Rupert Murdoch has warned China that it will encourage piracy and limit opportunities for its own booming movie market if it does not open up to foreign films, in the latest sign of western media owners' frustrations with Chinese restrictions.

Celebrities added a lot of glitz and glamour to ScreenSingapore 2011. But besides the red carpet extravaganza - organisers said the event also helped local film companies network with international counterparts, something which organisers said will bear fruit in future.

CPD Assistant Director for Research and Publications, Naomi Leight, participated on a panel, organized by BINA LA, to discuss the impact of film and culture in Israel’s public diplomacy strategy.

Tokyo and Yokohama jointly host the Short Shorts Film Festival in mid-June. First held in 1999, the festival has grown rapidly and became an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards in 2004. When it began, the event was the only short film festival of its kind in Japan and was looking to emulate the popularity of similar events around the world.

Two Taiwanese film productions have been selected for the 2011 Paris Project as part of a film collaboration program between Taipei and Paris. Producers from Taiwan and France who are interested in cross-border cooperation will also gather at a French-Taiwan Workshop, which is being held for the first time to build up the potential partnership.

Singapore wants to join the major international film festival circuit. With the launch of ScreenSingapore, the island city-state is hosting dozens of screenings and events aimed at wooing industry players. Indeed, Singapore is entering a competitive market, which might be why organizer Jimmy Lau prefers to call ScreenSingapore a “business convention for international media players”.

A Hollywood drama about the Russia-Georgia war of August 2008 has premiered in the Georgian capital. Cuban-American actor Andy Garcia, who stars as President Mikheil Saakashvili, spoke alongside director Renny Harlin at the premier screening in Tbilisi. The film dramatizes Saakashvili's role in the events.