rated M18 for Sexual Scenes.

Set in a future gothic wasteland where ancient vampires dominate a fading world, "D" a half vampire, half human bounty hunter is hired to retrieve a wealthy family's daughter abducted by a powerful vampire nobleman. Racing against the ruthless Markus Brothers, a rival band of mercenary hunters, D encounters a complex web of forbidden romance, tragic monstrousness, and dark fantasy.

Widely regarded as Kawajiri’s directorial masterpiece, Bloodlust showcases the artistry of pre digital, hand drawn Japanese animation with its blend of Baroque grandeur, dark romanticism, and dazzling action choreography. The 2K restoration elevates Yoshitaka Amano's breathtaking character designs and painterly background art, restoring the film's velvet shadow tones and fine line work to pristine quality

In Japanese with English subtitles.

Rated PG13 for Some Violence and Nudity.

TW: Contains scenes with flashing lights, photosensitive viewers are advised.

Still grieving the tragic loss of her fiancé Itsuki Fujii in a mountain climbing accident, Hiroko Watanabe sends a letter to his old childhood address in snow-covered Otaru, a home she believes no longer exists, hoping to send a message into the ether. To her shock, she receives a reply signed by "Itsuki Fujii." The respondent is not her late lover's ghost, but a female former classmate who shared his exact name. As the two women begin exchanging letters across the snowbound landscape, a tender, long buried portrait of forgotten youth, unrequited first love, and shared memory slowly unfurls.

A foundational landmark of 1990s Asian cinema, Shunji Iwai’s feature debut became a massive cultural phenomenon across East and Southeast Asia, immortalized by Miho Nakayama’s double performance. Shot with a dreamlike, soft focus palette by the late cinematographer Noboru Shinoda, this new 4K digital restoration preserves every delicate detail.

4K remastering under the supervision of Fuji Television Network, Inc., with all analog and digital processes by Imagica Entertainment Media Services, Inc. Image digitization through high-resolution 4K scanning from the original 35mm camera negative. Restoration, color correction, and final sound finishing supervised by director Shunji Iwai.

In Japanese with English subtitles.

Rated PG

Presented at Filmhouse as part of Japanese Film Festival, in partnership with the Singapore Film Society, Japan Creative Center and Japan Foundation

Five broken cameras – and each one has a powerful tale to tell. Embedded in the bullet-ridden remains of digital technology is the story of Emad Burnat, a farmer from the Palestinian village of Bil’in, which famously chose nonviolent resistance when the Israeli army encroached upon its land to make room for Jewish colonists. Emad bought his first camera in 2005 to document the birth of his fourth son, Gibreel. Over the course of the film, he becomes the peaceful archivist of an escalating struggle as olive trees are bulldozed, lives are lost, and a wall is built to segregate burgeoning Israeli settlements.

In Arabic with English subtitles

Rated NC16 for Mature Content.

This screening is held in conjunction with Letter to Birds, part of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Mercy Relief.

Letter to Birds is an art market organised by artists, raising funds for humanitarian aid in Palestine. Now in its third edition, it returns to Filmhouse on Sunday, 18 October with over 50 artists participating!

Objectifs Short Film Festival presents:

Focus | Image & Memory: Early Works of Hirokazu Kore-eda 

Focus presents the early short films of a key international filmmaker. The showcase will consist of rarely seen short films, with a post-screening Q&A with the filmmaker. 

Objectifs is proud to be able to feature two of film auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda's earlier documentaries, Lessons from a Calf and Where Has All The Pollution Gone? for the inaugural edition of the Objectifs Short Film Festival. 

Known for his seminal works like Maborosi, Nobody Knows and Shoplifters, Kore-eda’s inception as a director came about through television documentaries that he directed and conceptualised in 1987 for NONFIX, a late-night documentary series that was broadcasted on Fuji Television. The opportunity and experimentation afforded through work for NONFIX, which included Lessons from a Calf and Where Has All The Pollution Gone? led to Kore-eda’s perennial fascination with an image’s potential to communicate intention, as well as elicit emotion. As observed through his later fictional films, Kore-eda’s hallmark ability to harness an ironically steely eye in order to garner empathy for issues pertaining to social realism has evident roots in his earlier television work.

Witness the beginnings of Hirokazu Kore-eda's journey as a filmmaker in this rare chance to watch his early films, as well as trace his directing methodology from the initial craft of documentary, all with the filmmaker himself in attendance. 

Lessons From A Calf / 47 min / Japan / 1991

In 1988, Ina Elementary School adopted a cow named Laura from a ranch as a part of the school’s integrated learning program. Students learn from building the cow’s barn, calculating the feed cost and debating in class for making decisions. Capturing the kids’ lively expressions, the documentary witnesses their growth through the care of Laura. Kore-eda’s first project, mostly rolling a video camera by himself.

Where Has All The Pollution Gone? / 47 min / Japan / 1992

In early 1960s Chiba, pollution from a steel factory left locals with asthma. Ministry of Environment bureaucrat Hashimoto Michio became a hero after drafting Japan's first pollution control law in 1967. But as certified patients multiplied and compensation costs strained the economy, the government deregulated the law, declaring the pollution resolved. Because of this, Hashimoto was recast as a traitor by victims who knew otherwise.

Supported by Filmhouse

Ticket price: $25 

Buy Tickets: https://osff-25oct.peatix.com/