#LoveWins This October With 6 LGBT-Centric Films At Golden Village’s Love & Pride Film Festival
There’s been a lot of discussion about LGBT rights in Singapore lately, and considering how complex the topic is it looks like that conversation will continue for the foreseeable future.
As is the case with most hot-button issues, sides are going to be taken, and it’s pretty clear where Golden Village stands. For the past nine years, the cinema chain has proudly played host to the Love & Pride Film Festival, a screening of LGBT-focused films curated by the Singapore Film Society.
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Image Credit: Golden Village[/caption]
As one of Golden Village’s most popular events (you don’t do something for nine straight years if it’s not in demand), it’s no surprise that the festival will return for its 10th edition this October, showcasing six independent films from all around the world over nine days.
Love Is Love
This year’s selection revolves around the theme of Acceptance, and seeks to resonate with not just the LGBT community, but straight audiences as well.
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Image Credit: Of Love And Law Facebook[/caption]
The festival will open with Of Love And Law, an award-winning documentary that follows two lovers who run Japan’s only LGBT law firm and the discrimination they and their clients face. After the screening, there’ll also be a 30-minute Skype Q&A with director Hikaru Toda, which for film enthusiasts will be worth the price of admission alone.
Another must-watch is The Miseducation of Cameron Post, which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance film festival. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz and based on the 2012 novel of the same name, this coming-of-age film shines a light on the controversial practice of conversion therapy and its “de-gaying” methods.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toXBb638n2Y]Other films include include Sorry Angel (France), The Heiresses (Paraguay), I Miss You When I See You (Hong Kong) and Alifu, The Prince/ss (Taiwan).
For your easy reference, here’s the complete festival schedule (all films are rated R21, btw):
Thursday, 4th October — Of Love And Law (Great World City, 7:30pm)
Friday, 5th October — Sorry Angel (Great World City, 7pm)
Saturday, 6th October — The Heiresses (Great Word City, 2pm), The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Great World City, 4pm)
Sunday, 7th October — I Miss You When I See You (Great World City, 2pm), Alifu, The Prince/ss (Great World City, 4:15pm)
Monday, 8th October — Of Love And Law (VivoCity, 7:30pm)
Tuesday, 9th October — Sorry Angel (VivoCity, 7pm)
Wednesday, 10th October — The Heiresses (VivoCity, 7pm)
Thursday, 11th October — I Miss You When I See You (VivoCity, 7:30pm)
Friday, 12th October — The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Great World City, 7:30pm)
Tickets for opening night are going at $23 and $25 for GV movie club members and the public respectively, while the other screenings are priced at $10 and $13.
You can get your tickets from 20th September onwards at Golden Village Cinemas, their website or the iGV app, so mark your calendars to avoid disappointment.
Love & Pride Film Festival 2018
Venue: Golden Village Great World City and VivoCity
Date: 4th – 12th October
Admission: $23/$25 (Opening Night), $10/$13 (Other Films)
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(Header Image Credit: Golden Village)
The Projector: How An Abandoned Theatre Became An Artsy Alternative Cinema
If you’ve heard of The Projector, you’ll know it is a completely alternative cinema concept.
Far from screening mainstream blockbusters, here you’ll find indie, foreign, cult favourite, classic, arthouse and local flicks.
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Image Credit: Celluloid Junkie[/caption]
But how did the fifth floor of the slightly crummy Golden Mile Tower come to house this artsy two-screen cinema?
Seems like its vintage appeal isn’t constructed at all, but stems from a long history we think you film buffs should know about…
The Golden Theatre
Once upon a time, there was the The Golden Theatre.
Situated in said Golden Mile Tower along Beach Road, it was once the largest cinema in all of Singapore and Malaysia.
Think: an impressive 1,500 stall and circle seats, all inside one massive movie theatre.
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Image Credit: Mapio[/caption]
For those born before 1973, you may know its constructor, Chong Gay Theatres, who are also the ones behind the homely Kallang Theatre.
Back in the day, The Golden Theatre was well-patronised for its Mandarin films, ‘adult’ artistic films, and even Bollywood hits.
Sadly, with sparkly new shopping malls sprouting up through the ‘90s, its popularity slowly waned.
The majestic theatre split up into smaller, separate halls–Golden 1 and Golden 2, both of which then sunk into disrepair.
The Fixer Uppers
Enter creative development company Pocket Projects, and design and architectural firm FARM.
This group of passionate cinephiles banded together to breathe new life into this old, derelict, but also historic space.
And so restoration works began, in the form of The Projector.
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Image Credit: Image Credit: The Projector[/caption]
The two halls also received new names, along with their new lease of life.
Golden 1 became the Green Room, and Golden 2, the Redrum–a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s classic ‘The Shining’.
Fast Forward
Today, the halls are once again as bustling as they were in the good old days.
Each of the two rooms at The Projector seats nearly 200 people, and are fitted with digital projectors.
The chairs in the front section of the Green Room have even been replaced with comfy bean bags.
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Image Credit: Pocket Projects[/caption]
They’ve also roped in Luna Films, the people in charge of curating local film festivals, to help select and bring in films to be screened.
Finally, to complete the movie-going experience, came the addition of a café to the cinema’s foyer, manned by Group Therapy Coffee. It sells classic movie snacks like popcorn, alongside burgers, pies, and cake, along with sodas, juices and their own coffee blends.
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Image Credit: The Projector[/caption]
If you’ve ever lamented the limited range of films in Singapore, you now know where to find a great independent cinema.
For all its history, The Projector itself is definitely as fascinating as the movies it screens, and is well worth a visit.
The Projector
Address: 6001 Beach Road, Golden Mile Tower #05-00, Singapore 199589
Opening Hours: Tue – Fri: 6.30pm – 9pm; Sat, Sun, PH: 1.00pm – 9pm; Closed on Mondays
Website
(Top Image Credit: SINdie & Pocket Projects)
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