"Singapore Dreaming" competed for two awards in the Zalbaltegi section of the San Sebastián International Film Festival, the first being the Moutblanc New Screenwriter's Award (the third ever awarded in the annual festival), and the second being the Altadis-New Directors Award. This film lost the latter award to "Fair Play", but bagged the Moutblanc New Screenwriter's Award. There were eighteen films in competition for the screenwriter's award. The directors did not submit the films directly to San Sebastian at first. Instead, they sent preview screeners to solicit comments on the film from their friends in New York. The film was spread around resulting in it being nominated for the film festival.