S'pore event puts spotlight on debutant film makers

SINGAPORE, Nov 27 (Reuters) First-time Asian film makers hope a fledgling film festival in Singapore which is dedicated to debutants will help them garner the screenings they crave.

Organisers of the Asian Festival of First Films, which runs from November 30 to December 7, say the event will help boost the commercial odds for budding producers and directors who are often hamstrung by paltry budgets and audience disinterest.

But industry insiders say the festival will need more time and successes to stand out from the thousands of film events organised around the world each year.

''There are awards for first films in festivals around the world but this is the only film festival dedicated entirely to first-time filmmakers,'' festival founder and director Sanjoy Roy told Reuters.

He hopes the event, co-funded by the Singapore government and in its second year, will become the first stop for new Asian filmmakers seeking international renown.

Festival organisers cite last year's best feature film award winner, ''The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros'' from the Philippines, as one of its success stories.

MULTI-CULTURAL MOVIES The film, about a 12-year-old boy from the slums of Manila who falls in love with a policeman, debuted in Singapore and has since gone onto more prestigious film festivals such as Berlin.

It was the first Filipino film invited to the Sundance Film Festival and is the country's official entry in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the 79th Academy Awards.

''The success of that film gave us credibility,'' Roy said.

Some established Asian film makers are more sceptical.

''Film festivals need a few years to gain traction, a few years before they gain international respect. It's the quality of films submitted that sustains a festival and for a festival comprising only of first films, that is a tall order,'' said Singapore-based independent producer Juan Foo.

But the organisers are confident the Singapore event will help redress the imbalanced exposure Asian movie-makers get compared to their Hollywood counterparts.

''Asia is the largest producer of films in the world. It makes three films to every one that comes from the West. But only about two percent of Asian films find distribution across territorial borders,'' Roy said.

A total of 29 films will be shown at the festival this year, whittled down from the 320 films submitted from around the world.

Last year, more than the 230 films were sent in.

Entries are mainly from China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Israel, Canada and Spain.

''The line-up is not just art-house films but is from across the board and a reflection of popular culture,'' Roy said.

The films that will be screened include Thailand's ''A Bite of Love'', a touching tale about a girl and a puppy, ''Bliss'' -- a gritty family drama set in China -- and India's ''Gangster'' -- a Bollywood thriller with catchy tunes and a love triangle.

Reuters BDP DB0954