Myanmar’s film industry flourished well into junta rule, with lavish productions and movie houses packed with audiences hungry for homegrown fare. But starting in the 1970s a combination of factors started the downhillslide to where the industry is now a pale shadow of its glorious past.

Hopefully the year 2014 will come as a change for the film industry as Myanmar takes the rotating chair of ASEAN for the first time and plays host to a workshop for young film directors, from the Asean region, including Japan and Korea.

The aim of the workshop, called “Rock Film Leaders Incubator Fly 2014,” is to promote regional cooperation in film creation, extend the international market for ASEAN films, and exchange knowledge.