Stories tagged with film
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Bangkok Film Festival on its way
The political turmoil in Thailand’s capital won’t be stopping the annual Bangkok International Film Festival from kicking off on 23 September. The popular cinematic festival will run for a week, finishing on 30 September and offering locals the rare chance to see some amazing and award-winning films from around the ASEAN region and the rest of the world.
There are 70 films scheduled for this year’s event. They will be screened at SF World Cinema, King Power Complex, and CentralWorld, and open with the Thai movie Queens of Langkasuka, an epic tale taken from Thailand’s history. It was directed by one of Thailand’s most famous filmmakers, Nonzee Nimibutr, and stars one of Southeast Asia’s best-known actors, Ananda Everingham.
Among the other movies eagerly awaited by audiences are Spain’s Birdsong, the Philippines’ Slingshot, and 24 City from China. The noncompetitive category includes a great array of local Thai films that will attest to the cinematic skills of the host nation. Bangkok’s film festival is also a competition, and the Golden Kinnaree Awards Ceremony will cap off the event on 28 September at the Aksra Theatre. HRH Princess Ubolrat Ratchakanya Siriwattana Pannawadi will preside over the ceremony in what should be a regal night.
Posted by: Andrew on 21 Sep 2008, 18:41 -
Bangkok International Film Festival Ready to Star
Despite being plagued by scandals last year, organisers announced that the sixth Bangkok International Film Festival will happen as planned in September. Both Thai and international films will be screened at the 7-day event.
This year’s film festival will take place from September 23 to 30 at one of Bangkok’s upscale cinema complexes. Although the exact schedule has yet to be published, artistic director Yongyoot Thongkongtoon revealed that a documentary of Diego Maradona, the Argentine football legend, and “Burn After Reading,” the latest film by the Coen brothers, would make it into the schedule. “There will be many international films,” Yongyoot told Agence France-Presse.
Rumors began circulating recently that the festival would not happen following the December arrest of an American couple who allegedly gave US$1.7 million in bribes to a former TAT governor to manage the 2003 film festival. But these rumors have been played down by Thai organisers.
"It is a great opportunity for Thailand to support the film industry and establish a position as a cultural and entertainment hub of the region," Tourism Authority of Thailand's deputy governor Junhaporn Rerngronasa said.
Posted by: Andrew on 06 Aug 2008, 14:43 -
Bangkok Film Fest set for September
The speculation and rumour over the Bangkok International Film Festival has been quelled, as the Federation of National Film Associations has made an official announcement that the festival will indeed be held in Bangkok this coming September. The last festival was overseen by the national tourism body, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, but it was unclear if the organization would be able to once again take its leading role in the event.
This year, the Thai Film Directors Association will be at the helm of the festival’s proceedings, with TAT still contributing some money to the cause without taking an active role in any creative decisions about the festival or the films to be shown. The director’s association president, Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, says no names of international jurors would be released at this time.
The TAT took over last year after the 2006 festival was criticized for the lack of Thai subtitles in some films, and many saw the event’s spending as reckless, with much cash spent on flying Western film stars into Bangkok for the red carpet treatment.
Posted by: DaveB on 08 May 2008, 11:31