The Singapore International Film Festival is back, in its 23rd edition.

Started in 1986, the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF) typically screens hundreds of independent films from across the world of varying film culture and genre. Which equates to having the opportunity to watch movies that by normal means, would have no chance in hell of screening in local cinema.

Kicking off from tonight's opening film, "Mao's Last Dancer", the 23rd edition of the Singapore International Film Festival will be held till April 24th, with the closing film being Japanese director Miwa Nishikawa's latest work, "Dear Doctor".

We have a quick pick based on a brief glance on the film schedule as follows:


Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)

Screening on tomorrow night, this Sweden-made thriller might just be the cream of the crop, with rave review emerging everywhere, even from the incomparable Roger Ebert, who have credited the film a solid four-stars rating.


Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her uncle is convinced that she was murdered. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history.



To kako: Stin epohi ton iroon (Evil: In the Time of Heroes)

Full scale Sword-And-Sandal versus Zombie crossover. This one is especially recommended for all the Daily Zombies out there. It's like "Spatacus: Blood And Sand". Only with more blood and brains (as in brain juices), less sands.


Ancient Greek Zombies! A low budget genre film with zombies, ancient Greek warriors and Billy Zane.


The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

Not for the faint-hearted, this UK/Netherland production is as grisly as Euro-Horror come, and perhaps a little more so. We have already put up an official preview of this number on this one. In the meantime, check out the plot synopsis and do note carefully that they said it on the poster: "100% Medically Accurate".


Two American girls end up end up in an isolated villa when their car breaks down in the middle of the woods. They awake trapped in a terrifying makeshift basement hospital along with a Japanese man. Their captor is a retired surgeon specialising in separating Siamese twins. However, his three “patients” are not about to be separated, but joined together in a horrific operation to connect people via their gastric system, bringing to life his sick fantasy, “The Human Centipede”.