To do: A list of screenings, events and courses to look out for3 min read

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Long-awaited film Pleasure Factory opens next week in cinemas on the 25th. Written and directed by award-winning director Ekachai Uekrongtham, the film stars actress Yang Kuei-Mei and Ananda Everingham in a film inspired by the true stories of characters from Geylang, Singapore’s red-light district.

The Asian Film Archive presents the last leg of the Southeast Asian Digital Cinema featuring Singapore Documentaries. Part of the Cineodeon circuit, locally made documentaries will be screen around Singapore in various campuses up till 19 October. Click here for the complete screening schedule, or visit the Asian Film Archive website for more.

Teo Eng Tiong’s first feature, Truth Be Told, continues its third week at the local screens. The film revolves around TV producer Renee Donovan (Yvonne Lim), who returns to a neighbourhood she left a decade ago, uncovering secrets and confronting her past, and also examines the lesser-known face of Singapore’s public housing where the poor and elderly dwell. Tickets are available online from Golden Village.

The Substation returns with First Take in November on the 5th, kicking off at 8pm at The Substation Theatre. This round of screenings will feature the works of Ghazi Alqudcy, a final-year student pursuing his Diploma in New Media at School of Technology for the Arts at Republic Polytechnic. For more information, visit the Substation Moving Images website.

EVENTS

The Substation has opened its doors to accept submissions for the next Singapore Short Film Festival to be held in March 2008. All locally produced films hat amount to less than 30 minutes can be submitted via mail or hand delivery to The Substation at 45 Armenian Street S(179936). All entries are to be in by 17 December 2007. Click here to see the terms and conditions and download the submission form.

The Asia Media Festival will be back this year on 14 November, and among the events is the Asia Film Market & Conference (AFMC). This year’s AFMC will focus on Content Protection, Mobile TV, Content Partnerships and Sports Content. Leading industry experts will be on hand to discuss the most pertinent issues in today’s media landscape. This event is held in conjuction with the Asia Television Forum (ATF) and is supported by the Media Development Authority of Singapore.

In conjunction with its upcoming release, local film Pleasure Factory will be hosting a talk at the Objectifs Centre for Photography and Filmmaking entitled “The Making Of Pleasure Factory“. Both director Ekachai Uekrongtham and editor/DoP Brian Gothong Tan will be on hand to recound behind-the-scenes tidbits of how the film was conceived, researched, shot and edited. The event will take place on 22 October, 2007 at 7:30pm. For more infomation, log on to the Objectifs website.

COURSES

A short, 2-week long intensive filmmaking course will be held at Objectifs from 26 November to 7 December, and is helmed by filmmaker Lionel Chok. This course is aimed at all aspiring filmmakers who want to tell their own stories — be it drama, documentary or experimental – and wish to learn both the creative as well as the technical skills. Prosumer DV cameras and accessories will be provided, and editing will be done on the Final Cut Pro terminals at Objectifs. Visit the website for more details.

Also at Objectifs is a week-long Scriptwriting Bootcamp by Lilian Wang, a freelance filmmaker who has written and directed for short films and television, who comes armed with 10 years of writing experience. Designed for writers with little or no film or television experience, this intensive workshop aims to build a solid foundation in screenwriting through a blend of lectures, writing exercises and guest seminars. Check out the Objectifs website for more details.

The Dov Simens’ 2-day Film School comes to Singapore in January at the Spring Singapore Auditorium. Lasting only 18 hours, the revolutionary film school was attended by luminaries such as Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. Tickets to the course goes on sale now on the GateCrash website.