Singapore 2003

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SIFF) 2003 Last year, the 15th SIFF received a quarter million Singapore dollars from the Singapore Film Commission (SFC). This year, no money was forthcoming - yet the quality and quantity of the programming was not compromised. In fact, critics from Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Britain and even those from Singapore, praised the impressive programme - in particular the Asian film selection for which the SIFF is known and which has made it № 3 in Asia, after Pusan and Hong Kong. Noted British film critic Derek Malcolm wrote in The Guardian that the 16th SIFF (17 April-3 May 2003) was "one of the strongest for some time", while Wong T. C., chairman of the Malaysian Art Film Club tagged it "one of the best in years". But then the unforeseen happened. The 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak in early March looked set..