The Burmese film “Kayan Beauties” has been honored at the inaugural Asean International Film Festival, taking away the special jury award at a ceremony in Malaysia over the weekend.

The film by Burmese director Aung Ko Latt is based on the story of an ethnic Kayan girl from east Burma who is kidnapped by human traffickers, highlighting a common plight among women in the ethnic group who are often targeted by Thai photographers or tourist companies because of their reputation for wearing brass coils that appear to elongate their necks.

“For 27 years I’ve been trying to show off our Burmese films and movies to the world,” said Aung Ko Latt. “Now, that dream has come true. I’ll try my best to produce more Burmese films and movies reflecting the beauty of our country, traditions and cultures.”

Taiwan

Seeing Pingpu, an exhibition on view at Greater Tainan’s National Museum of Taiwan History, showcases the history, art and culture of Taiwan’s Pingpu peoples

Within the debates and national soul-searching over Taiwanese identity, the history and culture of the Pingpu, or Plains Indigenous Peoples, have received much attention over the past decade.

To understand Taiwan’s ethno-linguistic composition and the origin of the country’s many cultural traditions, it is impossible to ignore this group of Aborigines. With this in mind, the National Museum of Taiwan History in Greater Tainan has put together a special exhibition, Seeing Pingpu: The History and Culture of the Plains Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan, which runs until Aug. 4.

MANILA, Philippines - Fans of cinema in Asia are gearing up for 1st ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) from March 28 to 30 at Koching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

The 3-day film extravaganza will showcase 100 films spread out with screenings in the evening until the wee hours of the morning.

The first day will be devoted to all short-listed films divided by genre. The last two days will see screenings of nominated films.

A total of 13 films from the Philippines have made it to the shortlist.

Singapore

Strength in numbers and lots of laughter

SINGAPORE — There are many ways of looking at the mysterious house in The Bride Always Knocks Twice: A limbo of sorts, a cosmic bubble that breaks all laws of time and space, a metaphorical sanctuary in the mind. Whatever it is, it’s well-furnished, fully-stocked with tea and its doors are always open to women in times of need.

And so it has proven to be for an unlikely group who, despite speaking different languages and coming from different eras, have come one by one to exist in harmony — until a runaway bride (Isabella Chiam) comes knocking, that is.