Having had the privilege of walking SGIFF’s red carpet in the past three years, there was a common sight at the event: Four ladies who would guide and welcome you. They are Looi Ping, Gao Wenxin, Amelia Pei, and Loe Min Si, supporting Gala Events Manager-cum-Superwoman Shining Goh. The four of them were all previous staffers at the festival, now at different jobs. Yet, year after year, they volunteer for the Opening Night.
Consistently comforted by their presence at the nerve-wracking red carpet, I asked one of them about their choice to return: Looi Ping has over 15 years of brand experience at brands like American Eagle, G2000 and Scoot. She worked as Marketing Manager at SGIFF during and after the COVID-19 pandemic when her predecessor had to leave.
Daryl: What were your highs and lows working at SGIFF?
Ping: The highs were seeing the fruits of your labour come together, and seeing the community come together from all walks of life, even if they are not from the film community. The lows would be the timeline coming together. It is a very lean organisation. But also, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
D: Your background was not in film. I’m curious what the impact of SGIFF has been on you?
P: Even though I was always more of a supporter standing on the fringes looking in, it was beautiful to witness the camaraderie, the shared love for storytelling, and how films brought people together. There was something special about how love for film could connect people across generations, backgrounds and stages of their journeys without prejudice or judgement, simply a shared love for stories and films.
And then there are the full-circle moments. I remember a director who first presented his short film at the festival 20 years ago, and seeing how far he has come since. Stories like his, alongside so many others, remind me that a festival is not just about the films we watch, but the journeys it witnesses and the people it brings together over the years.
D: Why do you come back every year for the Opening Night?
P: I came back because of the people. Nothing bonds you like going through the trials and tribulations of working together. We come back to support because we know the struggles, and we know how hard it is. It’s also a chance to watch the Opening Film (laughs).
D: Doesn’t it feel like Christmas or Thanksgiving? The whole family gathers once a year.
P: Yes! It feels like Christmas came early. Three years after leaving, I still get to return on opening night, see familiar faces I’ve worked with, slip right back into the usual banter, and for one night, relive a little of the past. We come back not because we have to, but because some places and the people in them leave a little mark in you. And no matter how much time has passed or where life has taken you, there’s something lovely about being able to return and, for one night, relive a happy familiar connection.
D: That sounds like the experience of going to the cinema.
Written by Daryl Cheong, edited by Phyllis Chan