The Asian Film Archive (AFA) is a

non-governmental organisation A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

in Singapore that preserves the

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

heritage of Asian Cinema. The archive is located at the National Library Building along Victoria Street, a five-minute walk from

Bugis MRT station Bugis MRT station is an underground Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) interchange station on the East–West (EWL) and Downtown (DTL) lines, in Bugis, Singapore. The station is located underneath the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street. Vario ...

(East-West Line).

History

Asian Film Archive staff and volunteers - 2005

Founded in 2005, AFA preserves Asian films to encourage scholarly research on film, and to promote a wider critical appreciation of this art form. The archive has collected more than 2,000 titles, with a focus on classic Asian films and contemporary independent works from Southeast Asia. The Archive's outreach programmes encourage film literacy and find new audiences for films in its collection. The Asian Film Archive is an affiliate of the

International Federation of Film Archives The International Federation of Film Archives (, FIAF) was founded in Paris in 1938 by the Cinémathèque Française, the Reichsfilmarchiv in Berlin, the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. FIAF brings togethe ...

(FIAF) and the Southeast Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA). Amongst its international advisors are Ray Edmondson,

David Bordwell David Jay Bordwell (; July 23, 1947 – February 29, 2024) was an American film theorist and film historian. After receiving his PhD from the University of Iowa in 1973, he wrote more than fifteen volumes on the subject of cinema including ''Na ...

and

Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul (; ; , born 16 July 1970) is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, film producer and Professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo. Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Apichatpong h ...

. Renowned scholar, Patricia Zimmermann described the work of the Asian Film Archive i
Afterimage: The Journal of Media Art & Cultural Criticism
and on th
Open Spaces blog
In June 2010, a group of Singapore filmmakers, including

Tan Pin Pin Tan Pin Pin (, born 1969) is a Singapore-based film director. She is best known for the documentary film ''Singapore GaGa'' (2005). It was the first Singaporean documentary to have a theatrical run. In 2014, her documentary '' To Singapore, Wit ...

Royston Tan Royston Tan (born 5 October 1976) is a Singaporean filmmaker and actor. Tan is a graduate from Temasek Polytechnic, where he studied Visual Communications. He first came into prominence through his short films: ''Sons'' (2000), ''Hock Hiap Leong' ...

and

Kelvin Tong Kelvin Tong Weng Kian (born in 1971 or 1972) is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter and producer. He was a former film critic for ''The Straits Times''. Career Kelvin's passion for theatre and filmmaking began in his secondary school d ...

, protested AFA's head

Tan Bee Thiam Tan or TAN may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Tan'', an album by the Polish rock band Kult (band), Kult * TAN (group), South Korean boy band * Tan (newspaper), ''Tan'' (newspaper), a newspaper in Turkey * Tan (weekly newspaper), ''Tan'' (wee ...

's supposed conflict of interest. Their letter led to Tan's resignation as executive director in September. In 2014, AFA became a subsidiary of the

National Library Board The National Library Board (NLB) is a statutory board under the purview of the Ministry of Digital Development and Information of the government of Singapore. The board manages the public libraries throughout the country. The national l ...

. In 2015, the archive commissioned ''Fragment'', a film anthology by

Lav Diaz Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is frequently known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, and has made several of the longest narrative films on reco ...

U-Wei Haji Saari U-Wei Haji Saari is a Malaysian film director. He first gained international attention with ''The Arsonist (film), The Arsonist'' (more known by its Malay name ''Kaki Bakar''), the first Malaysian film to enter the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. ...

, Sherman Ong and others. It premiered on 30 October at

The Projector The Projector is an independent cinema in Singapore. Founded in 2014, it specializes in arts-house films and also screens mainstream movies and is a venue for live events such as stand-up comedy shows. The Projector is currently operating a ...

, a local cinema.

Programmes

Asian Restored Classics

Asian Restored Classics is an annual film festival that celebrates the best of Asian cinema. It provides a platform for the iconic classics that different institutions have restored to be appreciated by modern audiences. Its first edition in 2016 featured Akira Kurosawa's ''Ran'' (1985) '','' King Hu's ''Dragon Inn'' (1967), Mike de Leon's ''Kakabakaba Ka Ba?'' (1980), John Woo's ''A Better Tomorrow'' (1986), Satyajit Ray's ''Charulata'' (1964) and Park Sang-Ho's ''Tosuni: The Birth of Happiness'' (1963).

State of Motion

State of Motion is an annual multi-disciplinary event that revisits Singapore's cinematic history, exploring film as a document of time through exhibitions, screenings, tours and artistic responses.

Singapore Shorts

Singapore Shorts is an annual showcase celebrating the best and the most promising local short films in Singapore. Alongside screenings of the selected cinematic works, the programme also features post-screening discussions with the filmmakers, dedicated reviews from critics and a special section of older titles from the Asian Film Archive's collection. Singapore Shorts

Thirteen short films were selected for its inaugural edition in 2018.

Reframe

Reframe is a salon series that constructs critical frameworks and examines topics surrounding cinema and the moving image through film showcases, panel discussions and presentations.

Alt Screen

Alt Screen is a film series, co-organised with the

, Singapore, to showcase Asian documentaries and offering interpretations of global issues and critical perspectives of humanity.

co:lab

Co-organised with library@esplanade, co:lab is a platform where new live works are experimented and presented through cross disciplinary encounters between film and performing arts.

Collection

Notable films in the collection include the Cathay-Keris Malay Classics Collection: ''

Hang Jebat Hang Jebat ( Jawi: ; born ) was the closest companion of the legendary Malaccan hero Hang Tuah.Khoo, Gaik Cheng. Reclaiming Adat: Contemporary Malaysian Film and Literature'. Canada, UBC Press, 2011. 23. Regarded in Malaysia as one of the ...

'' by Hussain Haniff (1961), '' Mat Bond'' by Mat Sentul and

M. Amin M, or m, is the thirteenth letter of the English alphabet. M may also refer to: Companies and products * M (fragrance), a 2008 fragrance by Mariah Carey * M-series rangefinder, a series of Leica camera models * M (virtual assistant), a form ...

(1967) and '' Sumpah Pontianak'' by B.N. Rao (1958); '' Evolution of a Filipino Family'' by

(2004); ''Blink of an Eye'' by Mike de Leon (1981); '' Manila in the Claws of Neon'' by

Lino Brocka Catalino Ortiz Brocka (April 3, 1939 – May 22, 1991) was a Filipino film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. His filmography often addressed the co ...

(1975); '' The Arsonist'' by

(1995); ''The Big Durian'' by Amir Muhammad (2003); Da Huang Pictures Collection and the

Woo Ming Jin Woo Ming Jin is a Malaysian film director, writer and producer. His films have screened in film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Venice. He is also the co-founder of Greenlight Pictures, a film and television production house based in Kuala L ...

Collection that document the works of the Malaysian New Wave filmmakers. In 2014, The Cathay-Keris Malay Classics was inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. In keeping with its efforts to encourage an appreciation of Asian films, the AFA makes its collection available for public access through a reference collection at the library@esplande and through the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library at the National Library Building.

Cinema

AFA runs regular film programs at the Oldham Theatre, located at the

National Archives of Singapore The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) ( Malay: ''Arkib Negara Singapura'', Mandarin: 新加坡国家档案馆, Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய காப்பகம்) is the national archives of Singapore. It was for ...

building along Canning Rise. The 132-seat cinema is equipped to exhibit films from 4K digital projection to traditional 35mm. The cinema launched in April 2019 with a slate of 8 Asian horror films, including the classic ''Orang Minyak'' (1958) starring

P. Ramlee Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh (22 March 1929 – 29 May 1973), better known by his stage name P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), was a Malaysian actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer. Born in Penang, Malaya, he is regarded as a prominent icon ...

, and its Hong Kong riff, ''Oily Maniac'' (1976).

Restorations

To make more films available for viewing and research, the AFA restores films that have been preserved but are in deteriorating condition. The restoration of

Batch '81 ''Alpha Kappa Omega Batch '81'' (also known as ''Batch '81'' or ''ΑΚΩ 81'') is a 1982 Filipino psychological drama film directed by Mike de Leon from a screenplay he co-written with Clodualdo del Mundo Jr. and Raquel Villavicencio. The fi ...

(1983) was presented in the Venice Classics section during the

74th Venice International Film Festival The 74th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 30 August to 9 September 2017, at Venice Lido in Italy. American actress Annette Bening was the jury president for the main competition. Italian actor Alessandro Borghi hosted ...

in 2017. AFA's restoration of

Bambaru Avith ''Bambaru Avith (The Wasps are Here)'' () is a 1978 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed by Dharmasena Pathiraja and produced by director himself with Thilak Godamanne for Saranga Salaroo. It explores tradition and exploitation following the i ...

(1978) was selected for Cannes Classic 2020.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Organizations established in 2005 2005 establishments in Singapore Downtown Core (Singapore) Film archives in Asia Film organisations in Singapore FIAF-affiliated institutions