Singapore film about censorship refused classification by IMDA, remains in SGIFF lineup

A local film exploring the impact of Singapore’s judiciary on personal lives, that was slated to screen at the upcoming 35th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), has been “refused classification” by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
The decision by IMDA essentially means that the film, Small Hours Of The Night by Singaporean director Daniel Hui, has been pulled from the festival and cannot be screened publicly. 
In a statement, IMDA said: “In consultation with the Ministry of Law and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, IMDA has assessed the film to have content that is potentially contrary to the law, i.e. illegal. It would be likely to be prejudicial to national interests to approve it for screening.
“Under the Film Classification Guidelines, ‘any material that undermines or is likely to undermine public order, or is likely to be prejudicial to national interest’ will be refused classification.”
In response to IMDA’s decision, SGIFF programme director Thong Kay Wee released a statement on the festival’s Instagram page to reiterate its support for the film’s award-winning director, Daniel Hui.
The statement read: “While the film cannot be screened, we will continue to provide its creators with a platform for their voices to be heard; Daniel will continue to participate in several other events under the SGIFF umbrella as a panellist speaker.”
The film is an official selection under the “Undercurrent” strand, which is the festival’s curation of innovative and experimental filmmaking, while Hui will also be featured as a panellist at the festival, contributing to discussions on creative processes and local filmmaking.
SGIFF will take place from Nov 28 to Dec 8.
Hui’s film premiered worldwide at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year where it was described as a “rare political work from Singapore”. It then had its North American premiere at Doc Fortnight at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and its Asian premiere at the Taipei International Film Festival. It was also recently screened as part of the Experimenta Strand at the BFI London Film Festival.
The political docu-drama is set in a room where a person is being interrogated. It draws on the real-life story of Tan Chu Boon, who was prosecuted in the 1980s for revolutionary inscriptions on his brother Tan Chay Wa’s grave, just before his execution.
Tan Chay Wa, a senior member of the Malayan National Liberation Front, fled to Malaysia in 1976 during Singapore’s crackdown on communists. He was arrested in 1979 and sentenced to death for possessing a pistol and ammunition. He was executed by hanging in 1983 in Kuala Lumpur and his remains were brought to Singapore for burial.
Tan Chu Boon was imprisoned for a year for the subversive tombstone inscription that honoured his brother as a martyr, but his sentence was later reduced to one month on appeal.
The film was produced by Tan Bee Thiam and Hui through 13 Little Pictures, with support from Purin Pictures and White Light Studios. The film received funding from the Tan Ean Kiam Foundation and the SGIFF Southeast Asian Documentary Grant in 2020, which is administered by the festival.
“As the director of this film, the irony does not escape me that a film about censorship is itself being censored. I am of course very disappointed that people all around the world can see this film, but not in Singapore,” Hui said in a statement that was reported by Variety. 
“However, I remain hopeful that one day, we will have a discursive space in Singapore that is gracious and generous enough to include diverse voices and points of view.”
SGIFF programme director Thong described the film as “a gripping psychodrama that deserves to be seen and appreciated by audiences” and explained that SGIFF selected it for its “unique exploration of time, identity, and memory”.
Other local films have previously been barred in Singapore. In 2022, #LookAtMe, directed by Ken Kwek, was refused classification by IMDA due to “the potential to cause enmity and social division in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society”. Kwek’s 2012 film, Sex.Violence.FamilyValues, also faced issues with authorities. Initially pulled from release for dialogue deemed racist, it was later edited, reclassified, and re-released a few months later.
In 2013, the documentary To Singapore, With Love, written and directed by Tan Pin Pin, was classified as “Not for All Ratings” by IMDA as the film was said to “undermine national security”. The classification was previously used for films that could not be screened or distributed in Singapore.