Bangkok-born filmmaker Aditya Assarat is a familiar face on the short-film circuit and indie music fans may remember him as the man behind Raw Velvet , the 2002 documentary about the alternative rock band Pru that was screened on cable TV. Mainstream filmgoers should be hearing more about this young, talented director as his debut feature, Wonderful Town , was one of the three films to win the New Currents Award at the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) in South Korea earlier this month.

The best thing about this festival was seeing so many young people in the audience, says Aditya. It s unusual for high-school and university students to attend film festivals in such high numbers. Even though they may not understand the films, the experience will teach them that there is much more out there than commercial movies. Set in Phang Nga s Takua Pa district, Wonderful Town focuses in on a community devastated by the 2004 tsunami.

The elegantly told love story begins with the arrival of Ton (Supphasit Kansen), a Bangkok architect sent to oversee the building of a new resort in the town. He falls in love with hotel owner Na (Anchalee Saisoontorn) and their relationship grows in the face of wagging tongues and the disapproval of Na s brother Wit (Dul Yaambunying), the leader of a motorcycle gang.

Aditya visited the area after scouting for locations in Phuket for another project - Sideline - now cancelled due to financial problems. He checked into a hotel, the key location for the film, went for a walk, and instantly fell in love with the town. I had no interest in making a film about the tsunami. But parts of the story just came to me. Location often inspires me that way, he says.