In the lead up to the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, CNN features the power and reach of Asia-Pacific cinema in four half-hour documentaries titled "Scene by Scene - Films of Asia-Pacific".

Hosted by CNN's Anna Coren, the four 30-min documentaries celebrate the cultural diversity and outstanding quality of the films being produced in the region. From Turkey to India, Kazakhstan to the Philippines, Korea to Australia and the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, 'Scene by Scene' explores the film industry in the vast Asia-Pacific region and hears from the directors, producers and stars about the challenges they face making films.

The first edition of 'Scene by Scene' airs on CNN International on October 3rd. A program synopsis of each of the four episodes follows:

Episode One:  India / Australia / Kuwait
Airtimes in HKT
Saturday October 3rd at 4pm & 1030pm
Sunday October 4th at 630am & 1030pm
Monday October 5th at 1030am

'Scene by Scene' meets Anil and Sonam Kapoor, members of one of Bollywood's most famous filmmaking families. A major figure in Indian cinema for over thirty years, Anil's performance as the menacing host of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire' in the worldwide smash hit 'Slumdog Millionaire' catapulted him onto the global stage. Despite her father's initial reluctance for her to follow in his footsteps, Anil's daughter Sonam is now embarking on her third film - a Hindi reimagining of Jane Austen's Emma which she describes as "the role of a lifetime".

The program also travels to Australia to look at the storytelling heritage of their indigenous people and how this translates to the big screen. 'Scene by Scene' hears from three of Australia's hottest properties for 2009: Warwick Thornton, Rachel Perkins and Ivan Sen who have all completed feature-length films this year. From the red dirt of Alice Springs to the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival, Thornton tells the incredible journey of his Camera D'Or winning film, 'Samson & Delilah' that has been hailed as a masterpiece.

Finally 'Scene by Scene' goes to Kuwait to talk to Sheikha Al-Zain Al-Sabah, a prolific member of the nation's ruling family who has her sights set on the challenge of having Arab films and filmmakers recognised worldwide.

Episode Two: Philippines / Australia / Turkey / India
Airtimes in HKT
Sunday October 11th at 1230am & 7pm
Monday October 12th at 230am & 10am

The Philippines is still a developing nation but its filmmakers are already in the realms of the greats, one of them winning the supreme award for directing at this year's Cannes Film Festival. 'Scene by Scene' takes a look at the nation's thriving independent filmmakers and speaks to Brillante Mendoza shortly after his Cannes win about being at the forefront of the Filipino new wave.

In Australia, a film that formed the cornerstone of Australia's movie making resurgence in the 1970's has been rediscovered, restored and re-released almost 40 years after it was made. Marking the first screen role for legendary Australian actor Jack Thompson, 'Wake in Fright' shocked audiences when it hit screens in 1971 with its portrait of the savage side of mateship in the harsh Australian outback. Long thought lost, the last remaining print of this iconic film was recently discovered after a tireless search by the film's editor Anthony Buckley. 'Scene by Scene' hears about the extraordinary story of finding and reclaiming the print from a Pittsburgh film vault, filed under its American title 'Outback' and marked "for destruction".

Next, the program explores the Turkish box office boom where local productions are taking more than 60 percent of revenue reflecting a growing trend for local cinema-goers' to see their own stories and actors on screen.

Finally, the program catches up with two of Bollywood's hottest young actresses, Konkona Sen Sharma and Neha Dhupia, as they play a delicate balancing act between their latest movie roles, star-studded film premieres, media commitments and television commercial shoots. Dhupia also comments on the subject of her new role in US mini series ‘Bollywood Hero'.

Episode Three: Kazakhstan / Philippines / Middle East / Papua New Guinea
Airtimes in HKT
Saturday October 17th at 930pm
Sunday October 18th at 330am & 430pm

'Scene by Scene' also visits Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city and cultural epicentre where the spirit of Kazakh "New Wave" was born. 'Scene by Scene' chats with producer Gulnara Sarsenova about becoming the first female recipient of the 2008 Asian Filmmaker of the Year Award and speaks to two-time Academy Award nominee Sergei Bodrov ('Prisoner of the Mountains', 'Mongol') who has worked extensively in Kazakhstan for more than thirty years as a director, writer and producer.

Removed from office in a bloodless coup amidst massive protests in 2001, former Philippine president Joseph Estrada, once an action movie star, returns this year to the big screen with his first film since his ousting over allegations of incompetence and corruption. Estrada starred in 120 movies in a 26 year acting career and used film as a launching pad for his political ambitions. 'Scene by Scene' visits Estrada on the set of his new comedy where he plays a minibus driver trying to deal with his daughter's plans to marry her Filipino-American boyfriend. At 72 years of age, Estrada is poised for a star comeback - in both film and politics.

The program also focuses on three filmmakers pursuing their craft in the Middle East where two factors dominate all other issues - politics and religion. We meet Palestinian helmer, Najwar Najjar to discuss her feature debut and specialty hit, 'Pomegranates and Myrrh', a heartfelt drama that sparked a hate campaign and fierce public debate about culture and the role of filmmaking between Palestinian conservatives and liberals. We speak with award-winning Lebanese documentarian Mai Masri and also take a look at 'Defamation' , an Israeli film about modern anti-semitism that is stirring up passions.

Papua New Guinea's exotic landscapes and indigenous people have drawn interest from international filmmakers for decades. But there's never been a focus on a home grown industry - until now. 'Scene by Scene' takes us into the classroom as Australian filmmaker Verena Thomas teaches filmmaking to students of the University of Goroka situated in the Highlands.

Episode Four: Australia / India/ Republic of Korea
Airtimes in HKT
Saturday October 31st at 930pm
Sunday November 1st at 330am & 530pm

The world's most loved children's art form - animation is all grown up and now tackles the bigger issues. 2009 has seen Australia at the forefront of the intricate art of stop-motion animation, with two feature films hitting cinema screens this year. 'Mary & Max' and '$9.99' are the first feature length stop -motion animation features ever to come out of Australia. Taking an epic five years from script to screen and requiring a production crew of 50 people to create an average of 2.5 minutes of footage per week, seeing a stop motion feature through to completion is no small feat. 'Scene by Scene' speaks to the creators about the painstaking yet magical process of creating another world.

India's prolific film producers are best known world-wide for their bright and colourful Bollywood or Hindi musicals. 'Scene by Scene' takes a look at a group of more thoughtful filmmakers delving into the subject of what makes us human.

Finally, the program travels to South Korea to the small rural town of Hanul-ri in Sangun-myeon to investigate the surprise success of 'Old Partner' , a documentary about an old Korean farmer, his wife and his trusty ox. The sleeper hit has set the record for the highest grossing independent film in Korean history and has been embraced by millions the world over, confirming the universal appeal of this poetic love story.

For more details, please visit our website: www.cnnpressroomasia.com.