Well-known as a theatre director in Singapore, where he's based, Ekachai Uekrongtham earned global fame as a filmmaker of sensitivity with his debut "Beautiful Boxer", and is now promoting his second movie.

"Beautiful Boxer" was screened at more than 100 festivals around the world and sold to more than 30 countries, picking up plenty of awards along the way. There are high expectations for "Pleasure Factory" - premiering at the Cannes Festival this week.

The accolades showered on "Boxer" were "entirely unexpected", Ekachai said last week as he supervised final editing of the new flick at Bangkok's Kantana Studios. In another room, Wong Kar Wai was completing his Cannes entry, "My Blueberry Nights", which is opening the festival.

Read an interview with Ekachai.