Frequently asked questions

Please refer to our membership fee page for details.

Senior citizen discount applies if you are 50 years old and older.

It depends on whether you sign up for the 3-month, 6-month or 12-month individual membership.

SFS Reel Cards are valid for 2 years.

Your membership period includes the month of joining, irrespective of the day of the month on which you join. For example, if you sign up for a 12-month membership on 31 January 2005, your membership will begin from the month of January and end on the last day of December 2005. Please see our Join Us page for details.

No, you may not give your membership card to a friend. However, with the SFS Reel Card, you may bring up to 2 guests to SFS screenings. Details for the SFS Reel Card are here.

There are 2 ways to sign up for SFS membership:

• Sign on online (click here). It usually takes about 1 or 2 weeks to process your cheque payment.
• Come to any of our members-only core screenings, and sign up at the door. We will issue your membership card on the spot. Please arrive about 15 minutes early so that you have enough time to sign up. (Please check our home page for the next scheduled core screening)

Just show up at any of our SFS core screenings at GV Marina, The Picturehouse or The Gallery Theatre at The National Museum of Singapore to renew your membership at our table. The next screening date is shown on our homepage at www.sfs.org.sg.

You may also renew by completing the online form on our website and mailing us a cheque. However, this will take more time because we do not issue a membership card until your cheque is processed by the bank. Therefore, we recommend coming in person with cash to renew.

SFS core screenings are for members-only with the exception of the World Cinema Series. We do not sell tickets to the public (except for the film festivals we organize, which are not core screenings).

However, you are welcome to sign up at the door. We will issue you with a membership card on the spot, and you can then attend the screening.

Alternatively, you may attend a screening as a guest of a SFS Reel Card holder. SFS Reel Card holders may bring up to 2 guests.

More info:

• What our members get
• Membership rates
• Sign up online

Yes, if you are using the SFS Reel Card. You may bring up to 2 guests.

Our films are usually screened at GV Marina, The Picturehouse or The Gallery Theatre at The National Museum of Singapore. Please see our venues page for details of these locations.

Yes for our core screenings. For film festivals, seating may or may not be assigned.

Since January 2008, our screenings consist of these components:

1. Core screenings at GV Marina at 9pm on first and third Wednesdays every month except April.
2. World Cinema Series screenings at the Gallery Theatre at The National Museum of Singapore at 7:30pm on every 2nd Tuesday of the month.
3. SFS Talkies at The Picturehouse on certain Saturday afternoons.

For (1), we have to set the screening time at 9pm due to the constraints posed by the venues and our partners.We have to book slots that align with the regular session time of the cinemas. As you know, local commercial cinemas usually allocate two sessions every night, one at around 7.00pm and another at around 9.00pm. Therefore, we cannot book a time slot starting from 8pm which will actually eat into both evening sessions for a cinema hall. If we do so, the cinemas will charge us for double sessions' rental.

The films shown at SFS screenings are generally uncut. However, circumstances beyond our control or our working partners' control may occasionally necessitate deviations from these standards. If a film has been cut, we will make every effort to indicate this on our website and in our publicity materials.

Under Singapore law, all films exhibited in Singapore have to be reviewed and certified by the Board of Film Censors. The current classification system does allow most films to be shown intact under these ratings:

• NC16 -- No Children below 16 years old
• M18 -- Mature 18 for persons 18 years old and above
• R21 -- Restricted to persons 21 years old and above

More information regarding film ratings can be found on Media Development Authority's website.

No. The society's policy is to screen English-subtitled versions. We believe that films should always be shown and seen in their original language, unless extenuating circumstances do not allow the procurement of such original versions.

As in most markets, Singapore's commercial cinemas screen mainly American and Hong Kong-made productions. The society sources its films from all over the world; regular fare includes British, French, German, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese films ... These are but a few examples of the countries-of-origin featured.

Our aim is to showcase high quality movies to promote the appreciation of cinema as a medium of both art and entertainment. We therefore are able to obtain and programme many films which may otherwise not be commercially viable in Singapore.

Generally no. But for certain special events we do try to make this provision where our partners allow it.

SFS screens both 16mm and 35mm films.

No. SFS rents films from distributors and libraries around the world.

SFS is run by an executive committee elected at the Annual General Meeting. Kenneth Tan, Chairman since 1984, has more than fifteen years of film festival marketing and management experience. The committee comprises professionals with extensive experience and deep personal interest in film.

We are flattered whenever someone sends us a resumé. Unfortunately, SFS is run by a committee of part-time, unpaid volunteers. If you are passionate about films and want to be a volunteer and help out without being paid, please feel free to approach any committee member when you attend our screenings.

Over the years, the society has amassed considerable experience and expertise in sourcing and selecting movies that appeal to the Singaporean film-going public; negotiating favourable procurement and shipping arrangements; coordinating international film traffic procedures; liaising with the Board of Film Censors and other regulatory and licensing bodies; researching, writing, designing and producing programme brochures and programme notes; convening, hosting and managing press and media conferences to ensure optimal coverage of events; overseeing and running the operations aspects at screening venues to ensure trouble-free screenings.

We come in as a co-organising partner, take ownership of the event, and plan, shape, and market it for maximum impact. We are responsible for over one hundred such screenings every year. Take a look at our screening calendar.

No. We are a non-profit organization. Out-of-pocket expenses are billed at cost.

Please go to our links page and try the website of the Singapore Film Commission (SFC). We have included a link to their section providing detailed information.

Please go to our links page and try the website of the Media Development Authority (MDA). We have included a link to their database search page, which lets you search ratings by film title.

The Singapore Film Commission (SFC) gives out small grants to local film makers. Conditions apply. Please refer to SFC's website.

Here is a list of existing film distributors in Singapore. The ones marked with an asterisk (*) are relatively "indie-friendly".

Screening rights or copyright

If you want to show any movie (DVD, VCD, VHS,or whatever format), you need to find out who owns the screening rights or copyright. It may be distributor or filmmaker or whoever. You will then have to ask them for permission to show the film and to get a copy of it. Sometimes it can take months to do research on the Internet to find out who owns the copyright. If there is a local copyright holder in Singapore then it will take a lot less time.

However, some movies may have an international copyright holder, so it may take more time for you to get permission to show it. It could be very expensive. For example, many films from overseas will charge at $1000 to $2,500 U.S for copyright and film rental for 16 mm or 35 mm film. Of course, DVD, VHS, or Beta will cost a lot less. Could be a few hundred dollars U.S.

Also, if there are very limited copies of the film available for rental, then you may have to wait to get it.

Venue

If you plan on showing the movie in a proper theatre or venue, then you will also need to rent a hall, projector (depending on what equipment is available in the venue and the format of the movie you want to show), and projectionist. You can rent a venue from Golden Village, Cathay, Alliance Francaise, Singapore History Museum, The Arts House, or Substation. Rental fees will vary but they usually charge more for weekend time slots.

If you are showing a R21 movie, then you need to make sure that the venue has a R21 license. Otherwise, you cannot show it at that venue.

Censorship

All films should be sent to Media Development Authority for censorship and rating before you show them with the proper forms filled out. The MDA will charge you a fee. (See the next FAQ for details.)

It will give you the procedure for holding public screenings. It also has some information about copyright.

To summarize

Basically, when the SFS organizes a screening, we have to:

• Decide which film we want to show.
• Look for the owner of the copyright on the Internet etc.
• Make contact with him/her to find out how much it costs to show or rent it.
• Submit copies (this can be DVD or VHS) to the MDA for censorhip and rating.
• Book the venue and equipment.
• Arrange for delivery of the reels of film if we are going to screen 16 mm or 35 mm film format at the venue.
• Publicize the screening to our members.