NEW DELHI: A World Premiere Film Festival is to be launched by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in June next year to coincide with the annual International Film Expo (IFX)

The inaugural edition will host 25 to 30 feature films including a 12-film competition and a programme of films from ASEAN countries. Organisers expect that the competition films will be world premieres or, at least, Asian premieres.

The festival has already struck a partnership with the Shanghai International Film Festival, which will next year screen a programme of films from the Philippines. The Manila event will be hosted either before or after SIFF.

WPFF will be hosted at SM Mall of Asia and at the new SM Aura in Metro Manila's Taguig City, which includes a 449-seat IMAX screen.

The festival also hopes to introduce a distribution component so that films have a life after the festival.

According to FDCP Head Briccio G. Santos, he is already in talks with various embassies in Manila - including those of Italy and Spain - to secure films to broaden the range of foreign films reaching local cinemas.