Aamir Khan To Receive Screen Icon Award At Singapore International Film Festival

Superstar Aamir Khan will be honoured with the Screen Icon Award at the 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), where he will also attend a special screening marking 25 years of his Oscar-nominated film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India.

Khan will attend the screening of the 2001 period sports drama alongside director Ashutosh Gowariker. He will also participate in the festival’s “In Conversation With” series, Variety reported.

‘Lagaan’ To Mark 25 Years

Set in 1893 during British rule in India, Lagaan follows villagers who, burdened by oppressive taxes imposed by a British officer, stake their future on an unlikely game of cricket.

The film stood out for its unconventional storyline, period setting and lengthy runtime, while going on to become a critical and commercial success.

Lagaan was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2002 Academy Awards but lost the award to the Bosnian film No Man’s Land.

SGIFF To Feature Major Asian Film Personalities

The Singapore International Film Festival will be held from October 21 to November 1 and will feature several prominent Asian filmmakers and actors.

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong are among those scheduled to attend.

The festival will open with the South Korean political thriller The Assassin, starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho. Director Hur Jin-ho and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon will attend the opening.

Hirokazu Kore-eda To Receive Honorary Award

Kore-eda, known for films including Nobody Knows, Like Father, Like Son, Monster and Palme d’Or winner Shoplifters, will receive the festival’s Cinema Honorary Award for his contribution to Asian cinema.

His latest film, Look Back, will have its Southeast Asian premiere at the festival. Adapted from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s one-shot manga, the live-action film follows two girls whose shared passion for drawing manga develops into a friendship as they grow up.

The festival’s “In Conversation With” series will also feature Kore-eda, Shim, Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan and Wong.

Other filmmakers and industry figures attending include South Korean filmmaker Yim Soon-rye, Japanese director Koji Fukada, cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa and Hong Kong filmmaker Jacob Cheung.