Malaysian pioneering independent filmmaker James Lee will shoot two new projects back-to-back - digital film Waiting For Love and his first 35mm mainstream feature film Hysteria.

A six-day shoot has just begun on the digital film, the last installment of a love trilogy which also includes Before We Fall In Love Again and Things We Do When We Fall In Love.

It revolves around love affairs but the storyline is unrelated to the first two installments. Amy Len, a regular of Lee's films, plays the lead role with musician-turned-actor Peter Teo in a supporting role.

While the low-budget digital film is shot on mini-DV and produced by Lee's outfit Doghouse73 Pictures, Hysteria is a $380,000 (RM1.3m) production financed by Tayangan Unggul, the film-making arm of Malaysia 's pay-TV operator Astro.

The teenage slasher about eight girls being killed one by one marks Lee's first mainstream feature on 35mm. Filming is due to start in early August.

Before We Fall In Love Again is currently playing in ASEAN competition at the Bangkok International Film Festival. Lee won the best ASEAN film award for his Beautiful Washing Machine two years ago.

Lee whose independent works have travelled widely on the international festival circuit has begun to receive belated acknowledgement by Malaysia. Both Before We Fall In Love Again and Things We Do When We Fall In Love are nominated in the inaugural Digital Film Competition of the 20th Malaysia Film Festival (August 3-5) which hands out the country's top film awards.

Topics