The Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia Pacific (FPA) is the oldest Pan-Asian film organisation in the region. It was founded on 18 November 1953 in Manila, under the name Federation of Motion Picture Producers in South East Asia, to promote the film industry, elevate artistic standards and encourage cultural exchange through friendly relations between participating members. In 1982 the FPA changed its constitution and name to include the Pacific. Currently, the FPA boasts a membership of 14 countries throughout the region. The main annual FPA event is the Asia Pacific Film Festival. Each year, the Board of Directors selects a different member as the Festival's host city. In 1999 the FPA Secretariat officially resumed operations in Taipei after a 28-year hiatus since going into hibernation in 1971 in Tokyo. MODAROC (The Motion Picture and Drama Association of ROC), Taipei's representative body at the FPA, was delegated to take charge of the operation of the Secretariat according to a resolution passed by the Board of Directors at the meeting on 9 December 1998 held during the 43rd Asia Pacific Film Festival. The main mission of the Secretariat is to provide a permanent base of communications, to foster co-operation, to monitor activities within the Asia Pacific region and to assist the host city in organising the annual film festival. It also undertakes co-operative projects such as that between Taipei’s Central Motion Picture Corporation and Bangkok’s Five Star Productions Company. With many tasks ahead, the Secretariat is sparing no effort to make this office an effective body for the promotion of the motion picture industry in the Asia Pacific region.