Malay-language comedy La Luna selected as Singapore’s Oscar entry for best international feature film

Directed by M Raihan Halim and produced by Singapore’s Clover Films and ACT 2 Pictures as well as Malaysia’s Papahan Films and Hong Kong’s One Cool Film ,  La Luna tells the story of a woman named Hanie ( Sharifah Amani ) who opens a lingerie shop in a conservative Malaysian village.

It was released in November 2023 and has played at several film events around the world including the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival, the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Shanghai International Film Festival.

In a statement, IMDA’s associate chief executive of advertising, technology, communications and marketing Justin Ang said: “We are excited to be presenting La Luna as Singapore’s access for the 2025 Awards. This has been another wonderful time for made-with-Singapore pictures with robust presence at events like Cannes, Venice and Busan.

” La Luna is a great testament to Singapore’s multi-lingual and multi-ethnic make up that gives rise to engaging stories. We are proud of M Raihan Halim and the production crew and cast and we look forward to great information at the 2025 Oscar. ”

The show’s main sun Sharifah Amani added:” Being Hanie Abdullah in La Luna was a deeply personal practice for me, and then, to see it being recognised by Singapore as their standard selection for the Oscars is just strange.

” Every picture has its own existence, and La Luna felt like a piece of art that was born from the love and difficult work of all involved. I am so thankful to the extraordinary group behind La Luna, to Singapore for embracing this account and to every market part who found a little bit of themselves in this movie. This reputation is for all of us who believe in the power of story to tunnel split. I’m really grateful and thrilled for what’s to arrive. “