Movie ticket discounts - GV, Cathay, Shaw & Filmgarde

With an array of discounts and promotions all the time, it is perhaps never too smart to buy movie tickets or even popcorn at regular price. This is especially true for weekend tickets for blockbuster films (or "premium films" in the opening week, as one cinema operator calls it). So here is a list of the current discounts for reference. Note that most of them are only available for walk-in customers at the box office, and not for phone bookings etc.

GOLDEN VILLAGE PROMOTIONS

1. DBS/POSB Credit & Debit Card discount

Discount of $1 to $1.50 (depending on session)

Conditions:

• Payment must be made with DBS/POSB Credit or Debit card, through Visa or MasterCard
• Only applicable for box office and online web purchases
• Exclusions apply, such as selected public holidays and their eves, and during opening week of blockbuster titles

2. SAFRA Card discount

$7.50 weekday tickets (except Fridays) and $9 Friday and weekend tickets

Conditions:

• Only applicable for purchases at box office and through SAFRA websites; regular films (i.e. non-3D etc) only
• Maximum of 10 discounted tickets
• Exclusions apply, such as selected public holidays and their eves, and during opening week of blockbuster titles

3. VISA Platinum, Signature and Infinite Card discount

Get the 4th ticket free with 3 purchased

Conditions:

• Valid for Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings only
• Applicable for online purchases only, and payment must be charged to the Visa card

4. Golden Village Movie Club discount

$6.50 for regular films on Tuesdays

Conditions:

• Box office and online purchases only
• Not valid where a Tuesday falls on an eve of/or public holiday

5. GV Student Price

$7 for regular films before 6pm from Mondays to Fridays

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• Each student card is entitled to 1 ticket only

6. GV Senior Citizen discount

$4.50 for regular films before 6pm from Mondays to Fridays

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• For senior citizens aged 55 and above only

7. DBS PayLah! app discount

Book your tickets via the PayLah! app to enjoy a $2.50 discount off your Golden Village movie tickets every Wednesday (limited to first 5,000 tickets, max 4 tickets for each transaction).

From Mondays to Sundays, enjoy $1 off all standard 2D and 3D movie tickets. Simply tap the GV icon on the DBS PayLah! app to make your booking.

CATHAY CINEPLEXES PROMOTIONS

1. MasterCard, UOB Card, Selected American Express Cards, NTUC Plus! Card and PAssion Card discount

$7 from Mondays to Thursdays, excluding public holidays and eves

$9.50 from Fridays to Sundays and public holidays and eves

Conditions

• Box office purchases only; regular films (i.e. non-3D etc) only
• Additional $1 for blockbuster titles applies for MasterCard, UOB and American Express

2. Cathay Student Price

$7 for regular films before 6pm from Mondays to Fridays, and receive 12oz Coke

Conditions

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• Each student card is entitled to 1 ticket and 1 drink only

3. Cathay Senior Citizen discount

$4 for regular films before 6pm from Mondays to Fridays, and receive free coffee/tea

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• For senior citizens aged 55 and above only

SHAW THEATRES PROMOTIONS

1. Citibank Card and OCBC Card discount

2 regular movie tickets, one 85oz popcorn and two 32oz drinks for $25

2. OCBC Card discount

$1 discount for regular movie ticket

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only
• Payment must be charged to a Citibank/OCBC Credit or Debit Card

3. UOB Card discount

$7.50 tickets for Monday to Thursdays, excluding public holidays and eves (minimum of 2 tickets)

$28 for 2 regular tickets, two 46oz popcorns and two 22oz drinks

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; regular films (non-3D, non-IMAX etc) only
• Payment must be charged to a UOB Credit or Debit Card

4. Maybank Card discount

$23 for 2 regular tickets and a large popcorn combo (one 85oz popcorn and 32oz drink)

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only
• Payment must be charged to a Maybank card

5. PAssion Card and NTUC Card discount

$7.50 from Mondays to Thursdays, excluding public holidays and eves

$10 from Fridays to Sundays and public holidays and eves

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; regular films (i.e. non-3D, non-IMAX etc) only
• Cardholders may only purchase between 2 and 4 tickets (inclusive) per day

6. Shaw Student Price

For screenings before 6pm on Mondays to Fridays,

$6.50 for regular ticket, $9 for 3D ticket, $12 for IMAX 2D ticket, and $14 for IMAX 3D ticket

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• 1 discounted ticket per student pass

7. Shaw Senior Citizen discount

For screenings before 6pm on Mondays to Fridays,

$4 for regular ticket, $12 for IMAX 2D ticket, and $14 for IMAX 3D ticket

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• For senior citizens aged 55 and above only

FILMGARDE CINEPLEX PROMOTIONS

1. Filmgarde Student Price

$7 for regular films and $9 for 3D films, before 6pm from Mondays to Fridays

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• 1 ticket per student pass

2. Filmgarde Senior Citizen discount

$4 for regular films before 5pm from Mondays to Fridays

Conditions:

• Box office purchases only; excludes public holidays and their eves
• For senior citizens aged 55 and above only

Note: This is a non-exhaustive list of discounts presently offered at local cinemas. The conditions listed are not comprehensive and are subject to change by cinema operators and/or their partners. Validity period differs for each promotion. Limits to number of purchases might not have been listed above but still apply. The above are the author's interpretation of the terms and conditions. Information consolidated herein are intended for reference only.

Shaw Theatres Lido Hall 1

After introducing the Shaw Lido cineplex earlier on, let us take a look at Hall 1 of the same cinema. It is on level 6 and is accessed through the narrow escalator together with halls 2 and 3.

Hall 1 is the biggest hall of all 11 screens, with a capacity of about over 400. It is configured to have rows A to Z, with two side aisles and a middle aisle.

Seating configuration. The screen is positioned at the top (i.e. in front of row U).
Image from www.shaw.sg

Different from other big halls like GVmax and Grand Cathay, the entrance is located somewhere at the top right of the image. Curtains concealing the entrance are closed when the movie starts so as to keep out the light.There is also male and female toilets on the left, which is exclusively for patrons in this hall so you can visit the washroom in the middle of the movie. One notable feature is that there are pillars near the sides of the hall (actually some other halls in Lido also have pillars, like Lido 7). The screen is large and bright, located in front of something like a stage. As with other cinemas, the curtains open up further to reveal a wider screen after the commercials.

Entrance located on the right.
Observe that the seats are positioned radially and form an arc so that every seat faces the screen.

Like the other halls, the seats are all fitted with headrests. They are one of the more comfortable seats around. Seat numbers are near the edge of the armrests and be sure to put your drink or popcorn on the right armrest facing the screen.

Lido halls are fitted with these ergonomic seats. They are well shaped, though they feel slightly harder and less soft than in other cinemas.

Overall, the great screen, new and comfortable seats, nice carpeting and outstanding cinematic atmosphere makes Shaw Lido Theatre 1 stand out among the crowd! Perhaps one of the few downsides is that it can get a bit cold at times if the theatre is not packed, so bring a jacket along or wear some sleeves. Do try out Lido 1 someday!

Movie Ticket Promotions at Cathay Cineplexes

Love watching movies at Cathay? Thankfully, they've got one of the widest range of promotions for your cinematic needs in 8 cinema locations around our little island. Here's a compilation of the best promotions and discounts that will save you that extra dollar or two at the movies.

1. Shopback

Shopback is a cashback website that earns you a portion of your online purchase amount. It partners a variety of websites such as Expedia, Zalora, Taobao and Food Panda to bring you differing amounts of cashback savings. Simply logon to Shopback and click through to Cathay Cineplexes to make your online ticket booking, and get 4% of your purchase amount as cashback! Whats more, get $10 total welcome bonus when you signup through this referral link.

1. Signup for Shopback through this link for your extra $5, plus another $5 on first purchase.
2. On the Shopback website, search for Cathay Cineplexes.
3. On the Shopback page, click to get redirected to the Cathay Cineplexes website, and then book your movie ticket as per normal.
4. Within a week, your purchase will be logged and the cashback savings will appear on your account.

2. Mastercard

Make your ticket purchase at the box office, self ticketing kiosk or mobile app, and pay with your Mastercard credit or debit card to enjoy preferential rates! Discounted tickets are $8.50 on Mondays to Thursdays, and $11 on Fridays, weekends, public holidays and eves. Whats more, enjoy $1 off any combo such as popcorn, nacho and hotdog combo.

3. PAssion Card

Members of People's Association PAssion Card can enjoy discounted ticket packages which includes a standard 2D ticket and a $5 food and beverage voucher for your favourite movie bites. These are $11.50 for weekdays, and $14.50 for weekends, PH and eves. Each PAssion card can purchase up to 5 ticket packages.

4. Watsons

Watsons members can enjoy movie packages with great value. These consist of two standard movie tickets, two 22oz (650ml) soft drinks, and a large sweet or salted popcorn. These are priced at $22 Mondays to Thursdays, and $30 Fridays and weekends. Show your membership card or e-card to enjoy the offer.

5. Singtel

1 for 1 movie tickets exclusively on Thursdays at The Cathay at Handy Road for Singtel users. Show your Singtel logo on your mobile device, or your latest Singtel bill, and be the first 500 patrons every Thursday to enjoy the offer.

6. Student and Senior Citizens

Cathay has got this group covered, with $7 tickets for students, and $5 tickets for senior citizens. Only for shows screened before 6pm on weekdays. Check out this post for more information.

2018 Student and Senior Citizen Movie Ticket Discounts

Cinema operators in Singapore have long offered great ticket discounts to students and senior citizens. Here is a list of the preferential prices you can enjoy as a student (primary, secondary and tertiary students such as polytechnic students and university undergraduates with student ID) and as a senior citizen (55 years and above with valid identification card). Be sure to bring your ID card as proof to enjoy these lower rates. Only 1 discounted ticket is permitted per ID card.

For Golden Village, Cathay and Shaw, these prices are valid for showtimes before 6pm Mondays thru Fridays, excluding public holidays and eves. Other rules apply for Filmgarde and WE Cinemas, as listed below. They are not valid on online, app and phone bookings. Keep this list handy to save you some money at the theatres!

1. Golden Village

Students
$7 per standard movie ticket, $8 for GVmax, $10 for D-Box
Top up $2 for 3D movies

Senior Citizens 
$4.50 per standard movie ticket.

These are valid exclusively at the box office and automated ticketing machines.

2. Cathay Cineplexes

Students
$7 per normal ticket, and $8 for 3D movies

Senior Citizens
$5 per normal ticket

Tickets only available for same day purchase at the box office counters.

3. Shaw Theatres

Students
$6.50 per regular ticket, $9 for 3D, $12 for IMAX, and $14 for IMAX 3D ticket

Senior Citizens
$4 per regular ticket, $12 for IMAX digital, and $14 for IMAX 3D

4. Filmgarde Cineplex

Students
$10 per regular ticket, including a free small popcorn and small drink
$13 per 3D ticket, with a free small popcorn and small drink of your choice

Senior Citizens
$4 per ticket (for weekday shows before 5pm only, excluding PH and eve)

5. WE Cinemas

Students
$7 per standard ticket, $8 for 3D, and $9 per ATMOS ticket

All day on Mondays to Wednesdays, and before 6pm on Thursdays and Fridays. Excludes PH and eves.

Senior Citizens
$4.50 per standard ticket, and $6.50 per 2D ATMOS ticket

Valid weekdays for movies screened before 6pm, excluding PH and eves.

Maybank Platinum Visa Credit Card - Promotion

Low 15% interest rate
No annual fee (conditional waiver of quarterly service fee)
Limited 1-for-1 movie deals
24 free movies at Cathay Cineplexes while stocks last

The Maybank Platinum Visa is a practical credit card to own. It boasts of a lower-than-usual interest rate of 15% per annum, and brings along benefits such as promotions at Popeyes, Shaw Theatres and online merchants including Asos, Zalora, iTunes and Qoo10. For party-goers there is also an attractive list of privileges at Attica & Attica Too and Le Noir. Maybank charges a quarterly service fee of $20 for the card but this is waived if you charge any amount to the card once every 3 months. All monthly statements are online, and a supplementary card is available free of charge. Plus you get tr’eats Points every time you charge to your card and travel insurance coverage of up to $500,000.

Details of dining & retail benefits:

• At Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen outlets (excluding Changi Airport Terminal 3 and Singapore Flyer), purchase any Combo Meal and get 2-piece Bonafide™ chicken free, limited to 250 redemptions per month
• Enjoy 1-for-1 movie deal at Shaw Theatres (except Century), limited to first 60 redemptions per Monday to Sunday week
• 1-for-1 tr'eats Points at Asos, Chic Kiss Love (and enjoy 10% discount on items), iTunes, Qoo10 and Zalora
• Priority access and various privileges at Attica & Attica Too and Le Noir in Clarke Quay

Now for the first 5,000 new customers, enjoy 24 free movies at any of the 7 Cathay Cineplexes (in the form of E!Pass by Maybank) when you apply for a Maybank Platinum Visa Card, Family & Friends Platinum MasterCard or Horizon Platinum Visa Card and CreditAble. Go on and charge S$50 to your new Maybank Card within the first month, and, also within the first month of approval, utilise S$50 from your new CreditAble Account to enjoy this offer! A three year fee waiver is valid for new applicants. To find out more about the promotion, visit Maybank - Platinum Visa Card.

NOTE:

• As with other credit cards, applicants must meet nationality, age and income requirements
• Card account must be maintained in good standing for interest rate to be at 15%; unless a clean payment record of 6 months duration is maintained, a 24% per annum interest rate will apply instead
• Minimum repayment rate is 3% of outstanding balance or S$20, whichever is higher, plus any outstanding amount due from previous statements
• Click on the link to access full terms and conditions
• Additional terms and conditions governing the 24 free movie promotion and the use of the E!Pass by Maybank apply

Maybank Family & Friends Platinum MasterCard - Promotion

5% cash rebates at top merchants

3 year annual fee waiver

24 free movies at Cathay Cineplexes

The Family & Friends Platinum MasterCard gives you cash back for every dollar spent at an impressive list of merchants. It offers a generous 5% cash rebate at some of our most familiar and frequented stores - such as NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, POPULAR Bookstores, Watsons and Toys "R" Us. Additionally, it also extends to the delivery services of Canadian Pizza, KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut. Your groceries, beauty products, magazines, night cravings and items for your little ones would be well worth your dollar. A 0.3% rebate is applicable for all other purchases made with the credit card.

Out of Singapore, the rebate can also be enjoyed at the LEGOLAND® Malaysia resort. And if you frequently drive to neighbouring Malaysia, you would be pleased that the rebate also applies to all BHPetrol, Caltex, Petron, Petronas and Shell petrol stations in Malaysia, as well as the stores of all leading hypermarts there such as AEON BIG, Giant, TESCO and Pacific Hypermart.

Exclusively for the first 5,000 new customers, enjoy 24 free movies at Cathay Cineplexes (in the form of E!Pass by Maybank) when you apply for a Maybank Platinum Visa Card, Family & Friends Platinum MasterCard or Horizon Platinum Visa Card and CreditAble. Charge S$50 to your new Maybank Card within the first month, and, also within the first month of approval, utilise S$50 from your new CreditAble Account to enjoy this offer! A three year fee waiver is valid for new applicants; the annual fee thereafter is S$80 for a principal card, and also comes with a free supplementary card.

Click to find out more: Maybank - Family and Friends Platinum Mastercard

NOTE:

• Applicants must meet nationality, age and income requirements for successful application
• Annual fee is waived if cardholder spends at least S$12,000 per annum
• Minimum spend of $S500 per calendar month at the designated merchants is required in order to enjoy the 5% rebate; otherwise, the rebate amount will be 0.3%
• The maximum cash rebate earned is capped at S$600 per calendar year; thereafter the rebate amount will be 0.3% for subsequent purchases
• Please click the link above to access the list of participating merchants, eligibility requirements and full terms and conditions

LOCAL PARTICIPATING MERCHANTS FOR 5% REBATE

Supermarkets: Cold Storage (less Cold Storage Specialty), FairPrice, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice X-tra
Health, beauty & wellness: Unity NTUC Healthcare, Guardian, Watsons
Learning & retail: BORDERS, FOX Kids & Baby, Mothercare, POPULAR Bookstores, POPULAR Online Store, Toys “R” Us, Yamaha Music (less course fees)
Fast food delivery: Canadian Pizza, KFC, McDonald's, Pizza Hut

Singapore’s Yeo Yann Yann scores award at “The Oscars of Asia” – 8th Asian Film Awards

The 8th Asian Film Awards (AFA) award ceremony, dubbed the “Asian Oscars”, was held on 27 March 2014 at the House of Dancing Water Theatre in the City of Dreams, Macau. The 8th AFA was jointly organized by the AFA academy (AFAA) and its constituent partners – Busan Film Festival, Tokyo Film Festival and Hong Kong Film Festival.

Yeo Yann Yann (Ilo Ilo) won Best Supporting Actress at the 8th AFA

Actress Yeo Yann Yann and director Anthony Chen (Ilo Ilo) arrives together at the red carpet

Yeo Yann Yann won the Best Supporting Actress title for her role in the film Ilo Ilo against other strong contenders.Yeo’s success at the 8th AFA adds to her already outstanding number of illustrious awards she has won for her role in the film. “In modern life, when we encounter a lot of difficulties, our family members give us the biggest strength. So I hope you all can have this strength,” she said as she expressed her thanks, especially to her husband.

Singapore’s director Anthony Chen also scored a Best Director nomination with his story of a humble Singaporean family in his first feature film Ilo Ilo. This nomination bodes well for the future of Singaporean cinema in the international arena.

The Grandmaster walked away with the most awards this evening, bagging seven awards: Best Film, Best Director for Wong Kar Wai, Best Actress award for Zhang Ziyi, Best Production Designer and Costume Designer for William Chang Suk Ping, and Best Cinematographer for Phillipe Le Sourd.

In her speech, actress Zhang Ziyi spoke of one of the martial arts directors that was on the MH370, the missing Malaysian flight. Director Wong Kar Wai received the Best Film award on behalf of the crew and dedicated his speech to the missing director. He offered his deepest condolences and called on the Malaysian government for more transparency in clarifying the situation soon.

Amidst a standing ovation, Taiwanese actor Hou Hsiao Hsien received the top honour of Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contribution to Asian cinema throughout his 30 year career. “I’m receiving this award because I am an old man,” he joked. He expressed that he is motivated to continue making new films.

Irrfan Khan, lead actor of Indian romance film The Lunchbox, beat other nominees for the Best Actor award (including Tony Leung and Lee Kang Sheng) to win the award. “I'm honoured and delighted that I have been nominated with such great actors, actors which I've watched and which I'm in love with,” he said.

Isabelle Huppert, one of Europe’s top actresses, was named as the first honorary member of the AFAA. Top French fashion designer agnès b of her self-named label presented the Best Costume Designer and Best Production Designer Awards at the AFA award ceremony.

LIST OF WINNERS

Lifetime Achievement
Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Best Film
The Grandmaster

Best Director
Wong Kar-wai, The Grandmaster

Best Actor

Irrfan Khan, The Lunchbox

Best Actress
Zhang Ziyi, The Grandmaster

Best Newcomer
Jiang Shuying, So Young

Best Supporting Actor
Huang Bo, No Man’s Land

Best supporting actress
Yeo Yann Yann, Ilo Ilo

Best Screenwriter
Ritesh Batra, The Lunchbox

Best Cinematographer
Philippe Le Sourd, The Grandmaster

Best Production Designer
William Chang Suk Ping, Alfred Yau Wai Ming, The Grandmaster

Best Composer
Nathaniel Mechaly, Umebayashi Shigeru, The Grandmaster

Best Editor
Shin Min-kyung, Cold Eyes

Best Visual Effects
Jung Sung-jin, Mr Go

Best Costume designer
William Chang Suk Ping, The Grandmaster

ABOUT ASIAN FILM AWARDS

The annual Asian Film Awards was established in 2007 as the first awards to recognize cinematic talents across Asia. The only awards ceremony in the world that brings together the region’s cinematic elites, the AFA has garnered well-deserved attention from both industry professionals and movie fans alike.

This year's Asian Film Awards spanned 12 industry experts on the jury, 73 nominations, 26 films, and 14 award categories from 13 countries. The awards were jointly organised by the powerhouses of Asian cinema, comprising of the AFA Academy and its constituent partners – Busan International Film Festival, Hong Kong Film Festival Society and Tokyo International Film Festival.

The AFA strives to promote cultural exchange between film professionals from all across Asia with the ambition of propelling Asian films to greater heights.

Official website: http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/

8th Asian Film Awards on 27 March 2014

Celebrating excellence in Asian cinema

This year's AFA sees 26 nominated films and will be held in Macau

The 8th Asian Film Awards takes place on
 27th March, at City of Dreams, Macau

Now into its 8th year, the awards ceremony for the annual Asian Film Awards (AFA) will happen on Thursday, the 27th of March this year. It will take place at the magnificent Dancing Water Theatre within Macau's City of Dreams, which is a casino and tourist resort. The AFA - which is often regarded as the Asian equivalent of the Oscars - was first introduced in 2007, and recognises the cinematic achievements of filmmakers within Asia.

7th AFA last year, held at the Hong Kong
Convention and Exhibition Centre

Celebrity guests Andy Lau and Sylvia Chang at the 7th AFA

From more than a thousand films, 26 of them were successfully nominated for the 14 different award categories this year; these nominations come from 13 countries and regions. The categories celebrate and honour the achievements of various groups of people, such as actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and costume designers, among others. Six entries were nominated for this year's Best Film award: No Man's Land, The Grandmaster, The Great Passage, The Lunchbox, Snowpiercer, and Stray Dogs. The winners will be determined by a panel consisting of distinguished professionals in the film industry. Peter Ho-Sun Chan will head the panel, and his panel is joined alongside martial artist and filmmaker Donnie Yen, actress Carina Lau, and together with a number of judges from across the region. This includes Singapore film director Eric Khoo. Meanwhile, Jeon Do-yeon, who has won many awards including Best Actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, has been appointed as the ambassador for the 8th AFA.

The Grandmaster, released 10 Jan 2013
The film is nominated for 11 awards

Ilo Ilo, which premièred on 19 May 2013
The film is nominated for two awards

The Grandmaster, written and directed by Wong Kar-wai, is nominated in 11 out of the 14 categories, only missing out Best Newcomer as well as Best Supporting Actor and Actress. It is a martial arts-themed action drama film and staring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi. Positively received - both critically and commercially - it has won five Golden Horses and also received two nominations at the 86th Academy Awards.

Just as noteworthy, the Singaporean family film Ilo Ilo bagged two nominations - namely 29 year old Anthony Chen for Best Director, and Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann for Best Supporting Actress. Ilo Ilo was presented with the Camera d'Or award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and subsequently took home four awards at the 50th Golden Horse Awards.

This is the first time the AFA will be held in a city other than Hong Kong. The 8th Asian Film Awards is organised by the Asian Film Awards Academy. The official website is www.asianfilmawards.asia.

Official poster for the 8th Asian Film Awards
"Celebrating Excellence in Asian Cinema"