Scene By Scene is an Asia Pacific Screen Awards production in association with CNN.

Films are more than a motion picture.

Some go through the impossible to make a film.

While some challenge social norms to tell a story.

They celebrate cultural traditions, values, and allow us the opportunity to appreciate differences.

CNN International's Scene by Scene captures the heart and culture of Asia Pacific, one film at a time.

New Zealand SCENE BY SCENE gets a rare tour of “Wellywood” – the state-of-the-art filmmaking empire from New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, by Academy Award winner Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor. The best example of Weta Workshop may be Gollum from Lord of the Rings . Episode 1 New Zealand/ Pakistan/ Thailand Pakistan The Australian film Son of a Lion is a significant achievement for director Benjamin Gilmour, an Australian paramedic who ventured into the dangerous Pashtun area of North West Pakistan to make the film. Richard Taylor, co-owner of Weta Workshop spoke about the past, present and future of Weta and the New Zealand Industry.

New Zealand

SCENE BY SCENE gets a rare tour of “Wellywood” – the state-of-the-art filmmaking empire from

New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, by Academy Award winner Peter Jackson and Richard Taylor.

The best example of Weta Workshop may be Gollum from Lord of the Rings .

Episode 1: Oct 4-5 New Zealand/ Pakistan/ Thailand On location with Royal Filmmaker, HRH Prince Chatri of Thailand, directing his latest epic 'The Legend of King Naresuan’. Thailand Thailand’s royal filmmaker, Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, is on set on his latest film involving thousands of extras and over 200 elephants. One of the most famous and successful Thai film directors, Chatri’s film Suriyothai became the country’s highest grossing film earning more than $18M at the box office.

Episode 2: Oct 11-12 Russia / Jordan / Palestine Territories Russia From just $65M ticket sales in 2001 to $500M in 2007, SCENE BY SCENE takes an inside look at the world’s fastest growing film industry interviewing the renowned producer Alexandar Rodnyansky. He talks about his fears of the return of authoritarianism and has been told personally by Russian Presidents that there are limits to what filmmakers can do. Alexander Rodnyansky refers to as the Mecca of Russian National theatre; Lenfilm in St Petersburg. Palestine Territories SCENE BY SCENE talks to filmmaker/ poet Annemarie Jacir who was named one of Filmmaker magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema, but has been denied entry to the Palestinian Territories.

Russia

From just $65M ticket sales in 2001 to $500M in 2007, SCENE BY SCENE takes an inside

look at the world’s fastest growing film industry interviewing the renowned producer Alexandar

Rodnyansky. He talks about his fears of the return of authoritarianism and has been told personally

by Russian Presidents that there are limits to what filmmakers can do.

Episode 2: Oct 11-12 Russia / Jordan / Palestine Territories Jordanian film students learning camera techniques. Jordan SCENE BY SCENE examines how Jordan’s new film industry is by royal command. Her Royal Highness, Princess Rym Al-Ali, a board member of the Royal Film Commission lays out the Royal Family’s vision to make Jordan a powerhouse of Middle Eastern cinema by attracting filmmakers from all over the region.

Episode 3: Oct 18-19 Israel / India India Even bigger and more popular than Bollywood, the show focuses on the Telugu cinema in southern India, known as Tollywood and interviews one of Bollywood's biggest stars Actor and Director Ashutosh Gowarikar, whose film Lagaan was nominated for an Oscar in 2001. Israel SCENE BY SCENE talks to Eran Riklis, one of Israel's leading filmmakers. His best known film Syrian Bride won the top award at Montreal Film Festival and the most recent film The Lemon Tree entered in this year's Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Israeli director and APSA feature entry Eran Riklis 'Lemon Tree‘. One location in 'Tollywood', the Telegu film industry centred around Hydrabad.

India

Even bigger and more popular than Bollywood, the show focuses on the Telugu cinema in

southern India, known as Tollywood and interviews one of Bollywood's biggest stars Actor and

Director Ashutosh Gowarikar, whose film Lagaan was nominated for an Oscar in 2001.

Israel

SCENE BY SCENE talks to Eran Riklis, one of Israel's leading filmmakers. His best known film

Syrian Bride won the top award at Montreal Film Festival and the most recent film The Lemon Tree

entered in this year's Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Episode 4: Nov 1-2 Australia / China China SCENE BY SCENE visits the set of Mao’s Last Dancer , the newest film of Academy Award nominated director and Asia Pacific Screen Awards International Jury President Bruce Beresford. SCENE BY SCENE also hears from the movie's leading actors Joan Chen and Chi Cao. Bruce Beresford, Academy Award nominated director on Mao’s Last Dancer. Australia Director Baz Luhrmann, whose highly original cinematic eye has taken him to the heights of his profession with Strictly Ballroom , Romeo & Juliet and Moulin Rouge , has now overseen one of the most expensive and ambitious films ever shot in Australia, an epic period drama to compare with Gone With The Wind , starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

China

SCENE BY SCENE visits the set of Mao’s Last Dancer , the newest

film of Academy Award nominated director and Asia Pacific Screen

Awards International Jury President Bruce Beresford. SCENE BY

SCENE also hears from the movie's leading actors Joan Chen

and Chi Cao.

Episode 5: Nov 26, 29-30 The Screening Room APSA Special The final episode of Scene By Scene brings highlights of the star-studded 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) ceremony to be held in Australia's Gold Coast on November 11th. Attracting more than 180 film entries from 43 countries, this year's award ceremony celebrates cinematic excellence across the culturally diverse Asia-Pacific region. The last episode will be hosted by acclaimed English star Myleene Klass, also the presenter of CNN's monthly movie program 'The Screening Room‘. The 30-min documentary goes behind the scenes of the region's highest accolade in film. Highlights of 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards

The final episode of Scene By Scene brings highlights of the star-studded 2008 Asia Pacific Screen

Awards (APSA) ceremony to be held in Australia's Gold Coast on November 11th. Attracting more

than 180 film entries from 43 countries, this year's award ceremony celebrates cinematic excellence

across the culturally diverse Asia-Pacific region.

The last episode will be hosted by acclaimed English star Myleene Klass, also the presenter of CNN's

monthly movie program 'The Screening Room‘. The 30-min documentary goes behind the scenes of

the region's highest accolade in film.

Scene By Scene airs on CNN International on the following dates and times*: Oct 4-5; 11-12; 18-19; Nov 1-2 Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 8am & 1pm The Screening Room Asia Pacific Screen Awards Special airs Nov 26, 29-30 Wednesday at 530pm, Saturday at 430pm, and Sunday at130pm *All airtimes shown are for Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Philippines and Taiwan. For India minus 2.5 hours, Bangkok and Indonesia minus 1 hour, Brisbane add 2 hours, Sydney and Melbourne add 3 hours. CNN International is a 24-hour news channel which reacts to live events and breaking news. Therefore, program schedules are subject to change.