Singapore is set to host a new film festival for first-timedirectors - the Asian Festival of First Films (AFFF) - which is scheduled torun from November 23-30 with an awards gala on the final night.

Organised by Indian productioncompany Teamwork Films with backing from corporate sponsors, the festival aimsto provide a new platform for emerging Asian talent. Eight awards are up forgrabs for films nominated in the competition section (see below). A total of 56films from first-time directors will be screened over the eight-day event,including the competition films.

Taiwanese film Dragon EyeCongee: A Dream Of Love has received the largest number of nominations,five in all, followed by The Philippines' The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliverosand India's Kazcha with three nods each.

"AFFF is the first[festival] of its kind in Asia that is open to first-time filmmakers of Asianorigin," said festival director and Teamwork Films managing director Sanjoy Roy.

The festival has theendorsement of Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) and takes place atthe same time as the MDA's Asia Media Festival (Nov 14 - Dec 2), although itdoesn't receive any funding from the government agency.

The first five editions ofthe event will take place in Singapore after which it will move to other countries in theregion.

Full list of nominations:

Best Producer:
Tiara Jacquelina - Puteri Gunung Ledang (Malaysia)
Arindam Mitra - Black Friday (India)
You Hsu-ru - Dragon Eye Congee: A Dream Of Love (Taiwan)
Raymond Lee - The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliveros (The Philippines)

Best Director:
Kei Horie - Finger And Body (Japan)
Blessy Ipe Thomas - Kazcha (India)
Vimukthi Jayasundara - Sulanga Enu Pinisa (Sri Lanka)
Aureaus Solito - The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliveros (The Philippines)
Shoojit Sarkar - Yahaan (India)
Saw Teong Hin - Puteri Gunung Ledang (Malaysia)
You Hsu-ru - Dragon Eye Congee: A Dream of Love (Taiwan)
Xiao Jiang - Electric Shadows (China)

Best Actor:
Saksham Kulkarni - Pak Pak Pakaak (India)
Nathan Lopez - The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliveros (The Philippines)
Yash - Kazcha (India)
Nilupili Jayawardena - Sulanga Enu Pinisa (Sri Lanka)

Best Actress:
Anita Mazumdar - Murder Unveiled (Canada)
Shin Yin - Dragon Eye Congee: A Dream Of Love (Taiwan)
Chitrangada Singh - Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (India)
Marilyn Lee - Unarmed Combat (Singapore)

Best Screenplay:
Blessy Ipe Thomas - Kazcha (India)
Chen Chien-wei - Dragon Eye Congee: A Dream Of Love (Taiwan)
Ada Tong - Mandhelin (Hong Kong)
Vimukthi Jayasundara - Sulanga Enu Pinisa (Sri Lanka)

Best Cinematographer:
Aseem Bajaj - Chameli (India)
Chiang Shen-feng - Dragon Eye Congee: A Dream Of Love (Taiwan)

Best Documentary:
Diminishing Memories (Singapore)
Feeding On The Dead (India)
I For India (UK)
Jump! Boys (Taiwan)

Best Documentary Director:
Lin Yu-hsien - Jump! Boys (Taiwan)
Duc Luu - Becoming (Hong Kong)
Farid Shah - My Country My Talk (Bangladesh)
Toshiya Inaba - Dear Pyongyang (Japan)