-Opens 9 May-

Join us for a live Q&A on 9 and 11 May with Director Nicole Midori Woodford and Actress Mihaya Shirata!

9 May, 7.30pm:

Creativity and Storytelling in the Independent Space

Panelists - Jeremy Chua, Nicole Midori Woodford, Mihaya Shirata

Moderator - Oon Shu An

11 May, 4.30pm:

Building Bonds in the Creative Process (Mother’s Day Weekend Special)

Panelists - Nicole Midori Woodford, Philothea Liau, Mihaya Shirata

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Ho Chi Minh City International Film Festival 2024 Winner - Jury Prize, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects

"A delicate debut feature about death, memory and remembrance" - Filmtopia

"Melancholic and sensitive film about the psychology of loss" - Cineuropa 

"A dreamlike and phantasmagorical atmosphere" - Caiman Cuadernos de Cine

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Haunted by recurring apparitions, 16-year-old Ami embarks on a journey from Singapore to Japan in search for her missing mother. On arrival in Tokyo, a cynical taxi-driving uncle whom she meets for the first time becomes her custodian and reluctant guide to the family hometown with a dark past. The road, paved with hauntings and hallucinations, traces her mother’s footsteps into mental decline. As Ami’s eyes begin to open to the nether world, a bond is slowly forged between uncle and niece. Amidst the transforming landscapes, Ami’s enigmatic dreams and lost mother unveil their true nature.

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Nicole Midori Woodford, Director

Nicole Midori Woodford is an award-winning Singaporean film director and writer. Her debut feature film ‘Last Shadow at First Light’ premiered at San Sebastián International Film Festival in 2023. An alumna of Berlinale Talents, Asian Film Academy and Torino Film Lab, Nicole is a recipient of the prestigious Young Artist Award in 2020.

Jeremy Chua, Producer

Jeremy Chua is the General Manager of the Singapore International Film Festival. In 2014, he founded Singapore-based independent film label Potocol as a creative house to produce films, videos, installations and artwork for distinctive Asian auteurs. His recent films include Some Rain Must Fall by Qiu Yang (Winner of Encounters Jury Prize Berlinale 2024), and Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell by Pham Thien An (Winner of Cannes Camera d’Or 2023).

Philothea Liau, Co-producer

Philothea Liau, casting director and co-producer of Last Shadow at First Light, boasts 18 years of industry expertise. As a co-founder of Hello Group, she's instrumental in shaping over 450 successful casting projects across diverse media, locally and internationally, expanding the group's global influence beyond casting to talent management and more.

Mihaya Shirata, Actress

Mihaya Shirata is a Japanese actress, who was born in Kanagawa prefecture and raised in Hawaii until 2018.

Last Shadow at First Light is her first main role for a feature film.

She has been nominated for Best Newcomer at the Asian Film Awards and for Best Performance at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Oon Shu An, Actress

Oon Shu An, a versatile actor, graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts and co-founded TheatreStrays. Known for her roles in theatre, TV, and film, including Netflix's Marco Polo and HOOQ's How to be a Good Girl. Award-winning for her performances, she starred in acclaimed productions like Grounded and Renovaid.