PUBLISHED ONOctober 16, 2025 10:26 AMBYKristy ChuaSingapore indie film The Old Man and His Car will be screened at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, which will take place from Nov 6 to 23.
Written and directed by Singaporean filmmaker Michael Kam, the story centres around the recently widowed Hock (Lim Kay Tong) who has to part with his beloved car before travelling to Canada to start a new life with his son.
However, things do not go according to plan, and Hock spirals when he is unexpectedly abandoned. A close shave and chance encounter with a transgender buyer forces Hock to confront his past and future.
The film contains themes of ageing and caregiving, seeking to tell the message of "the unexpected connections that emerge when we open ourselves to the universe".
The cast also includes local actor Richard Low and transgender actress Kristin Tiara.
Michael said in a press release: "In the film, Hock's car is more than a hunk of metal to him. Instead, it is a repository of his memories and a poignant symbol of a life lived.
"This film is a personal story for me... I saw my father, a man who has always loved cars, reach a point where he had to eventually give up driving for good. A car represents independence, freedom, identity and status. Reflecting on the loss of that served as a catalyst for my film.
"To me, the process of letting go can be messy and painful, but sometimes also necessary. I wanted to explore themes of family, loss and the things we leave behind."
The Old Man and His Car will debut at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival this November, as well as make its homecoming screening at the Singapore International Film Festival 2025 from Nov 26 to Dec 7.
The film has also been nominated for the annual Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (Netpac) prize, which aims to promote Asian cinema by highlighting exceptional films and discovering new talent.
Founded in 1990 with the support of Unesco, Netpac is a pan-Asian cultural organisation composed of film critics, filmmakers and festival programmers.
Earlier this month, local actor Richie Koh received a Golden Horse Awards nomination for Best Leading Actor for his performance in A Good Child, which premiered in theatres on Oct 9.
Last year, made-with-Singapore film Stranger Eyes received six nominations at the 61st Golden Horse Awards, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay (Yeo Siew Hua). It won Best Original Film Score.
It was also selected to open the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival as well as the Singapore International Film Festival in 2024.
Mongrel, co-directed by Singaporean director Chiang Wei Liang and Taiwanese director Yin You-qiao, also received seven nominations including Best New Director, Best Leading Actor (Wanlop Rungkumjad), Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Hong) and Best Supporting Actress (Lu Yi-ching) at the same ceremony. It won Best New Director.
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