Multiculturalism through the Lens: A Guide to Ethnic and Migrant Anxieties in Singapore
Catherine Gomes
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810943332

This book weaves together critical studies of Singaporean films, compelling personal reflections, and analysis of the contemporary socio-political discourse. It probes into issues that arise from the dilemma of globalization and transnational migration in cosmopolitan Singapore and examines the angst of contemporary Singaporeans against the prevailing political order beyond the veneer of multiculturalism and government-sanctioned displays of social cohesion, inclusion, and harmony.

Through analyses of Singaporean films, Catherine Gomes writes about Singaporean anxieties concerning race, ethnicity, and identity construction. She writes honestly of dealing with being Eurasian, the 'Other' in Singapore, where ethnicity becomes a defining label. Her book is a great read while dealing with important issues of labour migration and ethnicity. This book will prove engaging to all Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans.

25: Histories and Memories of the Singapore International Film Festival
Ben Slater (ed.)
Singapore: Singapore International Film Festival Ltd., 2014
ISBN: 9789810933234

The first edition of the Singapore International Film Festival was held in 1987. It was the first major 'film' showcase to take place in Singapore and it was truly independent, created by a small group of passionate people who wanted to expand the horizons of cinema for local audiences. As the 25th edition of the festival looms, this publication takes a clear look back -- through articles, interviews and images -- on the festival's past, gathering together histories and memories, stories and insights into how the festival came to be, its growth, the spaces and places it inhabited, the struggles that were part of its existence, and the profound impact it had on both cinema-going and film-making in Singapore.

World Film Locations: Singapore
Lorenzo Cordelli (ed.)
Bristol: Intellect Books, 2014
ISBN: 9781783203611

A vibrant city and country nestled at the foot of the Malaysian peninsula, Singapore has long been a crossroads, a stopping point, and a cultural hub where goods, inventions, and ideas are shared and traded.

Though Singapore was home to a flourishing Chinese and Malay film industry in the 1950s and 1960s, between independence in 1965 and the early 1990s, few movies were made there. A new era for cinema in the sovereign city-state started with the international recognition of Eric Khoo's first features, followed by a New Wave comprised of graduates from local film schools. In recent years the Singapore film industry has produced commercially successful fare, such as the horror movie The Maid, as well as more artistic films like Sandcastle, the first Singaporean film to be selected for International Critic's Week at Cannes, and Ilo Ilo, which won the Caméra d'or at Cannes in 2013.  Covering the myths that surround Singaporean film and exploring the realities of the movies that come from this exciting city, World Film Locations: Singapore introduces armchair travelers to a rich, but less known, national cinema.

Singapore Shifting Boundaries: Social Change in the Early 21st Century
William S.W. Lim, Sharon Siddique & Tan Dan Feng (eds.)
Singapore: Asian Urban Lab, 2011
ISBN: 9789814022743

This book aims to depict the richly textured and nuanced fabric of social life in Singapore in the early 21st century, as Singaporeans live in a blur of shifting boundaries where past, present and future co-exist.

36 commentators, artists and activists of different ages and backgrounds share their views in stimulating and compact pieces that come in a variety of literary forms, including essays, commentaries, reflections, poems, dialogues, novel and script excerpts, blog entries and presentations.

These colourful pieces touch on identity, language, culture, ethnicity, sexuality, politics, memory, religion, geography, arts and activism, painting a picture of the complex and vibrant society that is Singapore today.

Latent Images: Film in Singapore [2nd ed]
Jan Uhde & Yvonne Ng Uhde
Singapore: NUS Press, 2009
ISBN: 9789971694562

Latent Images: Film in Singapore, first published in 2000, is the pioneer reference of Singapore cinema. This extensively updated edition with new illustrations presents a comprehensive examination of the country's film landscape from the early days of local film production up until the end of 2007. The wealth of material is clearly written and organized for quick and easy reference.

This edition presents new discoveries on the city's film history, which throw fresh light on its earliest feature productions. The update of Singapore film production between 2000 and 2007 discusses over 50 new feature films. New chapters investigate Singapore cinema in its regional and wider contexts, short film production and its impact on the development and filmmaking in the country, the role of censorship and film classification. New interviews with industry professionals and filmmakers are included, while expanded appendices provide quick reference to bio-filmographies of important Singapore filmmakers, the Singapore International Film festival statistics and awards, and a comprehensive list of films produced in Singapore between 1927 and 2007.