Singapore’s car-racing film Oversteer (2024) won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 2025 Vienna Independent Film Festival (Viff), which was held from Sept 15 to 17.
The film’s director Derrick Lui, who travelled alone to the Austrian capital to receive the awards, could not contain his excitement in an interview with Chinese-language evening daily Shin Min Daily News.
“I’m very happy and very grateful,” said Lui, who is in his late 40s. “Oversteer took a full decade from conception to completion. This isn’t just Best Feature Film – it’s also my first Best Director award.”
Oversteer tells the story of a young man Wind, played by actor Aden Tan, who gives up everything to pursue his passion for racing. The film also stars Zhang Yaodong, Jannassa Neo, Grace Teo and Hanrey Low.
Shot entirely with professional drivers and real cars, the film impressed the international jury with its breathtaking racing scenes and delicate family moments.
In its award citation, the jury specifically noted that the Best Director award was given to Lui for his “masterful blend of a tight plot, heartfelt family drama and the adrenaline of racing”.
Lui said the enthusiastic response from the international audiences at the Vienna screenings left him deeply impressed by the Mandarin film’s power to transcend languages and cultures. The film has some Cantonese and English dialogue as well.
He admitted that during production, the team faced severe funding shortages and little confidence from other people, prompting him to even consider retirement.
“Independent film-making is incredibly challenging, but we persevered,” he said. “We’re more determined than ever to create even better works now that our efforts have been recognised.”
Thanking the cast and crew for their dedication, he said: “This achievement would not be possible without them.”
Besides the Viff, the film has also made waves at other film festivals, including the Red Movie Awards in Reims, France; Bangkok Movie Awards in Thailand; and Urban Action Showcase in New York in the United States.
Lui also praised the performance of Zhang, who played Wind’s father, as “brilliant and richly layered”, and revealed that they will soon be collaborating on another project.
The filmmaker added that he will be attending the Dili International Film Festival in Timor-Leste this week with Zhang and other team members. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
