Gianni Amelio's new film LaStella Che Non C'e' (The Missing Star)has been set up as a Singapore/Italian co-production, with Sergio Castellito inthe lead role of an Italian worker trying to prevent an industrial disaster ina Chinese steel mill.

Shooting will start nextmonth in Shanghai on the film, which is to be co-produced by Singapore's Oak3Films and Italy's Cattleya, Rai Cinema and Achab Film.

France's Babe Films,Switzerland's Carac Film, Council of Europe's Eurimages fund, Singapore FilmCommission, US distributor Lakeshore International and Italian distributor 01Distribution are also co-financing.

The Missing Star is Singapore's first film co-production with Italyas part of a series of international projects aimed at developing Singaporeinto a media hub. 'Singapore's mix of cultures positions it to be an excellent partner forEuropeanfilmmakers working in Asia,' says Cattleya's Marco Chimenz, whois executive producing the film with Oak3 Films CEO Zaihirat Banu and BabeFilms president Fabio Conversi.

Oak3 Films is aSingapore-based production house that has been aggressively drivinginternational projects. The Missing Star is its first international filmco-production; last year it collaborated with Germany's FFP Media on a two-partTV series, House of Harmony.