Dragons and Tigers: The Cinemas of East Asia is a cornerstone of the Vancouver International Film Festival, and this year’s selections showcase work by young, first time filmmakers from East Asia even more than usual.

‘I’m really excited about the number of films from first-time filmmakers this year,’ says Asian programmer Shelly Kraicer, who joined the festival last year to program Chinese-language cinema from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Co-programmer Tony Rayns selects films from Japan, Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.

Part of the reason Kraicer is seeing an increase in films from young and rookie independent filmmakers this year may be because 2008 has been a slow year for mainstream cinema.

‘In general, 2008 has not been a great year for commercial cinema, so an opportunity emerges for the independent films underneath,’ he says. ‘New directors are breaking out. Young, first-time filmmakers are seizing an opportunity because mainstream cinema is in a recession, or temporary decline.’

This is especially true in China, where so much attention has been directed towards the Summer Olympics.

‘China really stands out as having a productive year in cinema on the indie side,’ says Kraicer.

Films from first-time directors in Dragons and Tigers this year include High Noon, an Asian coming-of-age story from 24-year-old female director Mak Heiward of Hong Kong, and Orz Boyz, the story of two young boys making trouble in Taipei, from Taiwanese director Ya-Che Yang.

Eight features from first- or second-time directors will compete for the 15th annual Dragons and Tigers Award for Young Cinema, which offers a $10,000 prize, up from $5,000 in 2007.

Three of the nominated films come from Japan, two from China and one each from the Philippines, South Korea and Singapore. The winner will be announced Oct. 2, before the international premiere of Yim Phil-Sung’s Hansel and Gretel.

This year’s entries include Sweet Food City, set in a 1990s housing/shopping development that has become a massive slum, directed by Wendong Gao of China; Kaza-Aana, a love-triangle tale from Japan director Nobutero Uchida; and Synching Blue, a feature from South Korean director Won-Tae Seo, which explores a possible link between synchronized swimming and masturbation.

Last year the competition ended in a tie between Fujian Blue, directed by Shouming Weng, and Mid-Afternoon Barks, from director Yuedong Zhang. Both films are from China. Past winners include Liu Jiayin for Ox Hide (2005) and John Torres for Todo Todo Teros (2006).

Forty-seven features, five mid-length films and 23 shorts will screen in Dragons and Tigers this year. The showcase continues to be a key event for helping emerging South Asian cinema find international audiences and has contributed to its growing presence in mainstream North American cinema.

‘East Asian films have started to find commercial pathways out of the art-house ghetto,’ says Kraicer. ‘Lots of young East Asian directors are eager to have their films at VIFF. Dragons and Tigers has been a main portal to introduce independent film to audiences outside of Asia.’