SINGAPORE: Mention local movie directors, and names like Jack Neo, Eric Khoo and Royston Tan roll easily off the tongue.

And then, there's Michael Wang. Michael who? "Yes, I know. People have no idea who I am," Wang said with a sigh.

The film-maker graduated from the Florida State Film Conservatory, and worked at Cooper Town Productions (co-founded by Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman). His short film Talking In Black And White was featured at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Wang, 25, has just set up a film company, The Vintage Film Co, and will start on its first movie, The Carrot Cake Conversations, which he wrote, next month.

The S$350,000-budget movie is about actress Kate (Australian actress Danielle O'Malley), who is stranded at Newton Hawker Centre. There, she meets Daniel (Alaric Tay), a disgruntled businessman; Matthew (Adrian Pang), a hotelier's son; and Ruth (Andrea Fonseka), a high-end prostitute who longs to be Singapore's first blues singer.

Choosing the leads wasn't difficult, said Wang.

"I've seen Hollywood actors do auditions, and I have not seen a better audition than Adrian Pang's! And Andrea was perfect. It's difficult to say 'no' when she's wearing a sexy dress!"

The movie is also Fonseka's first lead role. "Ruth and I are quite similar: We're young but have old souls, we are seeking approval from our parents. For me, it's that I'm doing this instead of a career in law!" she said.

Right now, Vintage Film Co is a vehicle to produce the movies Wang wants to do, but that could change if Conversations, which is expected to be released early next year, takes off.

"We will try to push it internationally first - New York, maybe Cannes and Edinburgh - and then here towards the latter half of 2008," said Wang, who is already working on his next script. - TODAY/ym